The International Schools Review Forum

In the past, to get a Z-visa for China, the school sent me a letter of invitation and I just went to the Chinese embassy and got a Z-visa. After the health, which was done in China, the Z-visa was turned into a work permit.

Has that process changed recently?
Are they now requiring a health check be done in your home country before you can get the Z-visa?

I don't know what it used to be, but my personal experience these months has been that the health check is done here at home and I'm told it's done again in China. I had a TON of blood tests done, chest x-ray, etc here. The results were recorded on paperwork for my school and on a separate visa application from the Chinese.

I sent it all to my school because they are handling the initial steps of the visa paperwork.

Its actually always been that way, but in the past the rule wasnt "enforced" in varying degrees depending on where you where and what school you were at. Now that immigration has moved more towards the PSB they are getting more strict.

Schools want to minimize their expenses, if they bring a teacher over who doesnt pass the medical when they get here, its less expensive for them to make sure you can get a visa if its done before you depart/arrive in China.

Hi Psyguy, I had no idea this was the standard procedure. Still, I think the school I'm going to is overkill.

Let me ask you this, after I get the health check notarized by a local notary and then authenticated by the Secretary of State in my state, do I then have to get it authenticated by the Chinese embassy?

For those who have gone through the medical check up after arriving in China, what do they actually check? Is it just bloodwork? Or do they do everything like eye sight, hearing tests, x-rays, poke and probe every orifice? Just wondering what to expect?

I had one done a few months ago and it included: urinalysis, blood drawn, chest x-ray, ecg, eyesight, height/weight, ultrasound of abdomen. I think that was about it. My school arranged it all. We showed up and they ran us all through the procedure. They do some poking and prodding.

txteach and Pippafrit are correct. You do a full physical in your home country (or country of residence) and then again when you arrive in China done by a government clinic that all new Chinese residents have to go to.

Just a note, if you're pregnant or might be, and have to do the chest x-ray...there's a whole other hoop you have to jump through. If you weren't thinking about telling your new school about potential pregnancy, you can forget about it! They'll have to know before you go to the clinic, as it's a waste of time otherwise.

Can someone point me to a website (legitimate) where it is written that the medical exam is required in order to get a z visa in the U.S? I can't seem to get a straight answer. My school says they don't know but they don't think so. An American teacher at the school said her family did not need an exam 2 years ago.

@emilyhurd

China Travel Guide has info on getting a Z-Visa:

http://www.travelchinaguide.com/embassy/visa/work.htm

I taught in China three years ago and the process was very simple: the school sent me a letter of invitation and I got a Z-Visa.

"Let me ask you this, after I get the health check notarized by a local notary and then authenticated by the Secretary of State in my state, do I then have to get it authenticated by the Chinese embassy?"

Yes, this was the process I had to go through for documents for my visa to Vietnam (educational degree and police clearance). It is defined by The Hague Convention.

For more info: http://www.hcch.net/index_en.php?act=te ... lay&tid=37

[quote="higgsboson"]In the past, to get a Z-visa for China, the school sent me a letter of invitation and I just went to the Chinese embassy and got a Z-visa. After the health, which was done in China, the Z-visa was turned into a work permit.

Has that process changed recently?
Are they now requiring a health check be done in your home country before you can get the Z-visa?[/quote]

This is what I had to do to get my Z visa (newly acquired a few days ago)

Sign and witness contract and send to China
Send various papers to china - resume, qualifications, proof of residence in current country, marriage cert etc
take medical HERE. send results to china
get invitation letter and work permit sent from China
take a myriad of papers including medical test results (general health exam, ECG, Xray, Blood tests) to embassy
wait 3 days
Got Z visa

Its taken 2 1/2 months from Start to finish. I was told (Guangdong province) that they may accept the medical from here and not ask me to do another one as it will be less than six months old. I currently stay in the ME. I didnt need to legalise the medical tests and as they are more or less the same as the ones I had to take here for a visa.

It wasnt all that hard. You do need to have the the EXACT paperwork on demand, but we only needed on trip to the embassy and collected our passports 3 days later complete with visas.

My school says I do not need a medical exam until arriving in China and I cannot get in touch with anyone at the Chinese Consulate here to ask. It is not stated on any website that a medical exam needs to be submitted to the Chinese Consulate in order for them to issue a visa. We have been to the Consulate once and did not have all of the proper paperwork needed for processing. They said nothing about needing a medical exam. However, I am worried that I will get all of my paperwork together, travel to the Chinese Consulate again, and they will inform me that I do, indeed, need a medical exam before they can issue a visa.

Any insight?

@Emily

As I understand it, you need only a letter of invitation for a Z Visa.

From my local embassy website

(3) Employment/Work Visa (Z-Visa): for applicants going to China for employment or work and their family members. Applicants are required to provide:
a. Original and copy of Authorized Notification Form for Visa Application or invitation letter.
b. Original and copy of Alien Employment License issued by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, or Foreign Expert Work Permit issued by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of China.
c. Spouses and children of the applicants should provide Authorized Notification Form for Visa Application and documents proving family relations (e.g. marriage or birth certificate).
d[b]. Original and copy of Physical Examination Record for Foreigners of those who will work in China for more than 6 months.[/b]
e. Z-Visa is valid for 3 months for a single entry with no specified duration of stay. One is obliged to apply for residence permit at the local public security bureau within a month after entering China

You can download it from this University website http://www.cucas.edu.cn/HomePage/2011-1 ... 1266.shtml
or
http://resource.chinese.cn/en/article/2 ... _55538.htm
or
http://www.chinaembassy-fi.org/eng/lsfw ... 812861.pdf