When you identify that job with a company who is willing and able to employ you, you will get the Z with a work permit. This will reside in place of your current university-linked residence permit.

Dataman85. Assuming that you were born in 1985, you may be OK. I have been through the works here in Beijing w/ the Labor Bureau and happen to be one of "those people" (issued a Z-visa, got to Beijing, got the temporary Residency Stamp, and then was denied the LT Residency Permit). I'll give you the brief rundown of my unfortunate scenario:

1) Went through a legitimate visa agency while finishing up school in the U.S. (June 2008).

2) Issued all materials and, after a small hiccup at the Chicago Consulate, was issued my Z-Visa good for 30 days upon arrival.

3) Flew to Beijing, signed up legitimately at the local station, no problems to this point.

4) Gave my passport to the people who were supposed to be able to help (one guy actually works in the Police Dept.), and then we ran into the age problem.

5) All parties were quite frustrated and the passport guys said they spent at least as much as I paid trying to bribe the local officials. Apparently they didn't spend enough.

6) I had to leave Beijing for Hong Kong. After getting stuck in Hong Kong (and subsequently missing four work days...) due to Typhoon Niru, AND after having to go through yet ANOTHER visa service (the guys in Beijing once again overlooked something, somewhere, and I was short one necessary document... but hey, HKD$1650 later everything was in line), I was finally back on the bus to Shenzhen then on to Beijing.

FOR ANYONE WHO IS PLANNING ON APPLYING FOR AN F-VISA, THE REGULATIONS FOR THE F NOW LOOK VAGUELY FAMILIAR TO THOSE FOR THE Z. You will need an official invitation letter PLUS proof of your company's legitimacy (and in another week, will probably be subjected to fingerprinting, laser eye-scanning, and maybe two sobriety tests, just to make sure that you are who you say you are and that you will not be terrorizing Beijing after having downed too many Qingdaos too fast).

7) I just arrived back in Beijing and went back to work. Luckily the small Chinese company I work for treats me exceptionally well (thus far at least) and I may not even get all four days pay docked.

Conclusion:

IF YOU WERE BORN AFTER 1985 (I'm a 1986'er, and after pleading with the boss of the Labor Bureau alongside a very pissed off company president and another translator--she did absolutely nothing but still got paid, have to mention that-- we were told that post-1985 bdays can piss off) BETTER JUST TRY NEXT YEAR (or after 10/17/08).

1985'ers may have a chance, but don't quote me on that. The official word now is TWO years minimum work experience, beginning on the day you graduate. You will also need your ORIGINAL COLLEGE DEGREE, ORIGINAL MEDICAL REPORT FORMS (no copies accepted), the usual Official (-looking) documents, and a host of other things.

Make sure you cover all of your bases before you apply for a (_)-Visa for China. Then make sure you are ready to roll with the punches (financially yes, but more importantly emotionally). Even after I checked everything, did everything by the book, and got to the final stage, I still got screwed after the big guys changed the rules in the middle of the game.

Moral of the story: Coming to China (legitimately) is harder than it has ever been. In fact, it's even more challenging to come on the correct visa than it is to come on the wrong one. But since when hasn't it been?

If you taught english in Beijing for two years on a f visa then apply for a z visa would there be a problem?

I have an F visa that will expireon Oct. 7th, is there anyway I can extend to any other visa? I cannot afford to come home and come back. I just need to extend it beyond Oct. 17th, when the Olympic regulations are over,.

Thanks runzac07 for sharing...

I'm in a similar predicament. I got a sweet job offer from an American company in Beijing (not teaching English), but was then told since I recently graduated I would not be able to get a work permit.

I worked during my years at school - and full-time at that - but that does not seem to count for much.

However, I was born in '85 and wonder if that counts for anything.

Is this something that will assuredly go away after the Olympic period is over?