Job Discussion Forums

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:24 am Post subject: Resident permit and FECs

Technically speaking, the FEC is issued to you when you have confirmed employment at whichever employer you are working for. It is not transferable between employers, even if the expiry date has not been reached. When your period of employment ends, you must surrender your FEC to your soon-to-be-ex-employer if it is requested. The residence permit now resides inside your passport in much the same way as a visa does, but the new visa-type ones were introduced only this year. If you still have the old green residence permit, you should hold on to it, because it shows that you are legally resident in China. The two documents should not be confused with one another. Never part with the one you really need, otherwise you'll get into a terrible mess. Like I said, the new permit is in the passport, so you're hardly likely to want to part with that.

Volodiya · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 1:11 am Post subject:

Chris, I agree with you, 100%, this has been the law and procedure. But we've been anticipating some changes in the procedures relating to the handling of the FEC when changing employers, and those changes may have arrived.

Here is an excerpt from another thread-

Lowes wrote:

Alex_P · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 2:33 am Post subject: Foreign Expert Certificate

Yes, indeed this book should be returned to the employer. When I have changed jobs I have returned the book and then insisted that the employer give me a letter on letterhead attesting to this. In my particular cases and in the provinces where I have been (Sichuan, Inner Mongolia and Zhejiang), this letter has also sufficed with the PSB.

But yet, the rules have changed with the new in-folio resident visa. The last time I changed jobs (three months ago), they no longer required a letter of release, they no longer required a letter confirming the return of the FEC, basically nothing and I was given a new in-folio visa within three days. Please note that a new FEC had been obtained previously...in just one day..

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:28 am Post subject: Re: Foreign Expert Certificate

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

I am sure there are going to be experienced a lot of new teething pains because of the radical changes being implemented right now.
I am getting my third visa through the same employer; my first resident's permit has remained my property; I got a brand-new one last year when they were applying for my new work visa. Ditto for the FEC.
But this year around, they demanded my current resident's permit (which I won't need any more) as well as my FEC. I have heard they won't issue me with a new FEC.
This begs the question: does the new RP-c um visa in my passport take care of my privilege of converting RMB into foreign currency at the BoC from now on?
I don't think such a huge change can be accomplished when so many organisations are involved.

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 4:47 am Post subject: Need to know? - last to know!

Volodiya · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 9:04 am Post subject:

Roger wrote:

Alex_P

Regarding this issue, again it may be a case-by-case and province-by-province and bank-by-bank approach.

The Bank of China Branch in the city where I live is quite used to the in-folio visas. To change RMB to dollars, they have required in the past a copy of the in-folio visa, the passport, the FEC, the Contract, the receipt from the Taxation Office attesting to the facts that taxes have been duly and the original copy of the contract in Chinese. They then have made the exchange very easily. But again, only in this city (1,000,000 inhabitants). I can't speak to anywhere else.

eslLori · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 12

wELL, THIS IS THE SAME UNIVERSITY THAT WON'T PAY US OUR SALARY,LET ALONE THE RMB FOR THE FEC. The question is "what form"does anotherb province need-no one is sure and no one wants to be wrong, so nothing...

Alex_P · Posted: Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:01 pm Post subject: Re: RELEASE FORM??

Dear Lori,

I am sorry that you university does not pay your salary. That in and of itself is strange.

Therefore, if they do not pay your salary at all, perhaps the question of changing RMBs to dollars is rather moot.

But since I jumped into this thread late and I do not have all the information in your possession, I await your kind reply.

eslLori · Joined: 11 Jun 2005 Posts: 12

Nothing strange- the school is stupid. They signed our contract for x amount oh hours(which included running "English Corner", then they demanded we work more hours,then forged a phoney contract-we said no way. That was March 1st. Now they said we must work more hours again for next term and that we have broken the contract(the next term isn't until Aug 27). None the less, they can't boss us around, which is new for them. These are the same folks that didn't even know how or what a FEC at the bank was for(we had to show them the math for exchange).
They still think we will give them the grade books for this term and keep working until July 15th-with out pay. I didn't say these people were smart!
We do have a letter of termination from the school at the end of July, but nothing else, so... see ya
Another graduate university has offered us positions with twice the pay and no bs-they said as long as we have a signed/chopped letter stating that its fine. so, see ya Tianshui... Beware of face savers they are "Boss Tweed" in disguise. Rolling Eyes

Volodiya · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:24 am Post subject:

Roger wrote:

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

vodya,
I thought you knew that you don't get a resident's permit booklet any more; I am going to get a visa that doubles as resident's permit - as explained by others many times in this forum.
THe green resident's permit will not be returned to me.

Volodiya · Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:07 am Post subject:

That's right, the "Resident Permit" (green book) is being superceded this year by the "Residence Permit for Foreigners", a sticker in your passport.

But, you were talking about the "Foreign Expert Certificate" (FEC) in that portion of your post which I quoted; and, it's about the FEC that I'm inquiring.

Take another look at my question. Maybe you just read it hastily and missed what I was asking about.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Got this new sticker in my passport, and it looks as follows:

Size and imprint almost identical to the previous work visa; there is a number that, unlike a work visa, is not prefixed with a "Z" any more. Otherwise it looks perfectly like a visa.
On closer inspection I noted it says "Resident's permit" in English, and there also is mention of rthr ereason for its issuance: "WOrk" (the Chinese characrters are new to me, they don't read 'gongzuo'!).

What's more, it bears now "M" or "S" (multiple" or "single" entry(ies") any more.

And that's all. It is both my work permit and my resident's permit, and I no longer hold a FEC. I hope I can open a bank account and convert my RMB into euros, rand or U.S. dollars! But the latter is pure wishful speculation at this stage!