1 - Violent crime is very low - just take care of your scooter and phone.
2 - Women are slim and sexy - Not obese like in USA.
3 - Economy is good - not collapsing like USA.
4 - People are usually Not aggressive.
5 - Western or Chinese medicine is inexpensive and don't need to make an expensive doctor visit or pay more for a prescription from doctor.
6 - Drug and alcohol addiction is very low in China.

In my experience, I pay money and I receive a product or a service. However, when you go to any US consulate, you pay through the nose and get nothing. Expenses for trasnportation, for filing fees and so on and in the end all you get is a SORRY. No explanations, no refund. In my book this is called stealing or a scam.

Do my eyes deceive me or did I just see Gaoxing?

Tourist Visa - L
Student Visa - X
Work Visa - Z
Business Visa - F
Family Visa - Residence Permit

You will hear many stories on this forum but you will rarely receive factual first hand information, most is heresay about a friend of a friend.

If you do receive first hand information it is outdated and lacks specifc facts and details.

1 - Visas differ greatly from country to country so you must be clear about what country your passport is from.

2 - To get a work visa you need an employer (school) to sponsor you. Not all schools can sponsor a foreigner and many schools make promises they can't keep. I know firsthand because it happened to me.

3 - If someone tells you they did this my first question is When? Anything more then 6 months ago is obsolete information.

4 - If someone tells you they did this ask (where) what visa office completed this process? (Hong Kong, Kunming, where?)

5 - The truth is, every visa office does whatever they want. There is NO universal policy and one visa office is not the same as another.

If I were you I would only believe someone who told me they personally did this (Get Z visa) in the last 2 months. The rest is heresay and fantasy. Many of the replies you will receive are generalizations and never one specific FACT. Wishful thinking can get you into trouble and you will find yourself very disappointed.

You state - I intend to come over on an L visa then find suitable employment while over there.

My question is - where will you find suitable employment? What is the name of the school or university? Did you make contact with any institution yet? If you provide a name of a school many people on this forum can tell you if that school has the authority to SPONSOR a Z visa.

Many schools claim they can issue a visa but the reality is they dont have one single foreign employee with a visa.