Sending passport to home country to have Z-Visa processed by travel agent ?

Has anyone ever done this ? 

The FAO will not allow me to apply for the Z visa in the country that I am in now.
As I am on a tourist visa. It will be obvious to the airline/Chinese immigration that
I do not have entry and exit stamps to show that I have returned to Canada to get the
Z visa myself.

I am Canadian, if that matters.

I've heard of a few people here in Shenzhen who have had to do it.

I plan to to do the same thing - as soon as I receive my working permit and letter of invitation. 

In my case, it's not the FAO, but the fact the Chinese Embassy/Consulates in Korea won't issue a visa unless the applicant has six months or more until expiry of their K, Alien Registration Card (Period of Sojourn).

It's idiotic... but that's the government. 

I plan to to do the same thing - as soon as I receive my working permit and letter of invitation. 

It's idiotic... but that's the government. 

Are you going to be sending your passport back to Canada ? Did the Chinese consulate
make the suggestion of mailing your passport back to ..... ?

With the FAO being so fickle, I am apprehensive about Chinese immigration scrutinizing my passport to ensure that i physically returned to Canada. Am I being unreasonably apprehensive about doing this ?

I feel your pain. Korean and Chinese visa processes couldn't be more headache inducing. Though, Korea takes the cake with the CBC nonsense (for Canadians).

Are you going to be sending your passport back to Canada ? Did the Chinese consulate
make the suggestion of mailing your passport back to ..... ?

Yes, I'll send everything by Express Mail to Canada. I spoke to the consulate in Busan, but they didn't suggest anything.

With the FAO being so fickle, I am apprehensive about Chinese immigration scrutinizing my passport to ensure that i physically returned to Canada. Am I being unreasonably apprehensive about doing this?

What country are you in? It sounds like your FAO is 'out to lunch' - they only know one way of doing something and can't/won't be bothered to look into an alternative.

I don't think China Immigration will care if you physically returned to Canada so long as you have the visa.

I've heard of a few people here in Shenzhen who have had to do it.

I'm not surprised, at least in that province. i have read a few job adverts, as well as some rumors that the FAO forces applicants to process the Z visa in their home country.

With Hong Kong being the second alternative listed on the Invitation letter, I'm not sure why, being so close, that they had to do it that way ?

For some reason "an error has occurred" and I can't access or reply to PMs on the board.

The service I'm going to use is this -
http://www.islandchinavisa.com/zvisa.htm
(I'm originally from Victoria)

The service I'm going to use is this -
http://www.islandchinavisa.com/zvisa.htm
(I'm originally from Victoria)

I saw the same place, and contacted them, but they have yet to reply to my email.

The other place that I have contacted is http://goodwayprofessionalservices.com/
I have contacted them, but it was difficult to get in touch with the owner. I spoke with the desk staff?. Anyway, they offer the service for a bit cheaper than island for the urgent(2-4 day service).

I'm not sure if you have to use an agent that is from your last residence in Canada, which is why I am looking at both places.

You don't have to use a service in your hometown.

I've been in touch with 'islandchinavisa' and they said it would cost about $80 extra to have my passport FedExed back to me in K-land. They didn't give me an exact price... but I'll email them again when I hear from my FAO the 'working permit' and 'letter of invitation' are on their way to me. I figure $175 isn't too bad - a hell of a lot cheaper than flights!

They told me I would have to do that as I am not in the UK.they told me (at one place I considered working but did not sign with in the end) that I would have to send it by courier to the UK to get the visa etc etc.

I've been in touch with 'islandchinavisa' and they said it would cost about $80 extra to have my passport FedExed back to me in K-land. They didn't give me an exact price.... I figure $175 isn't too bad - a hell of a lot cheaper than flights!

That sounds like a tad too much for International FEDEX, no ?

I'm not sure who I am going to use yet, but I will just get a FEDEX account number and prepay it myself. That way no extra is taken as profit.

They told me I would have to do that as I am not in the UK.they told me (at one place I considered working but did not sign with in the end) that I would have to send it by courier to the UK to get the visa etc etc.

What city/province was this ? So, if you didn't take the job did you forgo your plans for China ?

I've been in touch with 'islandchinavisa' and they said it would cost about $80 extra to have my passport FedExed back to me in K-land.

I just received an email response from a visa service company based in Calgary. They essentially said that it would be  difficult seeing that a medical report is needed - notarized and stamped by the provincial govt.

Did 'island visa' mention anything about a medical to you ?

I am hoping that the medical is not required at the Vancouver Chinese consulate....
The health examination is stated as one of the requirements for the z visa on the Calgary
Chinese consulate webpage. However, the health certificate is not explicitly stated on their webpage, but it does note "other documents deemed necessary by the visa officer".

It may be prudent to contact 'island visa' and ask them if the medical form is required.
 
I am going to contact a place in vancouver and ask the same question. Though on this particular company's website it does not list the medical certificate as a needed document either.

***The medical certificate is not listed as a requirement at the Toronto Chinese consulate.

So - vancouver and Toronto = no
     Calgary and ottawa = yes

I specifically asked 'island visa' and they said  the medical was not needed.

What I'm afraid of is sending everything and having it rejected because they changed the 'requirements' while everything was in the mail. This happened to me when I switched jobs in Korea - had a month between contracts and went home to Victoria with everything (10 the 27th power pieces of paper) the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Office of Education (POE) said I needed for a new E-2; and after checking the Vancouver K-onsulate website. I was positive I had everything I needed and went to Vancouver to apply for the new visa. The consulate visa officer looked at me and said "Where's your original diploma?"
CM: "It's in Korea."
VO: "Where?"
CM: "At the Gyeongnam POE offices in Changwon."
VO: "Can you get it?"
CM: "Sure... I'll be right back. What time do you close?"
She didn't think that was funny... and I found out they had added the original diploma 'requirement' the day before! In the end, the POE faxed a copy to the consulate and I got my visa.

I specifically asked 'island visa' and they said  the medical was not needed.

How on earth did you get that answer ?

He completely evaded this question and another question I had with " pls fill out these forms."( he attached the usual visa application form. This was over email, mind you, but it seems that he didn't even read the questions.
This reminds me of CTs and the tax office in Korea, bad memories...