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anonymous
Q: New visa laws - impossible to get a visa without returning home?
Hello, friends of the internet!
I have all of the qualifications to be an English teacher here - from the bachelor's degree, to the two years of work experience. However, I can't - for the life of me - find a single employer who is able to offer a Z visa unless I return home to process it, or accept an "F" visa.
I've already pursued some rather shady avenues, and got screwed on the contract before I even started the job. Here are some amazing examples from a less-than-reputable recruiter:
1. "Sorry, the school has decided to hire a male / female teacher, but we'll offer you a job in X city instead!"
2. "We won't honor the contract which states that the employer will provide X RMB in the event of a contract breech."
3. "Oh! Did I mention you actually signed with my company, and not with the school, even though the contract states otherwise?"
So hide'jo kids, hide'jo wives, and hide'jo husbands, 'cause dem recruiters cheatin' errbody around hurr.
I did quit, though. Screw those guys and the Toyota they rode on. Any other options for a wigga like me, or am I pretty much screwed without a voyage home? I'm not really interested in illegal avenues, but guanxi routes can still be pursued, provided the visa is actually legal.
Yeah. Any help would be appreciated. I can keep studying, but it's getting a bit boring.
11 years 9 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
Pretty sure you can still get a Z visa in Hong Kong... Just 2 days ago I saw a guy (not even "native" English speaker) getting a Z visa in a well known visa agency.
If you are working for an agency or recruiter, expect to be cheated in every possible way. They will lie about the contract, the school, the visa and the apartment.
What happened to me: They offered me a contract, I came to China on a L Visa, promised me they would process the Z visa as soon I arrived. But they conveniently forgot to mention that I would need a criminal record... so I requested it, bothered my cousin to get it on my behalf and she sent it to me... When the school received it, they conveniently "lost" it. So, I requested another one (in the meanwhile I had to go to HK to get another L visa)... took around 3 weeks to get it, but now I made sure I was the one receiving it at the school's gate. I informed the school I had all the paperwork ready but then they said: "Well, a long time has passed, and it's just a pain in the ass [might have used another words] to process the Z visa right now... go get a F visa instead.". So, I told myself "If they don't bother processing me a Z visa, why should I put any effort into teaching?"... and I just started bringing movies to the classroom for the whole duration of the class. When the semester finished, I packed my stuff and I'm now looking for a real job. What bugged me the most is that I knew the school could process the visa, but was just too lazy to do it.
What I recommend is that you do some foot work and deliver the resume yourself... That way, you won't have a company keeping over 50% of your salary for themselves and constantly lying, cheating and sometimes not paying you.
Shining_brow:
You still showed up to class??? I wouldn't bother! No work (Z) visa, no work.. pretty logical to me.
Odd that you're getting the run-around ... what's your nationality or race? (the two most likely reasons you're getting screwed).
Don't bother with recruiters, and if you're going for language schools, try to only go for the big ones - EF, Wall Street, etc (assuming the above issues for getting screwed). While they don't have the best reputations out there on some things they seem better than others (from what I gather).
I've got a HK visa run next weekend - I'll report back (NB: it's a legit Z visa, with a real job with a real government approved (and half-owned) company)
I try to plaster the internet with warnings about recruiters, agents, and bad HR departments. Do not come to China on an L or F visa to teach English on a contract! If you do, you should be fully prepared for inconvenience, problems, and dodginess.
If you find that your recruiter or school has misled you into working on an L or F visa and will not help you convert to a Z visa, first, do not panic. They have absolutely no leg to stand on. You should not cooperate with them or listen to anything they say whatsoever. They are perfectly aware of their wrongdoing, and if you continue teaching for them or let them mess you around, you are seriously losing your face.
If you find yourself in that position, get your resume together, pound the pavements and find another school that will sponsor you for a Z visa--pronto! Apply to the school directly, do not use a third party. When you find a school that will sponsor you, you will have to make a visa run to Hong Kong or Mongolia or back home to do the conversion.
If you can, give a valid excuse with your former employer to leave the job. i.e. health issue, family emergency back home. Be pleasant at first. Don't unnecessarily inflame the situation. However, if push comes to shove and they want to make life difficult for you, dispense with the niceties and leave. They are exploiting you by employing you on the wrong visa and they know it. If things heat up further, get a lawyer involved. That will very likely put your school off because they can see that you are serious and informed about what they are doing.
Next time, do your research before coming over.
No need to go back home, here is what you can do if its impossible to convert in HK. Get the Z visa documents, run down to HK and book a cheap hotel for a week or two. Fedex your passport and documents to a visa service agent in your home country (if USA I recommend Oasis China Visa), pay extra for the 24 hour service and have them Fedex the visa back to you in HK. Re-enter the mainland and your good to go.
you do not have to go back to America or go to HK if you are American. Just send the papers and documents to the Chinese Embassy in America. Have a freind go to the embassy on your behalf, submit the documents and applications, apply for same day rush deliver service. Let your friend stay at embassy for 3 to 4 hrs. Later in the afternoon they go back to embassy office pick it up for you and mail it to you. If you dont believe me, call any chinese embassy in America and ask them for yourselves, dotn let people tell you have to go back to America if they dont know what they are talking about,.
Kaiwen:
That method is illegal and fraught with danger. I doubt the US or any other embassy would be recommending it. In the first place, when you send your passport to the US, you will be living in China with that passport. It may not be a problem unless somebody asks for it or you encounter some misfortune like having an accident. Secondly, when processing the 'Z' visa, the Chinese embassy in your home country will cancel any other existing visa. That means you are technically living in China without a visa until the 'Z' visa has been processed and you have re-entered the country on the new visa. Thirdly, when processing the RP, the PSB will look at the most recent entry stamp. If the most recent entry stamp in your passport is before the date of issue of the 'Z' visa, don't you think they may become a little suspicious?
I am amazed at the lengths people will go to just to avoid doing what the Chinese government expect. They do expect you to go back to your own country to get a new visa. The "schemes" put forward above seem quite impractical, bordering on absurd.
Asking others to spend a lot of their time running around after you is expecting quite a lot. It also seems it would be quicker and cheaper to fly back to USA than book into a hotel in HK for several weeks.
In Australia, I had to apply for the visa in person. I couldn't use a third person. I would assume it is the same in other countries, given the security requirements around the world these days.
Sorry I was incorrect in my previous post. Apparently all Foreigners who want the Z visa, work, and resident permit must go back to either their home country, HK, or Mongolia. It seems even if the foreingers is already here on a different type of visa and wants to convert to the Z visa they still must get the stupid entry stamp. Just for the record, I don't think its worth coming here to get the stupid work visa. Why should anyone be required or expected to make 3 flights to get a stupid visa.? Is it really worth it? Is it really fair? Are foreigners here going to continue to accept this kind of unfair treatment?
Sorry I have no opinion on this I've just bumped it to get rid of Silva's inane multi-drivel from the front page.
