Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
- Joined: Jun 7th, 2009
- Posts: 1,939
It might be useful to list schools that actually get you a Z Visa. A number of schools, including some that otherwise have their act together, insist you go through a visa agent. That means you pay about 10,000 RMB for a visa to a shell-company. The actual Z and work permit should run only about 800 RMB, if memory serves. Plus, with the next sea change in government policy or international politics, one could find that agent-provided visa suddenly worthless. Look what happened to Filipino teachers back in 2008.
As far as I know, the following schools get you a real visa, if you have all your documents:
Wall Street
English First
ABC
I'm sure there are others...?
Java Joe is intermittently an unendurable ball of rock-ape turd, sun-baked but malodorous withal.
joshofbass
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
Prince Island / Wangzidao.. Sometimes you get a real one.. sometimes you get an F...
That company has done some pretty nasty stuff to it's teachers though so I wouldn't recommend it unless you are just using them as a launching pad into the game..
Bannoy
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
Here is a litmus test you can use. In order to get a Z visa, the government looks at the issued capital of a company to determine how many slots they get. If you are talking about 4 people in a cupboard then there is a very good chance they cannot get you a Z visa. Schools with more than one branch or large facilities are the easiest ways to judge.
From the list I have (not talking about quality of school, just Visas):
Stanford English
New Oriental
Berlitz
Clark Morgan
Oxford Associates
Center River
Longman Schools
Pattisons
Hampson
Most Universities
Most International schools
Le Elite
If you are going through a recruitment agency like Foreign HR or CHinaESL you can insist on a company that offers Z visa only.
Companies should ALWAYS pay for your visa. If they don't then do not work there, if they cannot legally employ a foreign teacher and have to hire a agency to get the visa then it is probably for the best to not risk working there. This is a direct statement to their economic situation. COmpanies that offer Z visas have more to lose than the fly by nights if they fold or do a runner.
joshofbass
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
Yet.. don't imagine that these companies offer all that much more in the way of security.. Size can be indicative of quality but it just as often is indicative of ruthlessness. A good business doesn't always stay good, either.
As far as whether they pay for your visa or not, obviously its better that they do, but.. know the costs and do your math so you understand how much you will be actually making after costs..
Bannoy
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
For a native speaker never accept less than:
12K p/m ， Z Visa paid for, at least 23 days (that includes Chinese holidays) paid vacation at the full rate, decent overtime if you are made to do it (at least 170), at least 2 days off a week.
If a company covers the cost of the visa it 9 times out of ten means that it is their own Z Visa (as it only costs just under 900). This also means that when you leave, they will cancel it as they have a limited number of visa slots. So when you are about to leave, you must consider the additional costs.
It takes about a month to get the paperwork for a Z visa in order. Either find a school that will let you transfer to them and do it ahead of your final day at the first company or you will only have a span of 5 to 7 days once your visa has been changed to an L (most companies insist on that once you leave) to start the Z process. You will have to pay for the L.
joshofbass
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
That cancellation of the Z visa is nothing major though right? As far as I can tell the cancellation doesn't mean you have to leave the country.. Which means any new job you take will be at a similar level of illegality as working on an agent supplied Z or even F visa, right?
If you are leaving a company that was able to give you their own Z visa, ninety percent of the time you are probably leaving on bad terms one way or another, so why would you agree to them putting you on an L visa?
Bannoy
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
Lots of reasons, the biggest being:
Being reported to the police for theft.
Withholding of salary
No letter of release - meaning you cannot get another Z Visa
Once you have ceased employment with a company your Visa technically becomes invalid but it only matters if someone checks with the company. If you leave with a Visa slot, they literally cannot hire a replacement which is more than enough reason to track you down.
joshofbass
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
I know someone who did leave a company that did have real Z visas.. They claimed to have cancelled it and he went on to work at another school. No one tracked him down even. His new agent claimed to have checked with the police (not the front door, naturally) and there we no problems with the visa (although this is impossible to verify). Travel and booking into hotels was no issue. When it came time for it to be renewed the visa agents found it easier to get a z extension than to change it to anything else. This was done without the experts cert and release letter.
What's your interpretation of what went on there.. I wish they would just hurry up and make the law reflect the actual situation..
Bannoy
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
Where did he get the release letter? A release letter can only be done by the company that issued the visa.
Also, how does he know that it was company's Z visa?
I had a guy who came to us a last summer from another school and we were not able to transfer the visa. He was able to work for us until the inspectors came around. We were fined 20K and he had to leave.
As we approach any major political or social event VISAs and inspections become much more of a problem. For example Americans can no longer get Z Visas in Hong Kong because of the power change over.
joshofbass
Re: Schools That Get You A Z-Visa
I have seen photos of both the original experts certificate and the new one taken by him. The original one was legit for the school he was at. As for the release letter.. I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as 'can only be' in this environment. It sure is an interesting place we work..