Obtaining an employment visa (Z type) to work in China from the UK has been a real nightmare, seemingly compounded by the Olympics when things were further tightened up. The process isn’t very well documented anywhere so to try and possibly help others I thought I might relay my experiences. Please note that none of the below is in any way official and obviously subject to change - your mileage may vary!
To apply for the Z visa from the UK your company will need to provide you with the following documentation:
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An employment permit
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An visa notification letter
For them to get this documentation you will need give them:
Copies of the above need to be notarised by a Notary Public (search Google to find one near you), legalised by the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (in Milton Keynes by post or in person), and finally certified by the Chinese Embassy (in London/Manchester/Edinburgh) IN THIS EXACT ORDER.
Once your company has made the application for the employment permit / visa notification letter and sent them back you can then apply for the Z visa at the Chinese Embassy (appointment required) or Chinese Visa Application Center (more expensive but no appointment needed) for which, in addition to the aforementioned documents (plus photocopies), you will need:
Unfortunately all of this is very expensive and time consuming - I would recommend budgeting at least £400 and 6 weeks to complete the full process at a bare minimum. Once you arrive in China you will need to obtain a Residence Permit which I will save for another post (once I’ve been through it myself!).
Good luck and if your experience differs or you have any other advice to offer please comment below!
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Last weekend I was lucky enough to be taken on a tour of One Canada Square, the tallest building in the UK, courtesy of a friend who works there. Situated at the heart of Canary Wharf close to where I live the main structure is 235m tall with 50 floors and is a prominent landmark on London’s rapidly evolving skyline. Having featured prominently in a string of recent films (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, The Bourne Supremacy, 28 Weeks Later…) and the UK version of The Apprentice recently it’s likely you’ll recognise the location.
The higher floors offer amazing panoramic views of east London with the river Thames snaking its way around the Isle of Dogs. On a clear day you can see for many miles and it’s striking just how flat London without a hill in sight! It’s a shame there is no public viewing gallery but presumably fears of terrorism have curtailed any possibility of that.
There’s a lot of construction taking place around this area at the moment, mostly luxury apartments (like Pan Peninsular) but also various infrastructure projects to prepare for the Olympics in 2012. Part of this includes the lengthening of Docklands Light Railway trains which is causing mass disruption for anyone trying to get to and from central London at the moment (i.e. everyone)!
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Wow, the new designs for UK currency from the Royal Mint look great! I’m amazed that they have gone with something so bold and contemporary. It’s the first time they’ve been updated since 1968 and frankly puts the rest of Europe’s coinage to shame (although no doubt some will hate them). The queen still remains on the reverse side. [via]
What do you think?
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Last weekend I took a trip to York, a historic city in the north of England. Being nearly 2000 years old there is plenty of interest to see and do if you enjoy a bit of culture (and don’t mind walking!). Last weekend the weather was particularly mild and almost spring like for this time of year in the UK (around 10 deg C) which made it even nicer and not bad conditions for taking a few photos!
Whilst you could probably spend a good week exploring, if you only have a day or two here are some places of note:
- York Minster - the second-largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe, incredibly beautiful both inside and out
- Castle Museum - a surprisingly good museum with a reconstructed victorian street & shops
- Clifford’s Tower - remains of the castle fortification with a long history and great views over York
- City Walls - first built during Roman times very enjoyable walks can be had along its remaining sections
- The Shambles - a medieval street in the heart of the city which transports you back to another time
The official website has a lot more info. I forgot to take a map with me but found my iPhone more than adequate for finding my way around, especially with the new pseudo-GPS location feature.
More photos.
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