UPDATED: How to get a Chinese Work Visa (Z) in 2024 - A Step by Step Guide

Welcome to our video about getting your work visa to teach English in China in 2024. This is a basic step-by-step guide. For more information on working & living in China:

https://chinabyteaching.com/teaching-...

This is without doubt the biggest obstacle and headache once you start on the path of teaching in China. This is focused on teachers, but the same process is the same for all industries.

It’s impossible to cover every nuance in the process. Instead, we stuck to the most important requirements and tried to break the process down step by step.

If you are looking for advice or a job in China. Contact Us and we will help you the best we can.
https://chinabyteaching.com/contact-us

Timestamp
0.08 Z-working Visa Intro
0.40 Work Visa Requirements
1.32 Visa Documents
2.24 Authentication and Legalisation of Documents
2.58 The Visa Process


Transcript
Getting a work visa to teach in China?
Thinking of heading to China to teach? GREAT choice!
Your first priority is to get the right working visa. In China, this is known as the Z Visa and this is the only way to work in the country legally and get paid. Securing your work visa can seem complicated and overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be.
In this video, we are going to explain the most important aspects of getting a working visa for China.
1. The Visa Requirements.
2. The Visa documents
3. The Visa process

1. The Visa Requirements.
Requirements can vary slightly, but they generally revolve around three prerequisites:
• Have the right nationality
First up, you’ll need to be a citizen of one of seven recognized English-speaking countries. They are the UK, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Teachers from Caribbean countries are accepted in many provinces but there are exceptions.
• Have the right qualifications
You’ll need to have a bachelors degree and a TEFL certificate. If you are a fully qualified teacher, you are excused from needing a TEFL qualification.
• Clear Criminal Background
This means you cannot have any kind of criminal history


2. The Visa documents
Having your documents in order is crucial in getting your work visa.
#1 – A valid passport
At least one year left of validity and plenty of blank pages left
#2 – Your bachelor’s Degree
The good news is that your bachelor’s degree does not need to be English. It can be in any subject.
#3 – A Criminal Background Check
China requires all foreign workers to hand in an official police check from their home country and any other country they have lived in during the previous five years.


Before the visa process can begin you will need to have your bachelor’s degree, TEFL certificate and the criminal background check authenticated by your country’s government. It then needs to be legalised by the Chinese Government at your local embassy or visa application center.
If you’re not familiar with this bureaucratic process: Authentication means taking your documents to government offices to have them officially stamped. Legalization means taking them to the nearest Chinese Embassy or visa center to have them stamped and approved.

3. The Visa process
The first thing you should know about the Z Visa is that you can only apply once you have secured a job in China.
Why? Because first, you need to send a copy of your notarized and authenticated documents to your employer. They will then send you an official job invitation letter and Work Permit Notice and this you will need to apply for a work visa!

Now you have those key documents, here is what you need to do, step by step:
STEP 1 – Make your initial application online. Upload your documents and fill in the visa application form.
STEP 2 – Make an appointment online with your nearest Chinese embassy or Visa Service Centre.
STEP 3 – Hand in your application form and all relevant documentation. Your application will be reviewed. If your documents are in order, it will be submitted for approval.
STEP 4 – It usually takes one week for the process to be completed. Once you receive your visa it is time to pay for it. Visa costs vary from country to country.
Only once you have the Z visa in your passport, will you be free to move to China and start your new job.

At China by Teaching, we help teachers from all over the globe find their dream job in some of China’s most reputable schools. For more info on applying for a visa and teaching in China, visit us at https://chinabyteaching.com

Hold tight, life is about to get more a lot more interesting.