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Q: How can I get a Z Visa in HK
I'm now in Shanghai for a short study period, and have an F-type visa which will expire at the end of July.
I'm due to start a job in August in Shenzhen, in a small Chinese company. The laoban already told me that I don't have to worry, I can sort everything out in Hong Kong with an invitation letter provided by him... but I've been reading quite unsettling stuff around the internet, about the need to have at least 2-3 years of work experience in the field and a ton of other things that I don't have. I just graduated, came to China to practice my Chinese, never thought it would be so hard to get a Z-Visa but apparently I was wrong.
Also, I hope I don't have to go back to my home country to do that, 'cause it would make everything A LOT harder.
So, anyone amidst you had to sort things like this out recently? Cause apparently something has changed since the PRC government decided to track every irregular waiguoren down.
xiexie nimen
11 years 42 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
You must go to the Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong with the required documentation and apply for visa there. Takes minimum of two days, you turn papers in one morning, pick passport and visa next morning.
From the Chinese Embassy website, I copy the following :
Work Visa (Z-visa)
is issued to a foreign citizen who is to take up a post or employment in China and his or her accompanying family members, or to give commercial performances, implement aid or cooperative projects in China.
i. Please provide the following documents
(i) Original passport remaining to be valid for at least six months from the date of application with 2 blank visa pages or more (18 months and more left if intended stay in China is more than one year).
(ii) One completed Visa Application Form (e-Form/Download) with a recently-taken passport photo stuck on it. All the items on the application form should be fully filled in with genuine information; if the applicant has a Chinese name, the Chinese name should be filled in; false or incomplete information and illegible characters may lead to refusal of a visa.
(iii) Employment Approval Documents required:
(A) Foreigners who come to China to take up employment as experts, scholars, teachers, managerial personnel and as personnel working in related state or local organizations should provide:
1. Permit for Foreign Experts Working in China issued by the State Bureau of Foreign Experts (original copy);
2. An "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation" issued by an authorized unit in China (original copy).
(B) Foreign technical personnel who come to China for Offshore petroleum operations should provide Letter of Invitation to Foreigners for Offshore Petroleum Operations in China issued by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (original copy);
(C) Chief representative or representative of foreign offices resident in China should provide:
1. The registration certificate of resident representative office of foreign (regional) enterprise issued by related administrative department of industry and commerce; or the approval document for the resident representative office of foreign enterprise issued by related commercial departments; and
2. An "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation" issued by an authorized unit in China (original copy).
(D) Personnel who come to China to implement aid or cooperative projects should provide:
1. Bilateral or multilateral agreement between the Chinese government and foreign government or international organization, for cooperation and exchange; and
2. An "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation" issued by an authorized unit in China (original copy).
(E) Personnel who come to China for commercial performance should provide:
1. Approval document (also copy) issued by the Ministry of Culture or the Cultural Department of related province, autonomous region or municipality directly under the Central Government; and
2. An original copy of "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation" issued by the Ministry of Culture or the foreign affairs office of related province, autonomous region and municipality directly under the Central Government.
(F) Personnel other than those mentioned above should provide:
1. The Employment Permit for Foreigners issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security; and
2. An "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation" issued by an authorized unit in China (original copy).
(G) Accompanying family dependents of personnel working in China should provide an original copy of "Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit" or "Confirmation Letter of Invitation" issued by the authorized Chinese unit or proof of kinship, e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc., and a copy of the Z-visa as well as Residence Permit of the person working in China.
(iv) A Physical Examination Record for Foreigner filled out and signed by a doctor (together with their copies).Please take note that your Physical Examination Report should used within 6 months since its issuing date.You can download the form at our website (Download). The appointed hospital is Singapore General Hospital or Raffles Hospital.
(v) For Foreign Passport Holder with the Place of Birth or Once a China Citizen shall provide 1 of the document as per below:
(1)1 Photocopy each of your Recent Chinese Visa and Front page of the passport.
(2)Provide your Cross Out China Passport(Original & 1 Photocopy of the Front Page).
(3)Provide your Birth Certificate or Notarization(1 Photocopy).
(4)Provide your Cross out identity Card or Registered Residence Booket(1 Photocopy).
(vi) For applicants who are French passport holders, please provide all the supporting documents accordingly as per required.
ii. Method for application and time for processing
(i) Method: An applicant may submit his or her visa application to the Centre in person or entrusts someone or a travel agency to submit on his or her behalf. You may book in advance via the Centre's website for submission(Online Appointment). You may be required to go to the Chinese Embassy for an interview if the Chinese Embassy deems it necessary.
(ii) Visa processing time: Regular pick-up time is the fourth working day. The Centre offers express service and rush service. For express service, visa will be ready for collection on the third working day. For rush service, visa will be ready for collection on the second working day.
iii. Visa fee, period of validity and duration of stay
(i) Pay visa and service fees when collecting passport;
(ii) Only Cash and Debit Card(NETS & UnionPay) available now. Credit Card will be acceptable in the future. Please check the notice in our website;
(iii) Schedule of visa Fees and Service Fees (Unit: Singapore dollar): Schedule of Fees
(iv) Z-visa issued by the Chinese Embassy is usually with a single entry, valid for three months and with no duration of stay ??that is 000 day of stay??. Holders of work visa should go through the formalities for a residence permit at a local public security authority, and a work permit at labor office, within 30 days after entry into China, to avoid illegal stay in China. The validity of the residence permit is the legal period by which the holder is allowed to stay in China.
(v) Consular Officers decide on the visa's period of validity, duration of stay and number of entry in the light of China's laws and regulations.
(vi) Whether a visa is to be issued or not to be issued and what type of visa to be issued shall be decided by Consular Officers in the light of China’s relevant laws and regulations.
iv. Please note??
(i) Please apply for a visa about one month in advance of your intended date of entry into China, and do not apply three months earlier than your intended date of entry into China. You should take upon yourself any consequences resulting from your failure to submit visa application at an appropriate time, which may lead to either your already-issued visa becoming expired or it would be too late to get a visa before your planned departure date.
(ii) The visa application form should be fully filled in and signed by the applicant upon completion (application for an applicant under 18 years of age should be signed by one of his or her parents). Items which are not applicable should be filled in with N/A.
(iii) Consular Officers may request an applicant to provide additional supporting documents when needed. The applicant should submit them as soon as possible.
huilang:
Thank you for your answer.. so you think the 2-3 years work experience is a bluff? I just heard from a friend that when she was in my same situation she had to go to an agency next to the office in HK and she got an F-visa in the end, 'cause she didn't have the above mentioned 2 years work experience that they apparently required for a Z-visa. I would be ok with an F-visa too, if it allowed me to earn a wage without breaking any law here (which seems almost impossible, sometimes)
Huilang:
there is no requirement for work experience in the Embassy posted regulations. That does not mean at all that one Officer at one Embassy could not ask for it, since they seem to have a bit of independence of criteria.
Get the documents, go to Hong Kong, and if they request from you a letter indicating work experience, leave Embassy and go to a nearby Visa Agency, pay the extra fee, and see if they can get it for you without the letter indicating experience.
To an individual person maybe they are more rigid in the requirements, to a Visa Agency who God knows what may transpire behind curtains, they will be more lenient in my opinion. But do not pay a cent until you are given assurances that they can get the visa for you.
although happy is the number one go to guy for info on visa i have to say this time he's wrong. this question has popped up quite a few times including once from myself. you now need 2 years work experience post graduation outside of China for a Z visa. not just for teaching jobs, for all z visas. of course there are ways around it which i wont post on here
ask any visa agency or even the entry exit people, they will all tell you the same, that you need 2 years work experience. yes granted the official websites dont say it but check when they were last updated, the british one is from 2009 i think.
it's just easier to put 2 years teaching experience in any south-east asian country on your CV, make up a name of a school and put it into a city in vietnam or korea, they can never check because they are not confident of speaking the language required to inquire. and yes i have got a work visa through the same method. (good luck chinese people tracking my ip) hehe
