Job Discussion Forums

[JRJohn]

I have been offered a job starting in September in Nanjing. However, people have told me that because I did not secure this job before leaving China, I would have to apply for a new visa. I spent 2 years in China. Last summer, everything went smoothly, and I did not have to think of visas because I signed on again.
But now I am going to a new job. If I get the overseas medical check done next week, how long will it take before I can come to China? This is very important to me.
In 2010 I got a job in Henan at the start of August and I had to wait 3 months before I could come to China. I submitted my medical check to China in early August. I really don't want to wait that long this year. It might mean that I go to another country. I know people who waited longer than I did.

[Miles Smiles]

Your school probably won't want you to arrive until about a week before school starts.

The school will probably time sending your papers to you so that you don't arrive before you can be processed for a residence permit. If you manage to get your Z visa application completed and the visa sent to you three weeks before school starts, I don't recommend that you catch the next flight out to Nanjing. There may be no one at the school to secure your residence permit or even verify that you work there should your presence in China be questioned.

Think about it. Your Z visa gets you into the country, but it does not really accord you any residency status.

[Mr. Leafy]

You ask how long �on average� but I doubt there will be an average. Mine took a few months from the initial offer because of dealing with at least four different people at the school. Some of them don�t know what to do but were the official contacts. Others probably knew what to do but don�t speak English.

First they gave me incorrect info about what I needed for the medical, then they sent an almost illegible scan of the form. So I got some tests done. Then I got more correct, but still incomplete, information about the medical. So to the doctor again.

Then they took a long time to send the work permit. But it arrived and I traveled four hours to the city (yes, I could have done it by post but ...) and found out they had written some incorrect info on the permit. They wrote the wrong country. I read a little Chinese but I hadn�t bothered to examine the form, assuming it would be correct since the person who filled it in does that as a major task of their job. Also, they had only emailed a scan, not sent an original and that wasn�t good enough. They said they didn�t know. (um, really? After hiring a dozen teachers a year for decades?) So another wait for a replacement.

Then someone said �I�ll send it tomorrow�. Three days later they email to ask my address. (They must already have it three times; on my resume, on some other form, and one other person asked for it too.)

Then I was out of town on holiday and had to cut it short by a few days because the letter needed a signature or risked being sent back. No one�s fault there, just bad timing. Then DHL lost it for a few hours and I almost missed my bus to the appointment in the city.

When I made it to my appointment I was talking to a guy in line who was also there for his second appointment. Why? His future employer had written the wrong sex on his form.

Now I am waiting for the return of my passport. They said a few days ago that it could take two weeks. So, I�ll wait and see. Is that about average?

I don�t mean to be discouraging but just saying there is no predicting, no average.