For those starting in September, have you got your invitation letter yet?

I don't have much experience (since this is going to my first time in china) but after I send them my paperwork, I had my invitation letter and permit in the mail in less than a month. 

Wohoo - Invitation etc arrived today - so off to the visa agency tomorrow

Well they emailed me today and said they're going to pick it up on Monday, and asked me my address so they can send the work permit to me.

So it's looking like this one will end happily. Cheers everyone for calming me down a bit during the period of uncertainty.

Glad to hear that 124 - you don't mind if i call you 124? 

Sent all my stuff off to a visa agency and hope to have my visa back so i can actually book my flight - whereabouts are you going to teach again?

Beware. The letter of invitation from the government is not always enough. My first visa application was rejected due to the University not sending me an additional letter on uni headed paper, which although is not strictly required, can be asked for at some visa centres.

Any news 124? Hopefully it's arrived and thee have a visa on at least tis in process 

Any news 124? Hopefully it's arrived and thee have a visa on at least tis in process 

Well they ended up only posting it yesterday. However, I do know for a fact they've posted it as they've provided me with the courier tracking number, which shows my documents are in transit currently.

So I _am_ getting it...it's just taken a bit longer than I thought. Gonna have to rush to the embassy with the documents as soon as they arrive in the post though!

Congratualtions that it might arrive in time - when was thy start date and is the school Ok with that?

I've been told my passport and visa are in the post to me and should receive them by Tuesday at the latest (Bank Holiday Monday etc) - so just in time for my flight on Thursday

I used a visa agency as i live in the boondocks of Ireland - and it didn't work out that much more expensive than travelling up to Dublin twice + time wasted. As it happens, my application got rejected twice due to the picture i sent. The 1st one was the same as my passport (so more than 6 months old) and the second one was apparently to 'red' - so be careful with the photo and get it right 1st time

AND although you made need your spectacles in order to see past your nose TPTB do NOT want them to be shown in your passport picture