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Q: Is 8000 RMB a livable wage in Guangzhou?
The job offered to me consisted of 8000 RMB during a 6 month probationary period, eventually leading to 12,000. There is no housing allowance or accommodation. Is this enough to get by in Guangzhou?
6 months looking over your shoulder and double bolting your door before you have to leave the country to secure a z visa whilst living on 2 minute noodles?
Sounds like a legendary offer you'd be crazy to knock back.
What is the job? How long is the contract? Will they employ you legally?
Shared accommodation will cost you 2000 upwards per month in GZ. You could live on 6k/month after accommodation okay but don't expect to save much.
I'm asking about the contract as a 6-month probation period is illegal under Chinese labor laws unless the contract is 3-years or longer.
daubin92:
It's a content writing job with an IT company. I haven't seen the contract yet, but the guy did not mention anything about a timeframe. They said they want me to get a tourist or business visa before they help me get a Z Visa after the 6 month period.
Hotwater:
This rings alarm bells immediately! Working on a tourist or business visa is ILLEGAL. Plain and simple. Even with a probationary period they should get you the Z-visa BEFORE you enter China. With any other visa you need to do visa runs to Hong Kong (if you don't need a HK visa to enter there).
Plus you cant get a Z-visa in China. Normally you'd need to fly back to your home country for a week. Sometimes it is possible to get it in HK but not guaranteed.
Shining_brow:
Yep - you're being played!!! If you were silly enough to agree to such a deal, they'll have you out of there at the end of the 6 months and get in some other idiot to take your place! Either that, or you'll suddenly find that the increased pay promised won't come... or some other crap you'd have to endure - just because they know you're a sucker!
"a 6-month probation period is illegal under Chinese labor laws unless the contract is 3-years or longer."
Ditto... I'd instantly be looking elsewhere if they're already starting this crap!
8000 is not very much if you have to pay rent and bills and food,
6 months looking over your shoulder and double bolting your door before you have to leave the country to secure a z visa whilst living on 2 minute noodles?
Sounds like a legendary offer you'd be crazy to knock back.
Can you live like a local?
Then I suppose you could do it for 6 months and then get the salary raise. Although, rent will take a nice chunk of your pay. Guangzhou isn't the cheapest city in China.
But the big alarm is JUST supplying you with a tourist or business visa for the 6 months. If it was a lower tier city... you may have a chance... but in Guangzhou they carry out constant checks on foreigners as Guangzhou has one of the largest population of Africans that live/work in China illegally. You will most likely get caught and your company shouldn't be so stupid as to put you in that kind of situation. Find better of tell them your tems.
Don't do it. The 6 month probation thing is just a ploy. My ex employer (a very large well known western company) shamefully did this all the time here in China. They'll use you for 6 months then just discard you without needing to pay you off or anything like that. What's worse is they expect you to work for these 6 months illegally! Telling foreigners they're working on getting a visa but you should work with a tourist visa in the mean time, is standard tactics for them. If they could get you a visa they would have done already.
You can live on 12K in Guangzhou, but it's not great. 8K? Not enough.
You can have fairly simple life with such salary in Guangzhou.
Yes, but this means you must have a roommate and live pay check by pay check life style.
I've spent more than 8k on a night out.
Breaking the law is a bad idea. The men will come for you.
I have lived in Guangzhou on the same salary so I would say it is definitely possible, as long as you are willing to live like a local. This means little or no western food, probably sharing an apartment or getting a simple one bedroom apartment in a poor area.
The bigger issue is of you getting a legal visa to work in Guangzhou though. As others have already pointed out it is illegal to work on a tourist or business visa. So if you do accept the job, make sure that you get a Z visa before entering China.
Also, if you are not living in an hotel, you need to go to the local Police station to get a temporary residence form. You will need a rental agreement, and your landlord will have to provide the title deeds and his tax certificate. The residence forum stipulates that foreigners should live in "modern communities with advanced security equipment's". This means that you might not be able to get registered to live in the cheapest places.
If I were you I would ask to see a scan of your potential employers "license to employ foreigners". If he has one, there is no reason he/she can't get you a proper work visa before you get on the plane. If he/she does not have one, don't even think about it. Look for an employee who does have a license.
If you live in city center (tienhe district) , you need 4000 for one bedroom apartment.If you share with someone maybe 2500 per month might be enough. If you live in huangpu district , you can rent a studio for 2200. I personally think that they wont offer a higher salary after 6 months and you will end up paying so much for plane tickets.Also please remember.working on business visa is illegal....
Definitely a great deal for the employer and a disaster for you, should you accept the offer. Make yourself a favor and save a lot of issues that would come afterwards. Don't accept it.
It would be ok if They provided a decent apartment and Utilities. And you don't drink or smoke. And you don't go out with a gf ( or your bf pays everything) Make sure you eat like the poor locals. The regular local eats pretty well.
