Hi all,

I have heard from an ex-colleague that the rules in Shanghai are now stricter and that part time work on F visas is more problematic than before and is being more harshly clamped down on compared with past times however ive seen nothing on the net to suggest there have been radical changes in the last month or so.

I know the fact that working in a local salaried post is illegal but is widely done and has been overlooked or ignored for some time now but it seems maybe more places are rethinking this policy while others continue with it. Does anyone know if this is a real change or whether the previous tenuous situation is still going on ?

For me, the issue is hard as I only do some part time bits in China while im there doing other business. I have done some part time teaching but as Im there maybe 4 to 6 months a year it is impossible to get a Z visa and unthinkable to work on the L, so not sure what i can do ? Im happy to do it legally but my work in the UK prevents me going over 6 months in China.

Im not sure if short term Z is an option or how to go about it or, more centrally to this post, whether it is a necessary step to seek it or whether i should just do as i did on my last stint in China.

Any info or help to this longwinded post are welcomed

regards

It's actually illegal to work on an F-visa!

More and more get caught and the fines can be pretty hefty, but you can do like the Chinese, take a chance

Thanks for the reply,

I was wondering if you know about the fine - cost ? level of incidence ? I always thought it was related to guanxi in that larger companies with more guanxi permitted employees to work on the F which was fully known by the authorities but overlooked due to someone higher up the chanin benefitting from this stance.

For my position it is a problem as im there helping a small company develop business in China which is where the F comes into play, but i also do some part time teaching just to pay my rent etc which is where the problem occurs. Since Im only there a short time and have other commitments, it is almost impossible to get the Z so seems i have no choice but to battle on and take the chance.

Thanks again for your reply

Deportation, Backtaxing (according to a guess by the government)

Recently even the smaller language schools have started to apply for Z-Visa for their part-time teachers as they're under investigation as well now.