I got a couple calls and emails from friends thinking I am leaving China after one of my latest posts about expat friends leaving China…but to confirm..I am here I think its always stressful for someone living outside their home country to submit a renewal of their work permit in the country they are planning to stay in. I have a 1 year work permit as I’m employed under contract by my Chinese WFOE (Wholly foreign owned company) Shadstone Imp & Exp (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. that I had to recently file for a renewal.
I try not to complain about dealing with governments and banks…but really the joys of getting a passport visa never end! The only good thing is I only have to go through the hassle once a year – and its a 1 year unlimited entry, unlimited stay…not like in the past where I was jumping across from Hong Kong to Shenzhen every 30 days (30 day stay) and 3 or 6 months getting a new passport visa. Once I get a work permit I can stay 1 year without having to leave.
This is now my 3rd year under this work permit, opening my work permit in 2009, I had to go through health check, interview, and more departments and paperwork – renewing it each year is much less of a hassle then the initial application.
As I have said earlier this year, I’m sticking to China for the next 5 – 10 years at least….unless of course the government deports me or there is a world war or something crazy and uncontrollable to me.
Actually, I’m more excited then ever, I will be interviewing Chinese ecommerce companies each week, builing up ecommerce meetings in China and USA – hopefully doing some intern programs here.
I like this crazy adventure. This stupid white guy isn’t giving up so easily!
Comments
your mom liked that
white guy is there for 5 to 10
love interview cant wait till next interview
learn so much
yea, committment is key to surviving entrenrepreneurship
that could be the next discussion stuff for boothk tho, “Why it is not easy to build a startup community in SZ ? What gone wrong? the team, the market, or just not lucky enough ?”
True, its culture too, there are many meetups in Chinese. but even those are not consistent. Also need core group of leaders. I would love to come to Boot again, that place rocks!
I am glad you got your visa 🙂
I know how Getting Visa sucks!! I swear!! Once you fail it, you have to go throw much worse hassle to just get in to that country when you just want to visit your best friends!!!!! I am super upset with US government 🙁
Hey Kiko!
thanks for reading and your comments…. yes, I am sad to say in USA the government makes it very hard for passport visa! You wanted to go on holiday? But with Japanese passport, it should not be so hard right?
Well since I failed for the H1B workpermit visa at the final interview. They think I misrepresented myself intentionally. and Doen’t allow me to obtain visa waiver. I have to get the invitation from American citizen, and show them my trip schedule, and show them how much money I have in Japan( so that I don’t work or stay forever in US), and show them I have permanent Job in Japan (to show strong connection to Japan, again so that I don’t have to work in US or stay in US) And Pay couple hundred bucks.
When I did that in Summer, it tooks longer than a month to just get the 2weeks permission of stay in US. And it was too late to see Tara in Hawaii. I had a ticket and everything. It was just awful and stupid and upsetting 🙁
They think I am criminal. Seriously, I probably cannot go to her wedding 🙁 🙁
any way I can help you ? I have USA registered cmpany.
Thanks a lot Mike!
I don’t know… I heard that getting Visa is harder after you failed it once…But really, thank you for your kindness!!
This will be my first renewal, does this require another Z-visa and health check or is it simply filing the renew application and the associated paperwork?
Hi Lorin,
My assistant Amy just emailed you the full process, it should be much easier to renew, I didn’t need to go to USA to do it. It cost me 800rmb and a 5 day wait for processing. I will blog post a full instruction soon
_____________
Michael Michelini
eCommerce Consultant
http://www.michaelmichelini.com
Pingback: Opening a Chinese WFOE Company Still a Mystery for Foreigners