ExPatFacts

Use OasisChinaVisa.com to get your China Visa

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 18:38:43 -0700

If there’s ever been a business that was tailormade for the readership of ExPatFacts.com, that business is Oasis China Visa Services, a company that specializes in processing many types of China visas. Found at OasisChinaVisa.com, this company is registered in the

United States

as a branch of Oasis International Travel Corporation. Its main focus is to provide

China

visas.

Oasis China Visa has all the authorized and approved connections to help facilitate the acquisition of China visas. As their website describes, “The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has authorized Oasis China Visa Services to provide visa processing and mailing services to American citizens and non-American residents in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.” In fact, the China Embassy in Washington DC has formally registered Oasis China Visa Services and has recommended it on their official website.

Types of Visas. You can get every type of China visa that you may need through Oasis China Visa. Here are the main China visas that the company can process:

Tourist visa
Business visa
Work visa
Study visa
Other visas, in eight categories (C, D, F, G, J-1, J-2, L, X and Z)

Great Features of the Website. I like how the website clearly explains the processing times and fees for the various china visas offered, along with convenient payment options, including credit card, money order, personal check, traveler’s check, and company check. ]]>

Expatriates.com--an Online Tool for Expatriates around the World

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 19:15:27 -0700

I was recently searching for expatriate resources on the Internet and came across a helpful resource: Expatriates.com. Billed as "the community website created for and by expatriates and internationally minded people everywhere," this site focuses on providing bulletin boards, classified ads, and a resource directory of expatriate websites to expatriates around the world.

The classified ads and bulletin boards are purely user-driven tools. I was skeptical at first, but as I looked at these tools, they seem to be legitimate, offering useful ads and announcements, such as jobs, housing, childcare, and language lessons. You can search listings by location (city and country) or by date. You can be seeking for such goods and services, or you can be offering them. It's all free for users. You can subscribe to their update service, which sends listing updates to your email for free.

All in all, it seems to be a pretty solid site... not very glamorous, but functional and active. What has been your experience with Expatriates.com? Please share by leaving a comment below.

Calling Correspondents - A Countries

Tue, 25 Apr 2006 07:21:52 -0700

The Internet has plenty of sites that tell the personal experiences of expats in a particular country, but none (that I know of) has a list of sources in all foreign lands who can answer questions and provide details on short notice. I'd like to create that here. I'm looking for expats everywhere, or at least one per country, to tell me their perceptions of life abroad.

Let's start with a call for correspondents in countries and locales beginning with A. Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Azerbaijan,and others I've missed. I'll take anyone who fits this description: reads and writes English, is an expatriate in the coutry of residence, will tell us the truth (as they see it), and has some spare time.

Others may chime in out of turn. I'll catalog you and list you when the time comes.

Where to Find (and Place) International Jobs

Thu, 13 Apr 2006 10:02:21 -0700

A recent comment asked where to place an ad for a manager to fill a spot in Uganda. Good question. The answer to it will also tell where to look for such a job. I know from having looked for such jobs myself that the usual sources (Monster.com and its rivals) are great because that's where people turn first. There are sites devoted to international jobs, but they require some searching. A printed ad, like in the New York Times, has too limited a circulation.

When placing an ad for a job overseas, be clear and explicit. Make it very plain that the job will be in Uganda, in this case. Spell out the benefits and perks: salary + a percentage, free or subsidized housing, free home maintenance, a cost-of-living allowance, payment of travel and travel-related costs, one trip home each year at company expense, and any other carrots that typically accompany such an assignment. Tell if there will be special preparatory training or orientation. You are trying to soothe some potentially great but fearful candidates.

Put "international" or "overseas" into the job title or prominently in the description. Those of us who look for jobs overseas can't do separate searches for each country. Put the job description and details on the company website and make sure that all who might handle an incoming query are familiar with it.

Now I leave it to the readers to add more tips.

Who is Illegal, and Why

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 15:04:09 -0700

There's a lot of talk in the United States about illegal immigrants. I want to define some terms and situations that would make a person's presence in a foreign country "illegal".

The first way to be in a country illegally is to enter it without legal permission in the form of a visa, a travel document, a work permit, or other approval. This describes most of the Hispanic "illegals" in the U.S. who snuck across the Mexico-U.S. border. Let's call these Group A. Why are they here illegally? Because jobs exist here, and earnings, and because there is no legal way in present law for them to enter the country to take those jobs. There is no provision in the law for a foreign worker to enter the U.S. to take a job that, presumably, could be filled by an American with the same qualifications. And the jobs and earnings are so attractive that they risk their lives to get here. The legality of it hardly enters their minds, when the fact that so many others are doing it unpunished fairly shouts, "Y'all come."

Group B consists of all those people--and there are hundreds of thousands of them, if not millions--who came here with legal permission to enter for a limited time under certain conditions, and now they are here beyond that legal period of time or are doing things that are illegal under the type of permission they were granted. If that's too legal a description, try this. They got visas to become tourists but now they have a job here, without getting permission. or maybe they fell in love here and now they want to stay forever. This group is just as illegal as the first. They are just as subject to detention and expulsion.

Closing note: many Americans in foreign countries fit into Group B, having abused their legal permission to be there. Few Americans have snuck into a foreign country without legal permission, though I suspect there are a fair number of them in Cuba, North Korea, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas for which they wren't likely to get government approval.

Helping Foreign Friends Get a Visa - Part I

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 14:51:11 -0700

Cultural Considerations (I can't figure out how Part 2 got ahead of Part 1, but that's OK): I've explained this sultural phenomenon before, but it's important to rehearse it here in the context of visas. In many cultures, it is considered proper to use your influence to help a friend. By extension, it can be assumed that friends will come to you to ask for favors that might be within your reach but not within theirs. One such favor is helping to get a visa. I have a short, unsatisfactory answer you can use: "I'm sorry, I can't help."

In Western cultures, we are raised to believe in the Rule of Law, and that legal and civil decisions should be made on the merits of the case and not because of personal influnce or preference. We have laws against insider trading and racketeering, and we look unkindly at influence peddling. It will hurt your foreign friends, in many areas of the world, to hear that you are unable to help them get a visa. They will take it as "unwilling", not "unable" and will consider you less of a friend.

Some embassies have "back-channel" procedures by which embassy personnel can endorse/recommend the visa applications of people they know, whether to gain favor or to otherwise move toward government objectives. No embassy employee will, in good faith, promote the visa application of someone they don't know well and personally. It's bad for security, which reigns supreme at present. it also doesn't look good when the person they endorse uses the visa for other than its legal purpose.

Helping Foreign Friends Get a Visa - Part II

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:29:44 -0700

Part 2: How visas are issued.
Visa applicants appear at the window of a consul (or vice consul or consular agent) and present an application. To get there, they may have had to travel for many hours and stand in line for even more hours. To prepare their applications, they may have relied on professional services and advisors, all in hopes of making it acceptable. Once they hand the application and their passport to the consul, a short interview usually follows. How long do they intend to stay? Where is the money coming from? What ties do they have to their homeland? In short, what evidence is there they will use the visa for its intended and legal purpose of allowing them into the country for a short (non-working) visit, and then return home?

If the consul is satisfied with the answers and the application, the applicant is told to come back later in the day to get the pasport with visa. Then the person's name and data are checked against a database to see if there is any reason they shouldn't be believed, such as not revealing a previous denial or an over-stay on a previous visa. if all check out OK, a visa is placed in the passport by stamp or sticker. If not, there may be a second interview and, if the consul's suspicions are not overcome, the applicant is out of luck, and his/her data will be put into that database of negative information.

As you can see, it can be a costly, tiring, frustrating process, even when all goes well. I'd love to hear experiences from applicants, successful and not. (I had one woman pass out when I denied her application)

Finding the Unexpected Overseas

Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:14:22 -0700

While shopping in a flea market in Chile years ago I was surprised to find an 1832 U.S. half dollar. Then I remembered that all Atlantic-to-Pacific sea traffic had to circumnavigate South America until the Panama Canal was opened in 1914. Remnants of far-off societies can still be found all along the coasts. This episode raises the question: what odd and unexpected things have you found overseas in your expat experience?

I have been surprised by: Mennonites on the Pampa, German colonies in Chile, Italian colonists in Argentina, Palestinian settlers in Mexico, bookstores in Istanbul filled with antique books in English, warm winters (relatively speaking) on Vancouver Island in Canada, the amazing history of Malta, Spanish-speaking Jews from the Netherlands, bagpipes in Galicia, and more. These are things they don't tell you about in school, or even in special area orientation classes. Please share your discoveries.

Travelling with Pets

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 07:09:22 -0700

My family went pet-less overseas and then got a dog in the Middle East. We named him Morgen. He was a Dalmatian. And when it came time to move from one overseas location to another, he was a hungry, nervous, piece of freight. All things considered, having a large pet is not very compatible with expat life. You can take your pet with you, but you must anticipate complications.

Pets that travel as freight (as most do) are subject to all the same conditions as luggage, including getting lost. Morgen once went to Detroit when we didn't. We got him back a day after our arrival. The sedatives prescribed by the veterinarian (another consideration) had worn off, and he was a wreck. And then there are the entry procedures and even possible quarantines to consider. A few countries make it very hard to bring in a pet, and the information on procedures for importing an animal can be hard to obtain outside the country.

I'd be interested in hearing your warnings, anecdotes, and advice about travelling with pets.

Finding Africa's Sweet Spot for Expats

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 11:24:59 -0700

I got a comment on this morning's entry about places that expats favor in Sub-Saharan Africa (not incuding the RSA). A writer in the Congo suggests, among others, Douala (Cameroon) and Dakar (Senegal). I'm surprised. (Ignorance will do that for you.) But also always happy to learn. I invite other reviews. Are these two cities peaceful, clean, safe, places where folks should consider spending time because of their attraciveness and quality of life?

I've lived "out there", both as a diplomat and on the economy. I can forgive bad traffic (to an extent) and some uncleanliness (as long as public services are available and of good quality) to enjoy peace, quiet, and local color inexpensively.

Where ExPats Live Well in Africa

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 06:48:49 -0700

In my lifetime, developed nations have pumped countless billions of dollars of aid into Sub-Saharan Africa to improve sanitation, hygiene, agricultural production, self-sufficiency, micro-production, communications, and to defuse tensions. Where is the payoff? Is there an irresistible African Eden? I have seen several recent articles that suggest that great things are expected of Sub-Saharan Africa. I confess that I don't see it. After you remove Arab North Africa and (for historical reasons) the Republic of South Africa, where is the seed of hope? Where in Africa do expats go just for the quality of life? I can think of places in Europe, North and Central and South America, Australia, and the Far East where expats flock, but is there a similar home-away-from-home in Africa?

Let me make myself clear. I don't mean the diplomats and company execs who live in a false economy, enjoying a lifestyle they couldn't maintain at home. And I don't mean the Albert Schweitzer-like humanitarians who revel, to a degree, in the lack of modernity. (And God bless them for it.) I'm talking about normal folks who have gathered their savings and said, "The heart of Africa is where I want to be." Does it happen?

I'm taking nominations for that sweet African spot that offers internal and personal security, quality healthcare, and the other amenities that people want.

Expat Workers Featured in USN&WR

Fri, 17 Mar 2006 06:45:33 -0700

The cover of the March 20, 2006 edition of US News & World Report trumpets "The Best Job for You!" and includes the subtitle "Getting Ahead by Going Abroad". On page 52, an article by Justin Ewers tells that "the world is getting smaller now" and that "companies are scrambling to expand overseas. As many as 400,000 employees relocate internationally each year." Congrats, Expat! You were there before the rush!

The article doesn't dodge the issue of strain on families. It also discusses the phenomenon of the employee who goes abroad for the company only to be forgotten in the promotion food chain but concludes "as a career move . . . there doesn't seem to be a better choice you can make." But we already knew that, didn't we?

World Baseball Classic Buzz

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 07:02:15 -0700

When I first heard about the World Baseball Classic tournament, I thought it sounded like a great idea. I still think so, but not because I'm an American. On the contrary, American fans have little reason to cheer. As soon as I gained a global perspective I began to suspect that the famed "World" Series of baseball was, in fact, just a Local Series that could make great claims for lack of competition. Now the World Baseball Classic is likely to show that the best of the United States is nothing without the best of the rest of the world. (I'll gladly eat my words if the U.S. team does well in the end.) The only thing "World"-ly about the World Series was that it relied on the best players of many countries to make American (and Canadian) teams great.

Is there any buzz abroad about the local teams? I know from experiences in Mexico that Latin Americans love a chance to humble--if not humiliate--the U.S. There was a growing interest in the Classic here in the U.S., but I don't think it survived to Canada in the opening round.

The ExPat Take on Bachelet in Chile

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 06:57:02 -0700

I don't think this election can be seen as a backlash of any kind against conservative policies. Bachelet was a political prisoner nearly 30 years ago because of her support of Socialist President Salvador Allende, deposed by General Augusto Pinochet. Now Pinochet has been out of power since 1990. Some analysts say Bachelet was elected largely on the strength of young voters. My question is, how could young voters be seen as voting against the policies of a government they never really knew? A 30-year old Chilean voter was 14 when Pinochet lost power, so succeeding presidencies--including more socially-progressive governments--are all he/she knows. The election of Bachelet was more a continuation than a change of direction.]]>

St. Patrick's Day around the World

Mon, 13 Mar 2006 06:55:49 -0700

What are the local expressions of St. Patrick's Day, if any, where you are? I just read that the first public celebration was in Boston, not in Ireland, so I'm thinking that it's roots are based as much in beer sales as in Irish nationalism. Further evidence of this is the fact that the Guiness brewery is the source of choice for news publishers looking for info about the holiday. Or, seen from the other side, Guiness is the most vocal source about celebrations for the holiday. Either way, beer figures big.

When I was a kid, wearing green was a big deal in school, whether one was of Irish descent or not. In recent years, I've seen my own children show indifference to the custom. Is this still part of the holiday experience overseas? And what's the attraction for non-Irish anyway, of they don't drink?