One-entry visa?

[Cusack]

I have a potential employer offering to pay for a "one-entry" visa to get me "in" from the USA. I gather this is NOT the Z visa deemed essential? Is this a warning flag about this job? I have CELTA, BA, experience.

[Raoul Duke]

Hey Cusack, and welcome to the Saloon.

This depends on the type of visa. You DO need to make sure it's a Z. Actually, you need to be sure you're going to get a Residence Permit. This lets you LIVE IN China; a visa only lets you ENTER China.

Until recently, you had to get a Z visa to come here and work. The Z visa allowed you to enter China and settle in while your Residence Permit was handled; the Z was a necessary stepping-stone on the way to a Residence Permit. As of earlier in 2006, though, it became possible for employers to skip the Z visa part and directly go for the Residence Permit. However, it's not inconceivable that some employers in some places will still want to go the visa route and get you the Residence Permit once you're here.

TIFC (This Is F*cking China): The land where even the people who administer the rules are often unclear on exactly what the rules are at the moment. So don't feel bad if you're a bit confused.

The short version of this is to make absolutely clear that you're going to get a Residence Permit. Once you've entered China and gotten the Residence Permit, your visa is no longer relevant. If you've got a Residence Permit, none of this other crap really matters.

A single-entry visa simply means that it can only be used to enter China one time. If you step outside of China, even to Hong Kong or Macao, a single-entry visa is automatically invalidated and you have to have a new visa to enter again. Today, most Residence Permits are multiple-entry and you can use them to leave and re-enter China a number of times. However, if yours is only single-entry, don't sweat it. If you need to leave China and come back, a Re-Entry Permit can be bought cheaply and easily.

Knowing the ropes on visas and Residence Permits is in your best interest. There's a lot written in here about this topic; use the Search function to find more. If you need more info, just ask.

[Missi]

Don't you need the schools permission- or a letter with the stamp on it to give to the PSB to get a re-entry VISA? Has this rule changed?

[Crippler]

As I understand it now, the Z visa is only good for one entry. The Resident permit that is attached to your passport after you get here is the document that allows you to leave and reenter at will. Basically, as long as it is valid you have permission to work here so it serves as your permission to come back in.

[Raoul Duke]

Yeah, makes sense, Crippler...

I haven't bought the re-entry thing very many times, but I don't recall needing anything from my employer. The very fact that I was messing with arrangements to come back in may have been enough to convince them I wasn't bolting....

[Jollyjunklass]

Once you get your residence permit, you automatically have multiple entries. Like they said, the visa is only used to get here, the school will take the visa ( get a Z ) to the PSB for you and have it changed into a residence permit which now, as far as I know, allows everyone multiple enties. You can come and go of your free will.

[Missi]

I remember back in 2003 going to Thailand on a Z Visa I needed a letter from the school for the re-entry VISA. When I went to Canada 2005, I have the residence Visa and didn't need a re-entry. But I still got the proper letter from the school in English and Chinese, just in case there were any problems.

[Crippler]

Definitely not necessary to have letter from school now. Just make sure your resident permit is active.