The Enlightened One
- 2009-02-23
I have been in this boat. A school (without informing me) was in the process of switching my visa from a Z to a F visa. "It's okay, we have good connections with the government." they said. "No, it's not okay!", I replied, "I demand a Z visa and if you don't give it to me then I am illegally fit to be working here." "I want my passport back now, or I am calling my embassy to let them know what you are doing with my passport." I got my passport back quickly, I left the school and found one that hired foreigners properly.
Never trust a Chinese businessperson/manager in the ESL field. In my honest opinion, within my experience, their souls are blacker than a thousand eclipses. The most deceiving, cheating, lying and overall worst people I have ever met, all fall into this category. Trust your fellow foreigner teachers, trust government websites, and your instincts before you ever trust one of them.
TEO
kjk_esl
- 2009-02-22
This is so true folks. Just because you can do it does not mean that you should be working in China on anything but a Z visa. Shools will tell you that itis OK as the school has good connections with someone in the PSB, Foreign Affairs Dept etc. Most times the school knows a low level person working in on of these depts and if another person goes around shaking the tree looking for people illegally working you are going to get caught. It is hard to get this idea across to peopel that you will be treated like a slave when you show up with your F or L visa in your passport. your school is only interested in using you to make as much RMB as they can without putting much for your services. travel on a tourist visa and work on Z visa.