Can I work this way? Bring this equipment?

[griz326]

I plan to work and live with my wife (Chinese citizen) in Nanning starting in 2009.

My intention is to teach English. I have professional recording/AV equipment I can use to make special English lessons for the students. I use that equipment now to make web videos for big corporations.

My questions are:

• Can I bring my digital audio/video workstation recording studio into China?
  
• Can I work for my US based clients while in China?
  

[LaoLiang]

You may only work in China with a valid work permit.

[Rincewind]

I think you need to be more specific as to the quantity, type and value of the equipment you wan to bring. AV equipment is allowed but, it may be liable to import duties and you should probably declare it on your customs form when you come in. The guidance I can find says that one piece of the following items are allowed:

Camera, Portable tape-recorder, Portable cine camera, Portable video-camera, Portable computer.

If you want more than one of each then you must declare it. That said, I have often passed through customs with more than one camera in a bag. You should also check with your countries customs as to what is allowed to be exported.

As for doing work for folks back home while in China, I doubt there would be any problem.

[self-taught-mba]

I wouldn't risk being confused with a journalist. Might want to bring some samples of what you do. Consulting / collaboration is allowed on an F visa and you could be doing that.

[BrandeX]

My intention is to teach English. I have professional recording/AV equipment I can use to make special English lessons for the students.

You'll probably never use it.

[LaoLiang]

"I wouldn't risk being confused with a journalist. Might want to bring some samples of what you do. Consulting / collaboration is allowed on an F visa and you could be doing that."

To get an F visa he'd have to be invited by a company in China from which he'd offer the services, one way or another. Which company would that be? Even if you do get the F visa it's only for a short period of time otherwise you are in practice working in China and should pay taxes here.

I plan to work and live with my wife (Chinese citizen) in Nanning starting in 2009.

You cannot work without a work permit in China. There's a "wake up call" for all those working on L/F visa these past few weeks. Plan your life accordingly.

[griz326]

Equipment:

MacPro with 16GB RAM - 4 hard drives

FireStudio audio interface

Mackie control surface

Sennheiser MD441 microphone

Electrovoice RE20 microphone

Shure SM57 microphone

Atlas boom microphone stand

Video projector

I figure I can buy monitors and speakers in China.

My work permit would come from the school in which I teach English. However, I will be living with my wife who is a Chinese citizen.

I may not produce educational materials; I am certain that I won't unless I can resell them. But I will certain try to maintain my corporate customers while in China.

Because I worked 20 years as a journalist, I am certain they'd think that I was going to work as a journalist; however, I have nearly as much time as an industrial A/V writer-producer.

[muyongshi]

You will be fine bringing that stuff in and I would not declare it.

This stuff has nothing to do with your visa/work permit and are completely unrelated issues. LaoLiang is bringing stuff up that is very irrelevant to the topic of you bringing your equipment in and don't think that because of that it will effect the actually equipment.

It's nice to finally run into another sound tech/professional a/v guy....Few and far between here...

[Rincewind]

I disagree with muyongshi. To the lay person it doesn't sound like allot of stuff or expensive so he probably thinks you can just pop it in a suitcase and walk through customs without anybody knowing. However, I googled some of these items and they are not cheap. I mean really not cheap. Those microphones are about $800 US each and the audio interface and control surfaces are expensive items and big items. You can't just pop them at the bottom of your suitcase. Adding it all up, to buy that kit new would be over 60,000RMB.

You should declare them at customs. If you're only staying temporally, then it's a simple matter of filling in a form that lists all the items. When you leave the country again, you can use that form to prove that they were imported and not purchase in China so you don't pay any duty

[muyongshi]

To the lay person it doesn't sound like allot of stuff or expensive so he probably thinks you can just pop it in a suitcase and walk through customs without anybody knowing.

Is this directed at me???? Believe me I know about the value of these things but honestly you could just "pop" it (pretty much everything except the boom stand and desktop) in a suitcase with no problem, but you would want to pack it, very, very well.

It's not so much about the value of the items you are bringing in so much as the purpose of them. If they are your own personal items that you use and are not going to use for money making purposes from the CHINESE (which at this point you don't have that ability by visa ) or for selling it it counts under a countless list of "personal" use electronics. (I found the official list about a year ago but didn't save it and I'm too lazy to try and find it).

The computer though is still fine and the boom itself isn't worth THAT much (comparatively) so the essential problem here is the transporting it and not so much the legality at customs. I didn't bring in that much stuff but I sure brought in a lot of value just on my computer and musical instruments and a few miscellaneous other studio that I use in engineering. But I am not making money and they are just for me. You don't need to declare them! Just find a smart way to transport them...