I wonder if they will only ask trachers for the crime free proof?

Try to be patient with the PSB. The details will be out soon. Teachers seem to be a sensative area right now. but other non teachers prior to July 1 have been to required to submit a criminal records check of some sort. We know why teachers are a sensative area in China right? My sense right now, is that a offical stamped Criminal Record document from your home country so far has a chance to work. So far full notarization from my home country has only been required by one agency on a regular basis and it is expensive to do.

I am not a teacher and have not been asked to provide a criminal record when submitting my application for a "Z" or since July 1st now a "Z1" visa. Since I was turned back due to having photocopied documents, by the time I apply again at a different consulate next week once my original documents are sent to me from Kunming, I hope the criminal record check won't be in force otherwise I may probably be forced to wait even longer for my visa.

Asanee, Unless the rules have changed, the Z visa has to be applied for at a specified Chinese consulate in a country you choose and submitted within a 10 day period you choose. Then you have 30 days to use it in China. Of course the rules could have changed. I would get a criminal records document for PSB.

We just applied for a.residence permit today. Seems non teachers dont need a criminal record as part of the application yet

Yesterday I had my (teaching) Resindence Permit extended for another year without a need for criminal record check or anything else unusual.

I had read somewhere (can't remember where) that the new rules only effect new application, not renewals

Thanks long-dragon. However, if my invitation letter states that I will be entering late March but it is now July, can I still submit my application with this old letter? My host in China said it would be a nuisance to have to ask for a new invitation letter of duly authorized unit with a more recent date. Could you tell me how to obtain this letter, so if I am unable to apply with this apparently out of date letter, I can ask her to apply for a new one for me? She knows where to go, but without elaborating said it would be a "nuisance".

The Z viza letters come from the ministry of foreign affairs. A bunch of documents need to be submitted to them in Chinese or translated, with at least a week for approval after submittal. So it is a nuisance to make a new submittal package. The ministry is fairly good to deal with but have as usual specific requirements. Your documents should state when they expire and which consulate they need to be submitted to. This is unless of course the rules changed. I would ask your friend to ask the ministry.

Hi Long-Dragon, there is no indication as to date of expiry of the invitation letter - only the alien employment license has an expiry date of 6 months, so I don't have that much time left as it was issued late January (however the invitation letter was only issued in March). My documents say apply at any of three consulates in Thailand, including the embassy in Bangkok. The first time I went to apply in Chiang Mai, I was missing two key documents (my host already had them but at the time hadn't sent them to me). Later in Bangkok, everything appeared to be fine but the clerk at the Embassy insisted on seeing the original of one particular document and it's reverse side, printed in English (this is the alien employment license). Two days later, still without the originals but with a copy of both sides of the alien employment license another clerk insisted on originals for not only the alien employment license but also the invitation letter (the original of which I have had all along and submitted all three times), and then mentioned that my health exam was out of date as it has been a little over 6 months since I took it (despite the validity on the document stating it is valid for 12 months). I am hoping to try one more time in Chiang Mai again now that I have the originals of all documents - if they knock me back again due to the health exam I can do it again locally and apply again the following day but if the invitation letter is not accepted due to being "out of date" then it's going to be a long road ahead.