We've Been Had!
- Joined: Jul 6th, 2007
- Posts: 668
OK, I've done some thinking and I've done some research. We've basically been had on the so-called visa crackdown. I believe the fearmongering that is going on is being pushed by greedy visa agents. They are trying to invent a crisis where none exists in order to justify exorbitant fees and convince you, "Please hurry and go with us! We have the guanxi to help you."
The fact is, while there has been some slight tinkering with the visa policies they are really not that major. Take the fact that F Visas are all currently expiring on July 1. Do you truly believe that they you have to leave the country beyond that? No, it will probably become a monthly renewal. A pain in the ass? Of course, but you aren't getting kicked out. I suspect the vast majority of English teachers in Beijing are here on F Visas. Are these schools going to shut down over the summer because all the teachers were kicked out? Obviously not.
I went to dinner with a friend last night and he happened to bring a friend who is a visa agent! I asked her about the new policies. She wrinkled her face and said they've only done the crackdown on some smaller nations in Eastern Europe and places they deem trouble spots. Those folks are probably going to have to suffer from the tightening.
But as someone else wrote on the Forum, where are the people who are havig to leave China because of the new policies? Oh that's right: none! We haven't heard from anyone.
Make no mistake: the lack of information is infuriating! And I believe that the Chinese government will keep everyone in a suspended state probably until late June and then every month thereafter. But I am not convinced that foreigners who are law-abiding are going to be kicked out en masse. It doesn't make any sense.
Just please follow all the rules and procedures! It's gonna be OK!
coeurdelion
Re: We've Been Had!
I honor you optimism but I think you make things look a bit too bright - although you're right, nothing is sure before they really announce the new rules which I believe exist.
For a fact, in the past days and weeks, I have dealt with a couple of people who have directly been affected.
A German MNC wanted to hire an intern from June and have just been told this will cost them an extra 3000 RMB because the only way they can have him constantly in Beijing is on a Z visa.
A small company in my office building just hired an intern and has to send her back in 2 weeks so she can get a Z visa.
A company that usually sends English teachers on 6 month posts all over China just lost 30000 USD because they cannot fulfill their contract with one of the schools due to the new visa situation.
A major institution just had to cancel a whole bunch of internship offers after they received information from the government about the new policies, making summer internships almost impossible.
I mostly deal with German companies, and although we've had some issues in the past, I wouldn't say we're exactly a "trouble spot" for China. You may be right - there might be F visa even in July - but I truly believe the 30 days maximum stay are a fact. In the end, all they do is treating immigrants from other countries like most immigrants are treated where we come from.
Last thing, I have the impression visa agents have been surprisingly quiet for the last weeks. I have heard of none of them advertising more F visa or special guanxi-powered offers.
You say nobody's been directly affected yet. Well, I dare question this and ask you instead: Do you know anybody who got an F visa valid after the end of June in the last weeks? If yes, where and how did he/she get it?
FXZL - Up-to-date visa Information for China
fxzl.blogspot.com
Glenderful
Re: We've Been Had!
How much are you profiting off of this "trouble"?
Perhaps Germany is getting kicked in the ass right now because Merkel said she's not coming to the Games in August.
coeurdelion
Re: We've Been Had!
She never said she would come! I can't believe everyone is making it look like she changed her mind - I heard the same argument a hundred times in the last days!
FXZL - Up-to-date visa Information for China
fxzl.blogspot.com
burntbread
Re: We've Been Had!
just got a 30 day business visa yesterday from Hong Kong.
didn't need any paper work.
they said they still process z visas.
the visa office was PACKED with people cursing the g'ment.
Coming down to hong kong, i don't know why I'm bothering to come back up to beijing - it's sh*t in comparison.
The cyber stalker; having very poor social skills so that they may have a limited number or no friends, knowing no life outside of the Internet due to insecurities that make them fear the real world...
ouch!
Glenderful
Re: We've Been Had!
One reason your coming back to Beijing is because Hong Kong is HELLA expensive! What kind of visa did you get? L? F?
alex the droog
Re: We've Been Had!
Apparently, they're only issuing 30 day visas from Hong Kong.
At least F visas. Dunno about anything else.
I'll be quite happy to take a 2 month break. Doesn't look like it's gonna be too much fun round these parts.
One world, one dream indeed.
Glenderdiv, a business visa is an F visa.
autumn_sun
Re: We've Been Had!
Wow, a German MNC, surely its bottom line will suffer because it needs to spend 300 euros on an intern. Run for the hills, MNCs! Profitability is going down the drains!!
A company that couldn't comply with the law is losing money. Let me sit down and cry over that. There was a discussion regarding short-term vs. long-term gains; I am sure the company has made more than enough for the owners - unless they were late-jumpers to this bandwagon?
And as a side note, how did they "lose" this money? Are we talking the loss of future expected cash flows, or the penalty provisions in the contract?
All Pandas Should Hang
spettro9
Re: We've Been Had!
.....
What China really needs:
- Bill Nye, "the Science Guy", to come teach them basic Science.
- Jared Diamond, Dan Brown, and Spencer Wells to teach them about world/human history.
- MLK and Gandhi and Einstein to teach them about what being human means.