Ask Headmaster Ken

Hello there,

Firstly I wanted to say that I have been skimming through the Foreign Teachers Guide and it has A LOT of useful information about relocating to China, so thank you!

I did not, however, see the answer to my issue so thought I would ask.

I am looking for work in China (as an English teacher of course), and planning on shifting there for some time as soon as possible. I have a Canadian passport and have read on the importance of the Z-visa, etc.

My husband is planning on living there with me. He has a Pakistani passport. Now I have read that Z-visa is valid for the employee travelling along with his/her accompanying family members. I wanted to know if what passport he holds has anything to do with this (or rather where he's from). We have a legal marriage license of course.

Also, he currently lives in Pakistan. He is coming to China so we can be together. I wanted to know if these factors effect the process at all.

Also, if I could get an idea of the procedure for our residence permits, and a timeline if you have one, it would be really helpful for both of us

Thank you for your help!!

Aysha

You and your spouse and any dependents would require a separate visa since you will hold a different status (spouse/employee).

Your husband would need a spousal visa to reside in China. This would be processed by your employer.

Your employer will collect this information when processing your Z-visa.

It would probably be easier for him, in fact, if he were in his home country when applying for the visa.

Alright, thank you!

In order to process the spousal visa, all we need is proof that we are married correct? And I assume my spouse's name would have to be on my invitation letter? Is there anything else?

Is this visa something that an employer can refuse? Does it depend on the employer and whether they agree to it?

If they are processing my Z-visa then automatically my spouse can apply for his accompanying visa?

I apologize if these questions seem redundant but searching online you see many contradicting instructions, etc.

Your employer will take care of the details insofar as collecting information necessary for you and your spouse to obtain visas.

First, you need to be hired. After you are hired, only then will information be collected regarding your family.

Remember, you and your spouse will not always travel every step in China together, so your spouse needs independent, portable, visa documentation.

You need to make clear when you apply for a job that you will need a spousal visa. And yes, some employers may not hire you because they don't want to be bothered by dealing with two visas.

Understand, visa processing may not be the same in all areas, even though the results are the same.

The process is simple:

1. Apply for a job, letting your employer know your situation.

2. Get hired.

3. Provide whatever documents your employer asks to process you and your spouse's documents.

4. Collect visas from your employer.