Chinese Class - Arrive without a contract? - Page 2 -

> Studying, Working and Living in China > Living in China > Teaching English in
China
Arrive without a contract?
Home New Posts

Login: Pass: Log in or register for standard view and full access.





Page 2 of 2 < 1 2






roddy -

First, forget the release letter.

To get a Z visa in South Africa, you will need a letter of invitation. You will only get that if a
university or other employer is satisfied you are going to work for them. That Z visa only gets
you into the country for 30 days, and in those 30 days you have to get a residence permit, which
will require showing that invitation letter, signed contract of employment, health check, a pound
of flesh from your firstborn, etc, etc.

So you can't really come in on a Z visa and start looking for work. Even if you did whoever issued
you the invitation letter is going to start wondering where you are and when you come to get the
residence permit (assuming you find an employer within a month who is willing and able to take you
through the Z visa process) it may or may not get flagged up that you have bailed on one employer
already.

If you want to do this, your options are basically come in on an F / L visa, find a job and then
either work on that visa - dubious, leaves you open to problems - or get it changed to a Z visa -
legally solid, but may require some expense and hassle in changing visas / taking a brief trip out
of the country - and then go through the residence permit application process.

The release letter comes in later. Once you are with one employer and have your residence permit,
that permit will specify who your employer is. If you want to legally move employers the change
needs to be registered with the PSB, and they will only do that if your first employer provides a
letter saying 'This guy has left us. We know about it. Let him go' to show that you haven't
skipped out on a contract, don't owe any money, etc. You don't need to worry about it until you a)
have a job and b) want to leave and take another job,



Pleco Software Learn Chinese with our Dictionaries for Palm and Pocket PC.
Learn Chinese in China Learn to speak Chinese 1MonthChinese.com -Mandarin School in China.
Chinese Textbooks Wide range, cheap, varied languages. Also Chinese cartoons, toys, gifts.
Study Chinese in Beijing Affordable Mandarin language courses at BLCU with ChinaUnipath.com.
HNHSoft Dictionary Learn Chinese on Smartphone and PDA with real person's voice.
XueXueXue IQChinese Get beyond the plateau.Take your Mandarin to a new level.
Chinese in Lijiang Short term Chinese study in a beautiful town with a focus on daily life.
MandarinTube Chinese Access to current everyday Chinese language and culture, 24/7.
Learn Chinese Homestay Chinese course, cultural activities & volunteer events in China.
Learn Chinese Online 1-on-1 instant tutoring, diverse courses, native teachers. FREE trial now!
Nihao Chinese Progam Free one-on-one Chinese lesson. Win 5-years of free lessons now!


About Ads (and how to hide them) -- Your message here









imron -

According to my understanding (which may or may not be accurate as it's been a while since I dealt
with any of this stuff), a letter of invitation from a university is enough to get you an F visa.
To get a Z visa, you need a letter of invitation and also a work permit from the State
Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (see here for an example), which the school would apply
for, for you.

The situation is made more complex as well given that your Z visa actually only gets you into the
country. You then have to get your residence permit within 30 days of entry, and this needs to be
done with the employer who applied for your Z visa. It is your residence permit that allows you to
stay. Once again, an employer isn't likely to do this unless you will be working for them, because
a) it costs them time and money and b) by doing so, you become their responsibility.

If you change employers, then you need to update your residence permit. Certainly your old
employer will want to revoke it anyway, because otherwise they are still legally responsible for
you. Plus they will probably be quite upset/angry with you if you do this before the end of your
contract (see above about spite), because applying for the documention isn't an easy/cheap
process. Anyway, in order for the new institution to get your residence permit/cancel the old one,
they will need to have the letter of release from your old institution.

A Z visa will also mean that you need to have a medical done before you are issued with your
residence permit. With an F visa, you don't need to get a medical (although if you later switch to
a Z, you will need to do the medical anyway).

EDIT: Plus everything Roddy said










Springbokke -

Imron


Quote:

To get a Z visa, you need a letter of invitation and also a work permit

Absolutely correct - missed that part in the instructions.

Roddy


Quote:

If you want to do this, your options are basically come in on an F / L visa, find a job and then
either work on that visa - dubious, leaves you open to problems - or get it changed to a Z visa -
legally solid, but may require some expense and hassle in changing visas / taking a brief trip out
of the country - and then go through the residence permit application process.

Thanks for the clarification. Fair enough - seems this approach is prone to possible hassles.
Presuming I want to stay on legally solid ground, are these possible hassles in your view worth
the advantage of seeking a job in person rather than settling for a contract before departure?

I am more inclined to the relatively risk-free contract approach, but hate the idea of being
locked in for 12 months before being able to improve my situation.....given the above posts I am
beginning to question whether I am being too greedy here (and creating more problems just to
secure a better package which when after all the complications are quantified, is pretty much the
same as my original "hassle-free" offer in hand)??










imron -

Before agreeing to any given offer, it's also a good idea to ask for the contact details of
foreign teachers who have worked/are working at the school currently and ask them for their
opinion of the place.

Also, given your qualifications, if it's a higher salary you're after, then I imagine you'd be
able to find better offers by working in some sort of management position rather than teaching
English.










Rincewind -

I think the advice is still that you are better coming in person than finding a job at a distance.
It's not just about better money, it's also about finding an employer who isn't going to cheat you
or mistreat you. Face to face is so much better.

Additionally, you will have time to travel a little and so you can choose which city you prefer
working in. Some people like Beijing, others prefer Shanghai, yet others hate both of these large
cities and prefer somewhere smaller. You have the opportunity to check which you like before you
commit to living 12 months in a city you don't like.

Keep the visa stuff simple. Come on a tourist visa, find the job, then get your employer to sort
you out with the residency permit. It is not a significant hassle for them to change you form
tourist to work. It's quite common place for tourists to decide they fancy working and so need
changed.










Springbokke -

Imron


Quote:

if it's a higher salary you're after, then I imagine you'd be able to find better offers by
working in some sort of management position rather than teaching English

This is true I am sure, but my Mandarin is beginner level (the reason for the relocation) which I
understand is a severe limitation for landing management positions on the Mainland.

In any eve I'd prefer to teach. The salary is important insofar as it is the best I can expect to
get teaching English/ Business English given my credentials. Thanks for your input though.

Thanks Ricewind - I was hoping this was the case.

Thanks again to all.










pingpangqiu -

I know someone who teaches at English First in Shanghai and they said you teach for 20 hours and
spend the other 20 hours at the school preparing. This is a hassle and not the case at most other
schools. Yes you may arrive 15 mins + early to prepare your class, but not 20 hours preparation
each week!

Even though you don't speak Chinese you can search the net and find some of the headhunters in
Beijing and they might be interested in your experience. Why not go and visit them in person and
give them your resume when you arrive. I recommend coming to Beijing with a tourist visa and try
to secure something when you get here, especially Business English which can pay 200+ RMB per hour
if you are lucky and negotiate well. Then change your visa after your find a job. There are always
a number of agencies who can help you sort out your visa, for a fee of course! Alternatively enrol
at a University to study Chinese for a semester and look for a job at the same time. In this way
you can get a student visa for six months.










Senzhi -

I was invited to EF in Rizhao ... went there ... and left there the next day ... back to Shantou.
EF Rizhao even tried to offer me a sandbag as a pillow on my bed.

China has been a childhood dream for me (please excuse me for not clarifying the details).
After many years of fruitless trying to come here, simply because I'm not a so-called 'native
English speaker', I just said 'bollocks' and came here with a Tourist Visa.

I'm glad I did. I found one of the better schools in Shantou, and got a Residence Permit without
any major problems. (I was just so stupid to leave again, thinking I could find better with EF )

I'm now back in Shantou.

However, bare in mind rules change quickly. It appears there's a crack down on L/F visas being
changed into Residence Permits. Of course, I'm still personally convinced that any good guanxi can
still manage a lot ....












All times are GMT +8. The time now is 05:13 PM.














Learn Chinese, Learning Chinese, Learning Materials, Mandarin audio lessons, Chinese writing lessons, Chinese vocabulary lists, About chinese characters, News in Chinese, Go to China, Travel to China, Study in China, Teach in China, Dictionaries, Learn Chinese Painting, Your name in Chinese, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese songs, Chinese proverbs, Chinese poetry, Chinese tattoo, Beijing 2008 Olympics, Mandarin Phrasebook, Chinese editor, Pinyin editor, China Travel, Travel to Beijing,