Just like David E said. Another reason why they are cracking down on illegal and/or abusing visa foreigners and random inspections is that starting from July 1:st the new Social Security law goes into effect. Yes, all of us working here legally will have to pay for social security. Its not all bad though
, we are actually supposed to get some benefits from this new system also.
Here in Beijing, there are more foreigners working on non-legal terms then there are who is and the gov and law enforcement are very well aware of this but has been very tolerant about it. But things are changing. For better or worse? If you are here on legal terms and work legally then i do not see why you would complain. For those who are working through vendors on L and F visas it might get a lot tougher. Unfortunately a lot of these vendors do not want to pay the costs for the work visa and if you really want it you might have to pay for it on your own. And no it does not cost 10K rmb like many agents will tell you (thats what an Z visa on the black market costs which by legal terms are in the grayzone). The actual cost here in Beijing for a legal Z (transfer from L or F) is 3-4000rmb + healthcheck. If you do not have a degree you will have problems if you want a legally issued Z. There are illegal workarounds (cheap) and there are legal workarounds (expensive). Personally, i would recommend nothing but the legal route.
Personally i think the tougher visa rules brings more positive effects then negative. As a guest in this country i wholeheartedly respect and abide by these laws and regulations.
There were recently 2 americans in Beijing who were deported for 5 years but the story behind that was a little more complicated. Nevertheless, for all who wants to work here dont settle too easy with your employer about the visa if they want to hire you on an L or F. If you have a degree and they want to hire you, they should pay for the work visa if they are serious and you should demand it. An F visa is favorable for most employers since the transfer procedure is easier then from an L visa.
A colleague of mine have a couple of friends from Nigeria who are here and working (yes legally), they have gotten harassed several times by police about papers and visas. They feel they are specifically being targeted for being black. If this is true or not i am not to judge but if you look at Hangzhou and whats happening there it would come as no surprise.
