Getting a Z in Hongkong
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onebir -
Anyone done this recently? Got to do it around 29th, & was wondering if there's anything on the
recent changes have resulted in any tightening up that hasn't yet made its way to the website
I'm specifically worried about whether I need originals of degree certs etc. Yesterday the
(braindead &/ irresponsible) administrator at the school said I did. So I frantically got
relatives to mail them from the UK. This afternoon she called me to say she looked at the website,
and I didn't. The site also makes no mention of them on the requirements page:
Quote:
4. Z visa for employment in China
...
Foreign experts, scholars, teachers or managers to be working in Mainland China shall provide visa
notice form from an authorized department and the certificate or the confirmation letter for
foreign experts from the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of PRC;
...
Note: Foreigners employed in China for one year or longer is required to provide health
certificate.
But who knows whether that's up to date. & it's still an issue because the originals might not
reach me before the 29th... the same goes for the docs mentioned above of course
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roddy -
I'd be more worried about this - have you been able to confirm you can get an Z visa there?
onebir -
Oh my oh my. What a mess.
And with the enquiry line open a generous two hours a day to sort out those special cases.
Thanks for pointing that out Roddy - I'll keep you posted.
onebir -
There's some slight hope for me - the Chinese is phrased differently:
Quote:
近来申办签证人数大幅增加，为减少申请人轮候时间，如您不在香港特区长�
��生活和工作，请您在赴中国旅行前向您所在国家的中国使领馆查询并申办�
�证.
(See here)
Which I'd translate as:
Quote:
Recently there have been many visa applicants. To cut waiting times, if you're not a long term
resident/worker in Hong Kong, before travelling to China please apply for a visa at the Chinese
embassy/consulate in the country where you're currently located.
I can't apply for a visa from the country I'm currently in (China). So maybe I'm a special case.
Or maybe 规定就是规定.
I'll try calling them tomorrow. Might as well drop the visa agencies a line while I'm waiting too.
onebir -
Incredibly, this is the reply I got from the Consulate:
Quote:
Prepare all the documentaion we need and you can apply in our office.
And from Shoestring Travel*:
Quote:
With reference to your below message, we are delighted to assist you to apply for the Z visa but
the approval or not will be entirely at the discretion of the visa issuing office.
This is somewhat hedged, so perhaps even the visa agents at Shoestring don't feel that they can
keep up to date with the changes in the regulations...
From Foreverbright Travel*:
Quote:
Yes.Price for Irish passport is HK$600.00
I'll be going direct to the Commissioners office, printout of this exchange in hand. Not that
that'd make any difference. The agents also offer a subsequent bites at the cherry...
(Japan Travel say can't help at the moment.)
================================================================
*For reference, here's what I sent the visa agents:
Quote:
Hello
I'm coming from the mainland to HK soon to apply for a Z visa (Irish
passport). I'll have all the supporting documents (visa notice from
the school, certificate from foreign experts bureau & health
certificate).
Can your office deal with this application? If so, what's the fee?
lilongyue -
I'm on a student visa now, and the company I've been working for part-time is about to hire me as
a full-time employee. I've begun discussing the details of getting my work visa, and they just
told me I have to fly back to America (my home country) to get it. SH*T! They said all foreigners
have to go back to their home countries to get a work visa.
onebir -
Quote:
I've begun discussing the details of getting my work visa, and they just told me I have to fly
back to America (my home country) to get it. SH*T!
Well, that's not what the office in HK said. I don't quite believe it either, but if you can wait
till next Thursday I should be able to confirm it.
lilongyue -
Yeah, I can wait. My student visa expires on August 20th. I was pushing the company a bit because
I didn't want my visa procedures to slip through the cracks, as has happened to me and other
people I've known. This company seems to be pretty up on things, though. Hopefully this is just a
classic case of miscommunication, and I don't need to spend $1,000 + USD to fly back home only to
change my visa type. Anxiously awaiting your response . . .
onebir -
Quote:
I was pushing the company a bit because I didn't want my visa procedures to slip through the
cracks, as has happened to me and other people I've known.
Tell me about it. Chinese administrators attitudes to what's "their responsibility" can be so
narrow the cracks can be huge.
The admin at the school that offered me a job told me I'd have to go to Hong Kong, but didn't
explain why or point me to the website. Then only 9 days before my visas due expire, she
misinformed me that I'd need my original degree certs. So I immediately got relatives to post them
over. When I complained she said this was "all my responsibility, not hers". But she never
bothered to tell me that. To which her answer was "you should have asked the other foreign
teachers".
When she finally looked at the HK commission website she discovered they weren't necessary - but
failed to point out the text that suggested I wouldn't be able to apply in HK. She also told me
getting the docs required from the foreign experts bureau "normally" takes 30 days. Since she'd
only applied 15 days before the expiry date she said she "couldn't guarantee" I'd get them before
going to HK. And was totally unwilling to make any back-up plans.
I went to the Deputy head of the Foreign Education Centre, then down to her boss. Fortunately he's
been abroad (Wales!) and could understand what I'm talking about....
Quote:
Hopefully this is just a classic case of miscommunication, and I don't need to spend $1,000 + USD
to fly back home only to change my visa type. Anxiously awaiting your response . . .
It would be crazy to have to do this, and they do seem to be making an exception for this
situation... If I haven't posted by the weekend PM me.
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