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mankindmatt5 · Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 20

I'm in a bit of an odd situation here - trying to move from Taiwan to Mainland China in either September or February

Because there is no PRC embassy in Taiwan for political reasons the visa situation is somewhat tricky.

The recruiter I have been using told me it's impossible to get a visa via Hong Kong unless I have a residents permit for there - however he then said it could be OK if I have an Alien Registration in Taiwan (which I do)

The latest is that he's told me I should go to Taiwan immigration and ask them if they can issue the visa for me when the school in China has processed the paperwork - BUT surely that can't be right - Taiwan's gov. can't provide me with a visa for China??

I know all this is typical of the confusing red tape that's involved with China - just wondering if anyone else has any info or has ever made a move from Taiwan to China ~ I suppose I will probably have to go back to the UK if I want to work in China - but if anyone knows another way...

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

Don't believe the recruiter, he/she's out to lunch. Assuming you mean a Z visa then you should be able to get one in HK w/o HK residency as long as you have the proper documents. Everyone else does.

El Chupacabra · Joined: 22 Jul 2009 Posts: 378 Location: Kwangchow

Even though Taiwan Province can issue visas for visiting, it has no authority to issue visas for other provinces or regions of the PRC. You will need to visit a China consulate for that. Fortunately, you will not have to leave the PRC to get this permission, as a consulate is available in the special administrative region of Hong Kong.

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

Without the politics of names...

You will have to leave Taiwan to get your visa. I do not think mailing your passport would be a good idea.

Just head to Hong Kong and then you can get a visa into China.

sistercream · Joined: 18 Dec 2010 Posts: 497 Location: Pearl River Delta

*Just* (easy to say, I know) get your new employer to send ALL ALL ALL the necessary paper work to you and then head over either to Hong Kong or Macau, and head to the Foreign Affairs Office in either of those SARs.
Unless the sun started rising in the west recently, I don't think there's any way to get a Z visa from Taiwan, and you don't want to faff around getting an L visa first, then having to go to HK or Macau - or worse still $$-wise, your home country - to process your working visa.

mankindmatt5 · Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 20

Thanks for the input

I put these things to the recruiter - and he claimed that it just wasn't possible from GZ Provincial Office of Ed.

I think either he's telling the truth OR the school found a teacher who was willing to do the same job as me for cheaper and so made something up (contract was initially negotiable and I demanded the higher end of the bracket)