When you are planning on working in China, you will hear a lot of tales about different people’s experiences working in the country. There are always two sides of every job story. Work in China and legal issues experiences differ from one individual to the next.

There are people who will tell you that they had an easy time with their visa process and did not have any legal problems during their stay in China. There are others who will tell you they had a complicated visa application process and had to face a lot of legal problems while living in the country. This is expected since different people go through the process in different ways which results in completely different experiences. However, if you go through the process as you should by ensuring you have all the necessary documents and do all that is required, you will have an easier application process and the legal issues should not be a problem.

VISA process

One thing that complicates the Visa application process for many people who want to work in China is the fact that most of them are not aware that there are different categories of visas depending on your purpose for entering China. For instance, there is a category for foreigners who want to study in China, visit relatives, trade, work, and many more categories. Knowing this is the first step to having a successful and less complicated visa application process. This is because your category determines the documents you are supposed to have and the application process you will go through.

Passport

The first document you need to have is your passport. It should be signed and should have a validity period of at least six months, and there should be a number of blank pages. Apart from having your passport, you are required to have a copy of the photo page and the data page on the passport if they happen to be separate. Another thing you should know about Chinese visas is that they do not require your passport to have amendment pages at the back.

Visa Application Form

The other document you are required to have is your visa application form and a copy of it. When it comes to the application form, it is very important to ensure you have answered all the necessary questions on the form. If a question does not apply to you, your answer should be NONE. You are required to fill in the application form using only capital or block letters. It is important to be very careful when filling in this form since corrections are not permitted. The other thing that is very important to pay close attention to in this form is your signature. The signature is supposed to match the one you have on your passport.

When applying for a China visa, it is possible for you to get an automated application. This is done after placing the order of the Visa on the Global Service Order Form. You are required to complete the PDF and print it in order to get the automated format with your information on it.

Photos

Photographs are also very important documents when you are applying for a China Visa. You are required to have only one 2 × 2 passport photograph. The photo should be colored and should have a white background that is also plain. An alternative to providing physical photos is uploading your passport photo on the Global Service Order form once you have ordered the visa.

Official Invitation

An official invitation is a notification for visa approval which is done by Chinese government agency and is issued by a sponsor in China. This document ought to contain certain information, should be signed by the responsible parties in the organization and should have a stamp of the company. Some of the information that is expected to be seen in this document includes name, nationality, age, gender of an applicant, employer’s name, job title, a purpose of visit, places to be visited, date of arrival, validity of the visa, signatures, and many other important details.

Proof of Legal Residence

When applying for a Chinese visa you will be required to have legal residence certificates. These are documents that show proof that you are a resident in your country. These are provided by the relevant authorities in the country you are residing in. They can be employment, student, or residence certificates. This does not need to be from your country of citizenship if you are applying from abroad.

Job Description

Apart from the invitation letter, you are also required to have a letter that describes the job you will be doing and the company you will be working with. This does not necessarily have to be included in the letterhead of the company.

Departure Proof

There are cases where you might need your China visa to be rushed. In such a case, you are supposed to provide your flight itinerary which should indicate that you are scheduled to fly in less than 3 business days.

Previous Chinese Visa

In some cases, you will be required to provide any previous Chinese visa you might have if you have visited the country before. The passport should also be included even if it is canceled.

Global Service Order Form

This is where you are required to give your shipping and contact information. Before you make your payment, you are supposed to select the processing required for your visa. This document is supposed to be completed and sent with all other necessary documents to Travisa. Travisa contacts you in case there is any information they require you to correct. It might take some time before you have your visa and passports.

When waiting for your visa and passport, it is important to avoid making any reservations or booking any flights. This is because you might end up losing your money. It is advisable to wait for the visa process to be fully compete.

LEGAL ISSUES PROFESSIONALS CAN FACE

The visa application process is not the only thing a lot of people complain about when they are giving their working experience in China. Many people complain about some of the legal issues that professionals face while working in China.

Probation Period

One thing a good number of people who have worked in China will tell you is the fact that they were not pleased with the probation period of employment in China. In China, the law allows for employers to have their employees on probation periods. This is a period in which your employer takes time to evaluate your performance. If during their evaluation they come to the conclusion that you are not performing as expected, they have the right to fire you even before the probation period is up.

The law in China also permits the employers to terminate any employee who does not meet the standard of performance in the company. However, an employer does not simply fire whoever they want whenever they please. They are supposed to have set the expectations and requirements beforehand and made them known to each and every employee.

The requirements for the position should be outlined in detail in the job advertisement, job contract, as well as in the rules and regulations of the company. These should be given to each and every employee to review and sign before they start their job. Apart from this, the employer must have enough proof that the employee did not meet the conditions of employment they set. The employer must also tell the employee the reason why they have terminated them from their company.

The probation period is therefore something a lot of people working in China dread. You might lose your job any time if you are not performing as per the expectations of the employer. This however is something you can get by without any worries. The best way to avoid getting fired while on probation or at any other time is to ensure you fully understand all the employer’s expectations of you and make sure you do your best to achieve everything you are required to do. Doing so will keep you on their good side and you will be able to enjoy your job for a long time.

Packages offered by the company

China is a fast growing country. This is why expats are attracted to working and doing business in the country. Many people from many parts of the world are continuously making investments in the country as well. This is something that has led to a lot of competition for the job market among foreigners. The great thing about China is the fact that they have opened numerous doors for expats to get jobs in their country. They have been able to get a good number of foreigners to work in their country.

In the past, foreigners were attracted to Chinese jobs because the companies they worked for offered amazing house allowances and even helped out with school fees for those who were employed and had children. With the high rise in the number of expats working in China, the packages are not as attractive. Many people are unable to benefit from these packages and they therefore have to depend on their salaries to meet all their expenses. This is something that has become an issue for a lot of expats since it makes living in a foreign country quite challenging especially for individuals who have children.

Salaries

In China, there are several things that determine the amount of money one makes. For instance, if you are an expat living in China, you should expect your salary to be lower than that of an expat who is living outside of China. This is something that many expats living in China are not happy about especially if they moved to China to earn better salaries and enjoy the high salaries that people rave about.

The other thing that determines your salary in China is your experience and skills. Chinese companies like to have employees who have had a number of years of experience in big multi-national companies. For this reason, if you have all the required skills and some level of experience, you can expect your salary to be very high when you move to China.

The expat salary in China might have reduced significantly compared to the past but one thing remains positive. This is the fact that the cost of living in this country is quite reasonable. Compared to western countries, you can get by on little while working in China and still enjoy the things that make you feel comfortable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, you might have heard a story or two about the working life of expats in China and their visa application story. These stories might be true since different people have different experiences working in the country. With the right visa preparation, job searching, and career experience, you should be able to find and pursue the job you want in the land of opportunity.

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