Got Residence Permit/Invitation Letter - Do I have to go to Houston?

So I got my residence permit and invitation letter in the mail yesterday and now I need to get it converted to a Z Visa. After looking at the Chinese Consulate website it looks like I have to fly to Houston and have it converted there since I live in Florida.

This is the first I have heard of this and was wondering if this is something I MUST do or if there is a way I can mail them forms to Houston without having to actually travel their in person?

PJ:

While I'm a newbie here, I believe you can send all of your documents to a visa service company and they will do the legwork for you (for a fee, of course).

Here's a link I found @ the Chinese Embassy's website that lists visa service agents:

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/yisq/t169580.htm

Good luck!

Sam

Yeah, I was told to use the Houston Consulate by my Chinese University since they accept scanned paperwork rather than mail which would take longer.
My first thought was "Dam, do I know anyone down there?" Then I saw on their website you could have an agent do it so I called the closest travel agency to the consulate hoping they wouldn't charge me too much to drop it off. Haha, little did I know, thats what a Visa company is for.. She directed me to passportsplus.com and for $230 I sent my docs to them and should get it back in about 10 days. Since I haven't got my visa back yet, can't completely vouch for them but the travel agent said that she uses them all the time without any problems.

Just to clarify the documents involved in getting to teach in China:

1. what they have given you is an Invitation Letter for the position + a document that shows to the embassy that they have gained permission to employ you

2. the embassy will give you a Zvisa that allows you 30 days(from the time you land in China)

3. once in China you apply for a Foreign Expert Certificate (need Medical Exam plus documents)

4. with an FEC you can then apply for a Residence Permit that allows you to stay in China for the duration of your contract

There is no automatic conversion of any of the visas - although in most cases for most of the time it feels that way - as it is a step by step process.

Agents are ok on getting the Zvisa and your employer in China helps with the other steps.
   

Thanks warrior, wasnt aware of the FEC step. Are the documents from your doctor in the US sufficent or am I going to have to cough again?

With regret I have to tell you that on arrival in China you have to go through a Chinese medical examination - your Medical Certificate that cost megabucks in the US will be totally ignored. 
The exam has to be in a specialist hospital approved by the Foreign Expert Bureau - it is a hospital that does nothing else except the examination.
In practice the process is usually straight forward:
1. your employer tells you the day and time ... and takes you there
2. usually they pay the fee of around RMB400 .. depends on your contract
3. need to take some passport photos (could be as many as 3) with you
2. you go around a series of stations (xray/blood/eyes etc)
3. they give you a Medical Certificate with the results to take home
Guangdong has a hospital in all the main cities but in Shaanxi I had to make a 2hr trip from a city with a pop of 4million to Xian.
The main concern of the Chinese authorities is to prevent 'foreign diseases' coming into China - that is, STDs - so if you can walk and spit at the same time you should have nothing to worry about.
The Chinese Medical Cert is mandatory in applying for your Foreign Expert Cert ... the next stage.

You don't have to go to Houston (or DC), but your passport and papers do.  You can pay a visa service to run them through the mill for you.

What xwarrior said is right on the money. 

Rather than a new thread i thought i would piggy-back onto this one with a similar question.  I expect to get another F visa invitation letter,  from my friend's chinese factory,  so that i may apply for a one or two year multiple entry visa. I now live, kind of, in HK. Chinese rules indicate that i must return to home country (USA) to apply for visa, unless i have HK Id card, which i don't. Has anyone recently sent their passport and other docs to USA, and via an agent, had a visa processed, even while passport holder remained in China, or HK? The only hassle i see here is that  the Chinese embassy in usa  can easily see that i am not in USA, only the paperwork and pstprt, and on that ground will deny the visa. Also of course, if is never good to be without the passport within reach, even in HK. Any help on this issue here? thanks.

Do you have a "residence" in the USA?  If so, one option would be to send passport and all associated docs there.  These are then transferred to a visa agent.  Visa agent processes them via the Embassy in DC (or closest Chinese Consulate, if you prefer) and returns everything to your residence.

The embassy people might rubber stamp everything without caring, or they might carefully examine all those entry/exit stamps and realize that you can't possibly be inside the USA.

I've been VERY happy with one of the visa services in DC, but never tried to use one when outside of the US.

I thought that L and F visas were available via HK.  Are these new rules, randomly enforced rules, or were they quoted by someone who's sister-in-law works at a travel agency and can get you cheap round trip tickets to the US?

Visa agents can get the Z Visa by mail, with added fees. China Travel Service (CTS) has a USA branch and will do this for you, and they're very reputable.
I'm not sure if these services can help you if you're already in China, though...

XWarrior's list was good. You should be reading the Visa/Permit sticky at the top of this board for the very purpose of informing you about this process, for Pete's sake...
http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=6736.0

Living and working in China, for a Chinese company, on anything short of a Residence Permit is ILLEGAL, and not something The Saloon should be supporting.

"  NOTICE(2008/04/13)
Visa applicants are increasing in a large number and need longer waitingtime in the visa office recently. If you don't reside or work in Hong Kongpermanently, you are required to apply Chinese visafrom the Embassyor Consulate-General of Peoples' Republic of China in yourresidentcountry. You are welcome to China for tourism, business and visit ."

Above is the news on the HK China consulate web  site.  Yeah, it's old and may be revised daily by the workers, who knows?  I do know that in 2009,  when i was waiting for a new visa invite letter from my Hebei Univ, i stayed in HK, then was sent to SanFran to the consulate there to get the visa. Maybe the Univ did not want to annoy the consulate by asking for favors outside the normal scheme so simply sent me to SF. Enjoyed my brief visit there but it was windy and cold in mid-August.

My current plan is to try for a one time visitor visa from HK next week. If that goes well will visit my friend in shenzhen for the invite letter. Real worry is to be without passport in HK for week or more,if must send info to USA. Immigration police in HK can be severe as it's a more popular place than 'the mainland'.

My, this is a pickle...

It does seem that HK can no longer be used, at least not reliably, for getting a new visa.
Ting, you're on ground here I've never had to walk myself, and have no reliable scuttlebutt on. All I can say is that I hope your remote renewal works, and ask that you please let us know what happens...

Did you by any chance get a photocopy of your passport before sending it off? A xerox and an explanation might keep you out of trouble if any problems arise...it would be a lot better than the explanation by itself.

i do know that the consulate in Manila will issue Z visa, but they are pretty by the book there and it is also a real nightmare time wise to even get your application in. It also takes at least four days for processing. It does save the return trip home if you have no success in HK but I have heard enough conflicting reports on people getting their visa in HK that if you are a gambler it is worth the try but they may say no. Japan as well does do Visas for us but Korea is out.

Re. Hong Kong.

A notice on the site of a well known visa agency in HK. who shall remain nameless (but think of something that is Forever Bright and add Trading Limited),has this posted:

Due to the world student sport game from 12/aug-28/aug in Shenzhen,The visa rule valid untle 31/aug.from sep2011 the visa polisy will go back before.

As you 'sort of' live in HK you could give them a ring and get some expert advice on solving the problem.