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Q: School's certification to hire foreigners. What's the deal?
I've been working at a school that arranged the paperwork for my Z visa, but seemed unable to complete the deal and obtain my residency permit. I'm a little puzzled at how one was possible, but not the other. After a lot of enquiries they admitted it was a police problem that may - or may not - be possible to solve. Something relating to a missing certificate.
I have previously been employed by the same school without a problem. I am wondering if they have had some certification withdrawn by the local authorities. Are there different documents required from the school to apply for Z visas and residency permits, or is it just the one certificate to hire foreigners and make their stay legal?
I am now back in the UK, but would happily return if it were on a fully-legal basis. Any clever people out there able to throw light on the ins and outs of this confusing process?
11 years 11 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
Most likely your school refused to pay the needed bribe to the police station. I have heard stories like that many times.
Pedro123:
That's exactly what I think. At least this way I guess the problem can be "solved" in the usual Chinese way. I am still confused with regards to the Z visa and the Resident's Permit. I would have thought I would have been OK with both, or neither. Getting one and not the other just seems daft. I guess I will never understand the way the Chinese system works/doesn't work. Thanks for your reply though!
If you got the Z visa,in your passport,getting the Resident permit is easy,unless you failed the medical check.Resident permit,just telling the Police where you live
Pedro123:
That's the weird thing. As the answer above suggests, I wonder if the school had an issue with the police. I'm guessing different departments deal with Z visas and Resident Permits, as the visa was issued without a problem, yet the Resident Permit never materialised. The plot thickens....
Hugh.G.Rection:
Pedro,
I'm no expert on this but as I understand it, I think there may be some confusion here about your residence permit and registering where you live.
The process is usually as follows (I think, but as I said I'm not an expert)
1. You find a school / a school finds you.
2. They send you a formal letter of invitation of employment.
3. You take the invite to the Chinese Embassy in your home nation and they issue a Z visa.
4. You travel to China and within 24 hours you register where you live with the local (MUST be local to where you live) police station, they issue a certificate.
5. You take your passport with the Z visa, the certificate from the Police Station, some paperwork with the schools official chop on, I don't know what its called, to the PSB (Public Security Bureau) fill out a form they will then (eventually) issue a Foreign Expert Certificate (FEC).
6. You then take the whole lot back (I think to the PSB) and they issue a temporary residents permit.
Pedro123:
I'm not sure at all, Hugh. The time in question was my second at the school. First time there were relatively few problems and all the paperwork and processes flowed. The second time I entered on an L visa. Did the medical, got the FEC, went to Hong Kong, sorted the Z visa and went back to the school. It's here where the trail becomes thorny.
There is a piece of paper - a document - missing that I think the school needs to finalise the whole deal. I haven't a clue what it is. It may not even be a document. It may be a money issue, but it seems to be between the police and the school. Xpat John may well have hit the nail on the head. It probably is a bribe that hasn't been handed over. I fear I will never know.
Oh well. All part of the fun I guess. Thanks for your input - much appreciated!!
