Immigration & PSB Websites - Visa Rules

Hi

unfortunately, I cannot but agree.
As a non-native speaker I went thru a great deal of sh.t when dealing with schools and agents. A particular agent was a liar from the beginning and she even wanted me to go to Honk Kong and get my visa there - that means taking the riskiest path ever.
Another played a game with me saying it will all be OK (regardless of me knowing about the policy for non-natives and asking whether it would be a problem). Turned out it was a problem and the school knew there is this policy but they played it like the bad cop and the good cop game. The good cop was them trying to tell me how much they will try to get my visa. The bad cop was an inexisting guy at the Federal Bureau who seemed like a tough guy.
Whatever the truth, it made me change my mind and plans drastically.
It cost me some money but hey, it made feel that it was for a good reason.
Being so openly bull.s.h...ed once fine, but twice, trice?.... last drop for me.
Beware all, some people don´t mind, for some going to China for work is an adventure, but for me it was meant to be a step in my career towards new experience in teaching and it wasn´t worth it after all, leaving what I have been building here for so long for whims of some people for whom frankness and openness are not as crucial as they are for me.

I believe China is a great place to visit but not a great place to live long-term, at least not for me.

All the best,
Sonia

Sonisska wrote:

Hi

unfortunately, I cannot but agree.
As a non-native speaker I went thru a great deal of sh.t when dealing with schools and agents. A particular agent was a liar from the beginning and she even wanted me to go to Honk Kong and get my visa there - that means taking the riskiest path ever.
Another played a game with me saying it will all be OK (regardless of me knowing about the policy for non-natives and asking whether it would be a problem). Turned out it was a problem and the school knew there is this policy but they played it like the bad cop and the good cop game. The good cop was them trying to tell me how much they will try to get my visa. The bad cop was an inexisting guy at the Federal Bureau who seemed like a tough guy.
Whatever the truth, it made me change my mind and plans drastically.
It cost me some money but hey, it made feel that it was for a good reason.
Being so openly bull.s.h...ed once fine, but twice, trice?.... last drop for me.
Beware all, some people don´t mind, for some going to China for work is an adventure, but for me it was meant to be a step in my career towards new experience in teaching and it wasn´t worth it after all, leaving what I have been building here for so long for whims of some people for whom frankness and openness are not as crucial as they are for me.

I believe China is a great place to visit but not a great place to live long-term, at least not for me.

All the best,
Sonia

What Sonisska explained is true and it exists all over China. Agents and their Agency employers are only after your hard earned currency.

To make it clear, PSB or Public Security Bureau that administers the visas of Foreigners are clueless of their country's updated rules, law and regulations 24 hours before it is implemented. They normally get to learn the updated news on the day itself as soon as they report for duty. Worst of all, there are clerks who scrutinize and double checks the paperwork that you are carrying when applying for a visa. These clerks are clueless or totally uninformed of any changes to the visa procedures. And they make it even more complicated since they also wear similar uniforms that regular Immigration Officials wore.

My advice to my fellow expats, verify any visa guidelines daily or weekly straight from the PSB offices to avoid confusions but try to avoid asking the clerks.

I guess the schools are somewhat "innocently" in it.
They just need teachers and they have to find a way to make it work out for them. This means sometimes they will even take the path which is not so fair just to meet their ends.
It depends on everyone how they deal with it.
I couldn´t risk so much because with the regulations changing so often it felt like I would be in a permanent risk whether I will be "allowed" to work legally. Frankly, I got scared of that because I know that even in such a huge country, one man can make your life hard.
Many deported teachers might agree with me.

However, I still believe that for someone who wouldn´t take it so seriously like I did, it could be a great adventure and China would seem as a great place to experience.

I am European I guess and it cannot make me change my view on things so rapidly and significantly:)

Good luck to you all.