Travelling to China - Questions
Aug 5th 2013, 7:12 pm
#1
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2
Travelling to China - Questions
Dear all
I have literally just signed up to this forum and hope that there may be people here that can offer advice. I have some questions and don't know where to start so if anybody can help it would be very much appreciated...
My girlfriend has been offered a contract to work for a University in Beijing for an academic year (approx 10 months). I am hoping to join her for 5 to 6 months and my boss has very kindly agreed to allow me to continue working for him (20 hours per week) whilst living in Beijing. My concerns are as follows...
1). In order to do this work I will need to be able to remotely access my works server in Norwich. Will I be able to remotely access a UK computer/server from Beijing? Will china's internet censoring get in the way of this?
2). Is the internet expensive in Beijing? Would I be able to get a subscription for say £15 per month like you can here with an equivalent to BT/virgin/sky???
3). Is accommodation expensive? My girlfriend will get basic accommodation provided by the university but she is not sure if I will be able to share (she doesn't leave until the end of this month). If we can't share then we plan to rent somewhere basic together for the time I am there. The university should pay towards her share.
4). If I work for a UK firm what sort of Visa would I need to apply for?
5). I earn approx £15.50 per hour so based upon my agreed hours of 20 hrs per week I will be earning around £310 per week before tax is deducted. Will this be enough to live on in Beijing?
If anybody can help I would really appreciate it!
Yours expectantly
Robin
I have literally just signed up to this forum and hope that there may be people here that can offer advice. I have some questions and don't know where to start so if anybody can help it would be very much appreciated...
My girlfriend has been offered a contract to work for a University in Beijing for an academic year (approx 10 months). I am hoping to join her for 5 to 6 months and my boss has very kindly agreed to allow me to continue working for him (20 hours per week) whilst living in Beijing. My concerns are as follows...
1). In order to do this work I will need to be able to remotely access my works server in Norwich. Will I be able to remotely access a UK computer/server from Beijing? Will china's internet censoring get in the way of this?
2). Is the internet expensive in Beijing? Would I be able to get a subscription for say £15 per month like you can here with an equivalent to BT/virgin/sky???
3). Is accommodation expensive? My girlfriend will get basic accommodation provided by the university but she is not sure if I will be able to share (she doesn't leave until the end of this month). If we can't share then we plan to rent somewhere basic together for the time I am there. The university should pay towards her share.
4). If I work for a UK firm what sort of Visa would I need to apply for?
5). I earn approx £15.50 per hour so based upon my agreed hours of 20 hrs per week I will be earning around £310 per week before tax is deducted. Will this be enough to live on in Beijing?
If anybody can help I would really appreciate it!
Yours expectantly
Robin
Aug 5th 2013, 7:35 pm
#2
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
Welcome to BE, see you have found the China forum so will wish you well and hope you get the answers you need
Aug 6th 2013, 1:07 pm
#3
...............
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Far North Queensland
Posts: 17,625
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
Welcome to the forum Robin 
You seem to have double posted this thread so I'll get the Mods to delete the other one. Hope you get some answers from Beijing residents on here
You seem to have double posted this thread so I'll get the Mods to delete the other one. Hope you get some answers from Beijing residents on here
Aug 9th 2013, 6:08 am
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 666
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
Dear all
I have literally just signed up to this forum and hope that there may be people here that can offer advice. I have some questions and don't know where to start so if anybody can help it would be very much appreciated...
My girlfriend has been offered a contract to work for a University in Beijing for an academic year (approx 10 months). I am hoping to join her for 5 to 6 months and my boss has very kindly agreed to allow me to continue working for him (20 hours per week) whilst living in Beijing. My concerns are as follows...
1). In order to do this work I will need to be able to remotely access my works server in Norwich. Will I be able to remotely access a UK computer/server from Beijing? Will china's internet censoring get in the way of this?
2). Is the internet expensive in Beijing? Would I be able to get a subscription for say £15 per month like you can here with an equivalent to BT/virgin/sky???
3). Is accommodation expensive? My girlfriend will get basic accommodation provided by the university but she is not sure if I will be able to share (she doesn't leave until the end of this month). If we can't share then we plan to rent somewhere basic together for the time I am there. The university should pay towards her share.
4). If I work for a UK firm what sort of Visa would I need to apply for?
5). I earn approx £15.50 per hour so based upon my agreed hours of 20 hrs per week I will be earning around £310 per week before tax is deducted. Will this be enough to live on in Beijing?
If anybody can help I would really appreciate it!
Yours expectantly
Robin
I have literally just signed up to this forum and hope that there may be people here that can offer advice. I have some questions and don't know where to start so if anybody can help it would be very much appreciated...
My girlfriend has been offered a contract to work for a University in Beijing for an academic year (approx 10 months). I am hoping to join her for 5 to 6 months and my boss has very kindly agreed to allow me to continue working for him (20 hours per week) whilst living in Beijing. My concerns are as follows...
1). In order to do this work I will need to be able to remotely access my works server in Norwich. Will I be able to remotely access a UK computer/server from Beijing? Will china's internet censoring get in the way of this?
2). Is the internet expensive in Beijing? Would I be able to get a subscription for say £15 per month like you can here with an equivalent to BT/virgin/sky???
3). Is accommodation expensive? My girlfriend will get basic accommodation provided by the university but she is not sure if I will be able to share (she doesn't leave until the end of this month). If we can't share then we plan to rent somewhere basic together for the time I am there. The university should pay towards her share.
4). If I work for a UK firm what sort of Visa would I need to apply for?
5). I earn approx £15.50 per hour so based upon my agreed hours of 20 hrs per week I will be earning around £310 per week before tax is deducted. Will this be enough to live on in Beijing?
If anybody can help I would really appreciate it!
Yours expectantly
Robin
2. Internet access in China is not expensive.
3. Correct answer is: it depends. Full range of accommodation is there, not everywhere allows foreigners, not everywhere allows not married couples.
4. There is no visa category for you. I would say the only choice is a tourist visa that you will have to extend/renew (possibly by going out of China).
5. Enough to live on, nothing spectacular.
Aug 9th 2013, 6:28 am
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 344
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
You do not want to be working in China without a proper Visa. If you work for a UK company then they should arrange the visa for you at their cost.
Aug 22nd 2013, 10:07 pm
#6
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 2
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
Thank you for your helpful comments. Regarding the visa issue I have discussed this with the Chinese embassy and they tell me that as I will be working from home for a UK company I will need a tourist visa rather than a business visa. Apparently I can get a double entry tourist visa for 120 days and once I arrive in china I can apply for an extension to the visa from a local police station. The embassy tell me I should not have trouble obtaining this.
Aug 30th 2013, 3:22 pm
#7
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 4
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
hi, as a Beijing residents, i can answer you some of the questions.
(1)the Chinese govt does block some foreign websites, most of which are social networks, such as facebook or twitter. the speed accessing to foreign websites are limited. but there are some plugins could be used to solve this problem.
(2)the internet is very cheap in china. what i am using now only costs me 1,000 yuan per year(about 100 pounds).so you don't need to worry about this.
(3)the accommodation fee is less expensive than that of the UK. and the prive varied in different regions. if your location is near city center then you will pay more for your accommodation.
(4) you have solved this problem by yourself
(5)your earning is way too much for just living in Beijing, the average salary for the people in beijing are just as much as what you earn one week. because the exchange rate are around 1:10, so you are a rich man in China.
hope this is helpful to you
if you have any further questions, feel free to ask me.
(1)the Chinese govt does block some foreign websites, most of which are social networks, such as facebook or twitter. the speed accessing to foreign websites are limited. but there are some plugins could be used to solve this problem.
(2)the internet is very cheap in china. what i am using now only costs me 1,000 yuan per year(about 100 pounds).so you don't need to worry about this.
(3)the accommodation fee is less expensive than that of the UK. and the prive varied in different regions. if your location is near city center then you will pay more for your accommodation.
(4) you have solved this problem by yourself
(5)your earning is way too much for just living in Beijing, the average salary for the people in beijing are just as much as what you earn one week. because the exchange rate are around 1:10, so you are a rich man in China.
hope this is helpful to you
if you have any further questions, feel free to ask me.
Aug 31st 2013, 7:20 am
#8
...............
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: Far North Queensland
Posts: 17,625
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
Hi anngogh. Just to say 
to the forum. That's a very helpful first post. Thanks.
to the forum. That's a very helpful first post. Thanks.
Oct 5th 2013, 9:34 am
#9
Just Joined
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 4
Re: Travelling to China - Questions
I wouldnt say you are a rich person with 300 pounds a week here...
Plus the exchange rate is not 10:1 anymore, more like 9:1 and falling
Plus the exchange rate is not 10:1 anymore, more like 9:1 and falling
hi, as a Beijing residents, i can answer you some of the questions.
(1)the Chinese govt does block some foreign websites, most of which are social networks, such as facebook or twitter. the speed accessing to foreign websites are limited. but there are some plugins could be used to solve this problem.
(2)the internet is very cheap in china. what i am using now only costs me 1,000 yuan per year(about 100 pounds).so you don't need to worry about this.
(3)the accommodation fee is less expensive than that of the UK. and the prive varied in different regions. if your location is near city center then you will pay more for your accommodation.
(4) you have solved this problem by yourself
(5)your earning is way too much for just living in Beijing, the average salary for the people in beijing are just as much as what you earn one week. because the exchange rate are around 1:10, so you are a rich man in China.
hope this is helpful to you
if you have any further questions, feel free to ask me.
(1)the Chinese govt does block some foreign websites, most of which are social networks, such as facebook or twitter. the speed accessing to foreign websites are limited. but there are some plugins could be used to solve this problem.
(2)the internet is very cheap in china. what i am using now only costs me 1,000 yuan per year(about 100 pounds).so you don't need to worry about this.
(3)the accommodation fee is less expensive than that of the UK. and the prive varied in different regions. if your location is near city center then you will pay more for your accommodation.
(4) you have solved this problem by yourself
(5)your earning is way too much for just living in Beijing, the average salary for the people in beijing are just as much as what you earn one week. because the exchange rate are around 1:10, so you are a rich man in China.
hope this is helpful to you
if you have any further questions, feel free to ask me.
