Z work visa for Relocating to China

Here's the plan of action you should have:
1. Get L Tourist visa
2. Go to China, find a job.
3. Employer will convert your L visa to a Z working visa.

Z visas are given through legitimate employers. Employers that do not offer you a Z visa are probably not allowed to official employ you. If you get someone to give you a Z visa without you working for them, it's probably a sham business and if they get shut down you could be in trouble.

If you are unable to find a job, or only find a part time job you can continue on your L visa if it is a 1 year or more multiple-entry visa, but you'll have to leave the country periodically (usually every 3 or 4 months). You can just go to Hong Kong, Mongolia or Korea.

Matt
Life, Travel and Work in China: themiddlekingdom.org - The Middle Kingdom Blog

Are they all sham businesses? The reason I am thinking of going to them is that I want to avoid having to look for a job while I am there. I want to start job search now and be able to go to prospective employer and say that I have a Z visa. I saw a couple of job recruiting sites that won't even look at my resume without having a Z visa in hand. I don't want to have to spend months looking for a job when I arrive in China. Do you think there are any other available options for my situation?

Thanks for advice.

Yeah, it's a tricky situation. Most of the employers who are looking for someone with a valid Z visa are looking for a spouse of someone who is in the country and working and therefore has a Z dependent visa. The reason they want someone like that the company you're applying to probably doesn't have the ability to issue any additional work visas (or any visas at all). Technically if you don't have a Z visa from the employer that you are working for, you're not supposed to be working.

Another option is to look into an F visa which is for visiting experts and business people who will be in China for short(ish) periods of time. F visas can be for 6 months or more, but they will cost more than a tourist visa.

Matt
Live, Travel and Work in China: themiddlekingdom.org

Robwo, let me elaborate.

There is no such thing as a general work visa that lets you work wherever you want.

The Z visa is dependant on you being employed by a specific company. According to the letter of the law the moment you stop working for that company you need to surrender your Z visa status.

If the company is legit and if your qualification / expertise are relevant for that company there should be no problem for them to get you a visa.

Come on the L visa, Note you will have to leave again once you have found a job so as to start the process. Bring with you your various certificates / degrees (originals not copies)

Any reputable employer will get your Z visa for you, so don't worry about it.  If you are looking now and they want you to have one they're not reputable so steer clear.  I recently had an experience with a shady person who seemed to be reputable but turned out to be anything but.

You can get a Business visa which is easier to then convert over.  I've done that the last 3 years.  I apply for a multi-entry Business visa for one year then after I arrive my current employer gets it converted into the Z visa.  The first year when I came on a tourist visa it wasn't convertible so I had to get a business visa then a Z visa.

What sort of job do you want?  That too can make a difference.  Do make sure to have original documents and be flexible as each employer will have different requirements, nothing I've learned in China is uniform.

Good luck, living in China will stretch you.

LRai

You do not need to bring multiple copies of your degree certificate. Just bring the orignal.

Only your employer will actual need the original for the visa process and will give it back to you. Maybe they will also want a notarised copy but that can be done here and again is only needed by the employer.

There is no need to give all your potenttial employees your original documents. As a final part of the recruitment process they might wish to see the original/copy but there is no reason on earth for a potential employer to keep your original documents.

That is notarized and stamped by the Chinese Embassy in your home country confirming that the person that notiarised it is legit ???