Verification of notary signature -- looks very important, no?
Hello again, Steemians! It's been a while since I updated everyone on my sudden retirement from teaching English in Hunan, China. In case you missed it, I plan to return to China in the fall, but to a different province (Henan) where the maximum age for foreign teachers is higher than in Hunan.
First, I have some bureaucratic hoops to jump through to obtain a new Z visa from China. A Z visa is for foreign workers.
When I first applied for a Z visa in 2008, the process was very simple. You had to provide the employer a copy of your university diploma and the results of a complete medical examination. Once they received those, the employer would send back an employment contract and a "notification of work permit." Then, you'd bring those papers, two passport-sized photos, your passport and some money to the nearest Chinese consulate or embassy to apply for the Z visa. I was able to get mine within a few hours of visiting the Chicago consulate.
But, the requirements have changed. In addition to a copy of the diploma, you must also have it notarized (really, your signature is notarized, not the document itself). Also, China now requires a criminal background check (which cost me $22), and this report must also be notarized. (I got them notarized for free at my bank.)
The additional verification became necessary, because Chinese employers found some applicants were falsifying their academic diplomas -- easy to do with Photoshop now -- and others were either fleeing possible criminal charges or were convicted criminals, including sex offenders.
Once you get those two documents notarized, there are some more steps to take.
- The county clerk must verify the commission and signature of the notary public. ($10)
- The state Secretary of State must further verify the documents by providing an [apostille](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apostille_Convention/), which is kind of an internationally valid notarization. ($10 + $6.65 postage) Actually, as China is not a party to the Hague Convention, the verification is not a Hague Convention apostille, but an "authentication."
- Then, the US State Department provides further verification. (I haven't checked the price yet.)
Only after these multiple levels of authentication are you ready to submit the documents to your Chinese employer, so that they can apply for the work permit required for a Z visa. Fortunately, I can email scans of the documents rather than post them, which would add another week to 10 days of delay plus cost even more money.
There's another complication besides all this paperwork. I'm a Kentucky resident. In 2008 the Chinese consulate in Chicago had jurisdiction over Kentucky, so it was just a matter of driving six hours to Chicago to make a personal appearance at the consulate, and pay $75 for the visa. (My daughter, who was going to be an au pair in France, came with me to get her visa from the French consulate there. We're a traveling family!)
Now, Kentucky is under the jurisdiction of the embassy in Washington, DC, leaving with me two options: use a service like VisaRite ($260-$360) or drive 9 hours to DC and apply for the visa myself ($140 + travel expenses) . If I can borrow a relative's car, driving would not be too bad. Otherwise, using the visa service might be cheaper.
It's not all bad news, as I don't need to pay for a medical exam in the USA. I had one done in China in May, and my new employer will accept that in lieu of American one. So, that's money saved.
By the way, these expenses are not usually reimbursed by the Chinese employer. In other words, if you want to work abroad as an English teacher, you have to REALLY want to work abroad as an English teacher. Employers will generally reimburse the teacher's airfare after six months of employment, but the documentation and visa fees are all on the teacher.
As it turns out, I want to continue to teach in China, at least for another year. If I decide to stay, I will not have to go through all these hassles, because renewing your residence permit and work permit is a lot easier than obtaining them in the first place.
Feel free to ask me any questions about this process, because most other countries have similar requirements for foreign teachers.
And if you want to upvote and resteem this post to help pay my way, I would certainly appreciate it! Thanks!
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