Shanghai Expat

Visas, Taxes, and Legalities - How much does Z visa cost a company?
Plusein - July 04, 2009 - 11:41 AM
Post subject: How much does Z visa cost a company?
My boyfriend's job is claiming that getting him a Z visa will be "very expensive" for the company (he's American). Perhaps because all of the increased prices for US visas this is true. The company has employed plenty of foreigners in the past/present.

Does anyone know how much it actually costs a company to apply and get a Z visa (for an American)?
yu888 - July 04, 2009 - 11:47 AM
Post subject:
Its not just cost, its the whole process. read the link below to see what needs to be done.
http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/community/index.php/2008/04/25/guide_to_getting_your_z_visa_work_aamp_r?blog=5

Unfortunately, they ARE required BY LAW to get him one in order to employ him in CHina. All foreigners need to get a Z visa then get it changed to a Work Permit adnResidence permit in order to be truly eligible o work here in China. Pehaps your BF's company is trying to be sneaky? Or maybe they are not even eligible to employ him?
calebkm - July 04, 2009 - 12:02 PM
Post subject:
yu888, your detailed info is great! But are there added costs that your company must pay that are not outlined in the guide?
mat - July 04, 2009 - 12:39 PM
Post subject:
No.

Sounds like they don't have the ability to legally employ him, hence them bullshitting you.
ziccawei - July 04, 2009 - 12:46 PM
Post subject:
Everything and anything is too expensive to the average Chinese. Especially Shanghainese. Tight as a fishes arse is the phrase that springs to mind. Bearing in mind a fishes arse is water-tight that's pretty tight.
mat - July 04, 2009 - 12:59 PM
Post subject:
It's most likely that they are not able to register him for a Z visa. You must meet certain Capital requirements on your business licence in order to register foreigners, but unless said business is a whole in the wall dumpling shop, then they should have sufficient to be able to do so.

They are bullshitting, or as Ziccawei said, they are just being tight arses. Tighter than a nuns nasty is the one that springs to my mind.
Plusein - July 04, 2009 - 03:34 PM
Post subject:
As I said in my post,

Quote:
The company has employed plenty of foreigners in the past/present.


I'm wondering if they are using the claim of "very expensive" to justify a less than great salary, not about their legal ability to hire foreigners.

But, if yu888's post has all of the costs, it looks like (not including a flight back to the US) the entire Z visa process costs somewhere around 2000RMB, which doesn't strike me as expensive. There are no hidden company fees?!
Shangstar - July 04, 2009 - 05:06 PM
Post subject:
it may be that the company's registered capital is insufficient to warrant an employment license to recruit any or any additional foreigners, and to do so would require a big injection of additional reg cap - hence they are saying "its too expensive"....
mat - July 04, 2009 - 05:19 PM
Post subject:
I'm tipping they're just lazy tightwads.

What Visa is he on at the moment? Anything other than a Z and he's working illegally, and could really Smile that company up by reporting them.
Medea - July 05, 2009 - 08:51 AM
Post subject:
Shangstar wrote:
it may be that the company's registered capital is insufficient to warrant an employment license to recruit any or any additional foreigners, and to do so would require a big injection of additional reg cap - hence they are saying "its too expensive"....


How much registered capital does a company need to be allowed to employ 2 foreigners?
mat - July 05, 2009 - 09:07 AM
Post subject:
There's no set amount. It, like many other things, is very arbitrary.
mathlete - July 08, 2009 - 09:16 PM
Post subject:
Well that's typical BS and flat out laziness. I had a problem with a lazy biatch of an 'HR Specialist' 2 years ago. She was trying to get me to go to all the official offices myself to fill everything out and wait in line. She was the perfect combination of lazy, bitter, incompetent, glorified receptionist.
shanghailuv - July 08, 2009 - 09:23 PM
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yes..they are just bullshitting.
mat - July 08, 2009 - 09:48 PM
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You DO have to go and line up yourself, that is not BS anymore, although, 3 years ago it was.
Cambronne - July 08, 2009 - 09:52 PM
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To sum it up, it costs almost nothing, just some admin time but the process is straightforward. I know, running a biz, employing foreigners and checked again a few days ago for a new recruit.
CoffeeHawk_0 - July 09, 2009 - 06:29 AM
Post subject:
All visas for Americans are 940rmb, then add the cost to have the local staff do the running around (free) or hire someone from an agency to do the running around to the various offices, a few hundred rmb. IT IS NOT EXPENSIVE. Back when the cost of the visa itself was lower (2005/6), companies with high volumes and a good visa agency were paying about 500rmb for a residence permit and a work permit, total cost.
yu888 - July 09, 2009 - 06:44 AM
Post subject:
Cost of Z-visa, valid for 30 days top get all your ducks in a row is 940rmb for US citizens.
Add to it the cost of Work License, Work Permit, Health Check, ad Residents Permit and still its only less than 2500, and really the company does not have to cover these costs , though I would be concerned if they were this cheap.

But as noted above, the laziness factor and sometimes the sheer face issue of not knowing how to handle it themselves causes issues even under the best of circumstances...thus why i wrote the Z Visa "dummy's" guide on my blog.
trenchwire - July 09, 2009 - 04:51 PM
Post subject:
yu888 wrote:
Cost of Z-visa, valid for 30 days top get all your ducks in a row is 940rmb for US citizens.
Add to it the cost of Work License, Work Permit, Health Check, ad Residents Permit and still its only less than 2500, and really the company does not have to cover these costs , though I would be concerned if they were this cheap.

But as noted above, the laziness factor and sometimes the sheer face issue of not knowing how to handle it themselves causes issues even under the best of circumstances...thus why i wrote the Z Visa "dummy's" guide on my blog.

I agree 100% and Yu, thank you so much for that guide,

It really helped make sense of my reality and result in my successful Z/ res permit. Although having a good agent who walked my silly company through all the steps was also a big help.
skyline5k - July 09, 2009 - 11:12 PM
Post subject:
yu888 wrote:
Cost of Z-visa, valid for 30 days top get all your ducks in a row is 940rmb for US citizens.
Add to it the cost of Work License, Work Permit, Health Check, ad Residents Permit and still its only less than 2500, and really the company does not have to cover these costs , though I would be concerned if they were this cheap.

But as noted above, the laziness factor and sometimes the sheer face issue of not knowing how to handle it themselves causes issues even under the best of circumstances...thus why i wrote the Z Visa "dummy's" guide on my blog.
Health check is around 700 RMB. Or rather it was about 3 years ago when I switched companies for my Z. And if one were to stay longer than a year, the health check isn't annual.
Misteral - July 09, 2009 - 11:25 PM
Post subject:
Yes yu888, excellent stuff. You are a board diety indeed.
mathlete - July 13, 2009 - 05:54 PM
Post subject:
mat wrote:
You DO have to go and line up yourself, that is not BS anymore, although, 3 years ago it was.


Wow, really? So you have to line up unless it states in your contract' all visa fees and application procedures provided by company'?
yu888 - July 14, 2009 - 01:20 AM
Post subject:
Yes, the E&E bureau does require personal visits now for certain parts of the process, regardless of what your contract says.
klukoff - Sep 12, 2009 - 04:26 PM
Post subject: Experience Requirement, Helpful Visa Agency
I wish to obtain a working visa (Z) in Shanghai. I am a German citizen, here on an L visa that is valid until late October, 2009. I have an employer (~45 employees) who wants to sponsor me.

My issue is that I'm 23 and have only ~1.5 years of working experience (graduated in June of 2008). Can anyone recommend a visa agency that can help me (and my company) most effectively argue my case?

Thanks!
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