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Post by Yuan Fen on Jun 20, 2006 21:57:47 GMT 7
New guy walks into the bar, the heads turn. He's weary at first but smiles then fill the room. After a positive response he gathers the courage to speak, "How's it goin everybody! This is my first of I think many regular visits to this fine establishment. So if you all don't mind, I'm gonna pull up a pew, crack open a cold one and give you guys a bit of a spiel!!! Barmen A Round On The House For All In Attendance", shouts the newbie!...... " and I never do this cause really I'm a tightass", he shouts again! A cheer is heard from the regulars! "Sorry guys I have a bit of a tendency to bable, don't mind me...... anyways I've never started a post in this way and especially at first, but I gotta say to Raoul and all of you that I feel at home almost already. The level of courtesy in this venue is second to none. I get this feeling after just reading a few posts and going through the sign up process....... So really guys well done!!!!", the regulars all nod in agreement and they take a swig from their cold, tasty beverages.  Ok, so here's the jist, and just quickly I understand that there is never really 1 answer for this stuff. As we all know this is China and many ways unkown to our social fabric to fix the problems. And in fact if they just tell him he has to, then he will. I'm more just after your take on the sitch.... My good friend of a couple years from the city I'm in has a little dilema. He's just coming off a student visa after studying some Chinese and has already signed a new contract with a school, but today they have told him that he has to go to Hong Kong to get the work visa himself. They will give him the invitation letter (I saw in another post someone said this is now irrelavant, but maybe not) and have told him to do it himself with no compensation. This seems a little fishy, although this particular High School is supposedly in the top five in Hubei. I myself have been in the same city for awhile and like the rest of you have heard many stories and have had to deal with fish from time to time. What's your thoughts??? He hasn't worked in 1/2 a year and I'd hate to see him cop the bill!!! |
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Post by Stil on Jun 20, 2006 23:25:27 GMT 7
Sorry guys I have a bit of a tendency to bable, don't mind me...... anyways I've never started a post in this way and especially at first, but I gotta say to Raoul and all of you that I feel at home almost already. Yeah, yeah, yeah now where's my beer! My good friend of a couple years from the city I'm in has a little dilema. He's just coming off a student visa after studying some Chinese and has already signed a new contract with a school, but today they have told him that he has to go to Hong Kong to get the work visa himself. They will give him the invitation letter (I saw in another post someone said this is now irrelavant, but maybe not) and have told him to do it himself with no compensation. This seems a little fishy, although this particular High School is supposedly in the top five in Hubei. I myself have been in the same city for awhile and like the rest of you have heard many stories and have had to deal with fish from time to time. What's your thoughts??? He hasn't worked in 1/2 a year and I'd hate to see him cop the bill!!! It's resonably common and not really fishy as they probably can't change a student visa to a work visa. This does not mean that can't legally employ your friend. However, everything is up for negotiation. It's a matter of how much they need your friend whether or not they will pay for all or part of the trip. They may be just waiting for a counter offer. Btw a 'top' school by Chinese standards doesn't always mean a good school for foreign teachers. |
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Post by Mr Nobody on Jun 20, 2006 23:45:48 GMT 7
Actually, it needs to be a z visa to teach on. Sounds like they want him to get a business visa, which it is illegal to teach on, although many do. It sounds to me that they can't get z visas, which means they aren't entitled to employ bignoses. I agree, it sounds suss.
More information is needed. Which visa are they recommending? Circumstances etc?
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Post by Raoul Duke on Jun 21, 2006 3:19:36 GMT 7
Btw a 'top' school by Chinese standards doesn't always mean a good school for foreign teachers. Amen, brother, amen. Yuan Fen, don't worry. This is a really common and standard procedure. I've done it myself. Z visas generally must be initiated outside of China. No worries. |
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Post by George61 on Jun 21, 2006 4:36:17 GMT 7
G;day Yuanfen. Welcome aboard and ta for such an inneresting intro!
You'll always get everyones attention here if you're buying.
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gengrant
SuperBarfly! 
Hao, Bu Hao?
Posts: 1,818
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Post by gengrant on Jun 21, 2006 5:57:23 GMT 7
yeah...since he's buying...bring it on, barkeep! I think this getting here on a touristy visa and then switching it to a work (z) visa is starting to become more and more the thing they do...haven't heard of many getting 'invites' lately... is this as common as I think it is?  and where's my beer?  |
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Post by Missi on Jun 21, 2006 7:09:02 GMT 7
Welcome Yuan Fen!!! and just remember, no beer for me please.......
Its pretty common for schools to say come over on a tourist visa and have the teacher go south to change it. Or to change one visa to another and again.... go south to do it.
Most of the contracts I have seen here in Hubei the school agrees to pay for all costs for getting the work visa. Have him take a good look at his contract and go from there. Your friend might be SOL for having to pay for it himself if the contract says otherwise.
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Post by Stil on Jun 21, 2006 7:10:58 GMT 7
I think this getting here on a touristy visa and then switching it to a work (z) visa is starting to become more and more the thing they do...haven't heard of many getting 'invites' lately... is this as common as I think it is? I thought it was more common before. I came in on a tourist and had it switched in country 3 years ago and most FT I know from then did the same. Now it seems it's harder for schools to do this and more people must come in with work visas already in hand. I miss the old green books. I could just carry that around instead of taking my passport with me everywhere. |
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Post by Missi on Jun 21, 2006 7:22:23 GMT 7
I know! those green books were just so easy! and I miss the old rules of renewing the visa and permits. What's with the new medical exam that came around Jan 1 2005? That new law really has given a lot of trouble.
Anybody know of a way to extend the visa and exams from just one year to more?
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Post by Mr Nobody on Jun 21, 2006 7:27:45 GMT 7
I got my tourist convertedt to z without going to HK. They didn't even say it was an issue. But make sure that he gets a z, to me it sounds like a business visa. Business visa just needs a letter of invite from any company, z visa needs more official stuff - invite on special form, permission from govt etc.
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Post by acjade on Jun 21, 2006 7:38:54 GMT 7
Hey, big welcome for my drinking buddy. Show a little respect will ya and break out the Baijiu and Peking opera soundtrack. If that don't scare him away we have a promising new wanker saloonie. Welcome Yuan fen.  |
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Non-Dave
Barfly
Try Not! Do - or Do Not... There Is No Try!
Posts: 701
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Post by Non-Dave on Jun 21, 2006 8:58:46 GMT 7
Seems like you've been into a bar or two before Yuan Fen, glad you found your way to this one!
I think I'd be telling your friend to negotiate a bit with them over the compensation - or pushing for a Z Visa. Tell him to shop around a bit (or at least tell them that he's shopping around).
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Post by Raoul Duke on Jun 21, 2006 13:37:33 GMT 7
Some schools indeed have the guanxi with the local bureauoids to do this without a step to HK. However, they are the exception, not the rule. At any rate, there is absolutely nothing dodgy about being asked to go to HK to get a Z... Don't worry...there will be plenty of other stuff that really IS dodgy.  |
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woza17
SuperDuperBarfly!
Posts: 2,203
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Post by woza17 on Jun 21, 2006 13:47:52 GMT 7
Welcome to the bar Yuan fen. What's your friends package like?
I mean, are they hiring him full time, do they provide accommodation, airfares or is he just working part time
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Post by icebear on Jun 22, 2006 0:38:56 GMT 7
Isn't that a bit personal?
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Post by Yuan Fen on Jun 22, 2006 7:43:24 GMT 7
Guys, Thanks everyone for the reply! But I'm guessing it has something to do with coming off a China Student Visa and then going onto the Z visa. Has anyone had direct contact with this scenario? (not so much from a tourist to z, we all know the answer to that one) I agree a 'Top' school doesn't mean its good for us, for the same reason purely on principle, I wouldn't go there myself. I've seen for 3 years foreigners wave through this little venue.....all disappointed! This school is huge and believe me has the quanxi and cash blah,blah,blah. But that's what makes it more disappointing, that they are the biggest in this city and have all the resources then they say pack your bags go do it yourself! In the end we all do what we do, accept the circumstance or not and suffer the bad or good consequences....but again it's just about principle and talking about a little standardization, coz if we guys don't, then things won't change any sooner... They want him to get a 'Z' visa and he will be working full time with accommodation, airfares...so more or less a standard contract, for anyone who was asking. Anybody know of a way to extend the visa and exams from just one year to more? In my circumstance....stay on at the school. Had my contract renewed twice, haven't done a Med Exam since. LAST BUT NOT LEAST.......... Come on guys, I'm a newbie here, no package talk please. Actually wait a minute... if someone wants to show me theirs 1st, I'll consider showing you mine!  |
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Post by Missi on Jun 22, 2006 10:24:11 GMT 7
I just hate getting the medical. The doctors, every year without fail, walk up to me, grab my breasts and say, "Wow! those really are real!" And every year I resist the urge to grab their "package" and say "Wow! there really IS something there!"
I've been at this school for four years and just signed on for a fifth year. According to the gov't all foreigners have to go get a medical every year. I just find it a pain in the butt. If I can find a way to have a visa and a experts cert. for more than one year-it would make my day.
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Post by Stil on Jun 22, 2006 10:35:39 GMT 7
I jut find it a pain in the butt. Are you sure you're doing that right? |
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Post by Lotus Eater on Jun 22, 2006 10:47:14 GMT 7
I had a medical before I arrived here - 2004 - and the uni I was at then gave me another on arrival - because I didn't have the Dr. sign over a photo of me to prove it was me.  Changed universities - no medical required by this lot, and only reason I have had one since is that I entered the City Wall marathon and they wanted to make certain I didn't drop dead doing it. They didn't ask for another one with 2nd signing of contract either. They paid for the marathon one. My visa expires/contract about 4 days before the real end of semester - they are already suggesting that they will extend it for at least 3 months - longer if I continue here. I don't have to do anything except hand over my passport and FE book for them to sort. |
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Post by Norbert Radd on Jun 22, 2006 10:53:54 GMT 7
Misiuda: That doesn't sound like part of the exam. What are they looking for?
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Post by Raoul Duke on Jun 22, 2006 23:52:43 GMT 7
Breasts!  |
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Post by George61 on Jun 23, 2006 4:09:22 GMT 7
Got all my paperwork back yesterday..."L" visa changed to "Z"..new FEC, and new contract...all done without a hassle, and no trip to HK.
This is Jinan!!
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Post by Dragonsaver on Jun 23, 2006 11:53:06 GMT 7
I'm off for my new medical today. Have to fax results up to Dalian. So they can get me me Z visa before I return to Canada. They have already sent my paperwork off for my next FEC.
If he is cute, he can check if I have breasts. I will give him an hour to stop.
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Post by solongtinik on Jul 19, 2006 12:54:51 GMT 7
eow! pals i'm new here in china and i'm quite havin a dilemma on my visa. i'm holding an F visa right now and it's single entry so by the end of sept gotta go to hongkong or macau for an exit. it just pisses me off to think that i've already paid for the 1st renewal of my visa and for this second i need to pay again. can u please enlighten me about this? im spending mre than im earning with this kind of stuff. point, the school im in right now is a legitimate institution, which according to my friend, has the power to change an F to Z visa.
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Post by Raoul Duke on Jul 19, 2006 13:17:59 GMT 7
Solong, if they can give you a Z visa, and they aren't doing so, then they aren't "legitimate".
As I said elsewhere, you need to make a stink about this. Make them get you legal- which THEY should pay for, not you- or get out of there. If you have a contract specifying a Z, and you aren't getting one, you have every right to bail out.
You and I have talked about some particular isues on another forum. I strongly suspect this is related.
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