Smitty
- 2010-03-05
No. My 5-year is purely based on the family status and has no tie to any employer. I am planning to renounce my citizenship soon and will change hats since I am a dual national. I would not pursue Chinese status. I know a person that did that though. I could start a business in the town where we own a home but I did that once before and with the new labor laws, tax laws, etc...No thanks. Presently I am on a well paid position making use of my degree and my experience and at least I am not being shafted by some member of the local commie party with a school license cashing in on my credentials. Depending on who you work for, your degrees, and where you live in China some international positions in education pay 300,000 to about a max of 550,000 RMB per year after tax, plus a nice housing allowance if you can teach AP or IB programs and if you are a certified or licensed teacher. In China you can survive, save, and own a home on those wages, and perhaps even buy a small car. Life could be worse, but it could also be better. I would prefer to actually live in the house that we bought, but...my job is elsewhere and so is the money. For an ex-pat, one must go where the money is and jobs and companies change all of the time. It would be nice to get a long-term gig of at least 5-years somewhere, but that is rare in China. At least if that happened, it would be easier to buy a home and justify it. This business of owning a home for the sake of owning a home, or saving face, or to impress the parent's neighbors is for the birds. As for the various embassies treating families like crap during the visa process, which was the subject of another post on here, but similar, it gets old fast. For now, I have a 5-year ride and when this is up I hope that I can get the 10-year visa next. My own country, well, they can take their passports and their visas and their attitudes and shove them far, far, up their buttocks. I live here almost tax free, and I am off the grid for the most part, and if I were back home, perhaps I would be losing my butt and my job like almost anyone else that I know. China is not the best game on the map, but it is not bad. The issue is the visa and finding long-term stable and gainful employment and then surviving in strange lands.
Martin
- 2010-03-04
"On your 5 years RP, is it tied to your current employer in any way or have you needed your employer to sponsor it?"
I had a 2 year RP once upon a time. It wasn't tied to any employer! Trouble was, I had to surrender it at Beijing airport when I had to leave the country to deal with my father's death back in my homeland. Then I was back to square one. To qualify for said RP, I had to have a Chinese wife for at least 2 years and been in China for a continuous 2 year length of time at the time of application.
I'd have thought if you have a Z visa and an RP arranged by your employer, you needn't get a 5 year RP on spousal grounds.
While on the subject of visas and employment, it's maybe worth mentioning that some employers can get F visas for foreigners without at least a Bachelor's degree. Such visas can be got at the PSB offices of small cities in provinces where the Education Bureau based in the provincial capital won't approve letters of invitation for such foreigners, meaning no Z visa can be got. Small city PSB's can't issue Z visas, but can issue F visas, and some will do so knowing full well that the visa holders are teaching. They are likely in bed with the Chinese employers! It seems that the provincial capital PSB's have no authority there, so can't intervene to stop it and punish the Chinese employers and the foreigners illegally working for them. Another option to consider!
englishgibson
- 2010-03-04
Smitty, you're right on with that home ownership in China. My wife and I own a home in one and live in another city and that for just about the same reasons as you've mentioned. On your 5 years RP, is it tied to your current employer in any way or have you needed your employer to sponsor it? Forgive me, if I have misread any of your previous posts on.
Staying on the topic of our home ownership in China, can you guys imagine getting deported with a homeowner's license on mainland? Just a thought as we've considered working on spousal L visa which is not legal around. I don't know how angry i'd get but i wouldn't consider bombing my own home from across the borders as my little muffin and wifie'd probably be there.:)
Cheers and beers to dropping our citizenships for the red book :ouch
Smitty
- 2010-03-04
The apartment game is another disaster as well. I recently bought one with my wife and paid a hefty sum for the place. We don't live in that city since there are no jobs there. At least no jobs paying over 6000 per month and as a certified teacher with a doctorate I am not working for 6000 RMB in any country while also trying to raise a family and take care of her aging parents. The mortgage is 2700 RMB per month. We rent it out to some Chinese people for 1500 since that is the market rate. I am paying money to own an apartment I don't live in so that my wife's family is happy that we have a home. My wife did not want to buy a home anywhere else other than her own town. Her thinking, which is partially correct, although I think China's bubble will burst soon, is that real estate is getting more costly in China and we need a home in China at some point since she is not leaving China to go to my country. Putting our child into a good school is going to run around 2000 RMB per month for an excellent kiddie school. If you teach in China you must get paid, do doubt about it. If you are on a tourism excursion hiking around Asia, 6000 or less RMB per month is ok. But when you are married, own an apartment, and have a child, the only options are high-level international schools or high-end colleges. As for being married in China overall, it can be a raw deal as far as visas and maintaining any level of valid legal status in China. The long L is one option and many use it. I am glad I have this 5-year perm residency status and I am looking forward to getting a 10-year document after this expires. As for changing hats and nations...it is indeed an option and one that I and many people that I know of are considering. If you plan to dump your American citizenship, do it soon because they will start charging about $425.00 or more to process the paperwork to become an un-American in the near future. Teaching English in China is a dead campaign in my book. I teach AP and IB programs or college-level sciences these days as that is where the stability and some level of growth seems to be.
Turino
- 2010-03-03
Interestingly after working for 5 years the foreign experts are to leave China which is according to the regulations. But then we are offered 5 year Residency Permits based on having worked here for 5 years. Or, have I misread something on?
Avoid all this BS by working with an L,that's my advice.And if the school's crap, you can walk w/out fear of being blacklisted,as the contract's illegal.
No sweat,been at it for 12 years,and still doin it!
Monitor
- 2010-03-03
We relatively poor foreign teachers who marry Chinese nationals, and sell USD, GBP, etc to bolster our spending power in the country, even buying a Chinese apartment, are not treated that well! There are too many obstacles placed in our path if we wish to get long term residency rights. Another way might be to change nationality, but surprisingly that's also fraught with difficulties.
I'm glad to say that the Chinese govt has trapped itself between a rock and a hard place due to their lousy residency rights policies. They don't want to grant long-term residency rights to foreigners who are relative paupers compared to the rich ones. But at the same time they have to offer sth to avoid compromising foreigners' rights too much, which would lead to international condemnation. Hence the L visa for visiting your Chinese relatives. Some of the hierarchy in the Pubic Security dislike that system. They are well aware that it is abused by some foreigners who dislike RP's and like to buck the system by teaching with L visas, assisted by corrupt agents and dishonest employers in the field of education. But if they get rid of the long L's, what will they replace them with? That's their dilemma!
englishgibson
- 2010-03-03
I am the only provider for my Chinese family and if I cannot stay/work on mainland my little son, wife and in laws will be greatly affected. I only hope the Chinese government realizes that, but if they don't they'll have to improve their system as my mother in law's a diabetic and needs about 500 Yuan of insuline on mothly basis. Then, my son's apetite for milk (not sanlu) is at a rate of about 75 Yuan every two days and the imported milk powder brands have just gone up too. My wife's easygoing, although we do need to eat, dress and have a roof over our heads. Watch out for the inflation as food cost are up. My wife's contemplated a job which would offer her a couple thousand monthly. I guess that'd be just enough for a tent camping, written off sanlu milk powder, and a coffin for my mother in law (god forbid me).
Our status on mainland is our privilege to be in the 5,000 years old country, not our right as we would like it to be. The fact that we've married these lovely Chinese nationals is just a thorn in a foot of the emperor .. if he pulls it out, we're out and our families back to their re-education camps.
Interestingly after working for 5 years the foreign experts are to leave China which is according to the regulations. But then we are offered 5 year Residency Permits based on having worked here for 5 years. Or, have I misread something on?
Cheers and beers to all the local regulations and the local law enforcements that know what their people need