Job Discussion Forums

[johnsmither]

I changed employers this summer, moving from Sichuan to Guizhou. I had completed my contract and expected to move with my former companies blessing after working for them for three and a half years. They sent me a copy of the SAFEA recommendation letter at the end of July so I assumed all was ok.
On arriving in Guiyang towards the end of August the new school applied for my Foreign Experts Certificate only for it to be rejected. The reason my former company had not completed the full procedure for cancelling the previous certificate.
I am now on a 30 day extension to my residents permit as the certificate has still not been cancelled. I have called them numerous times (many times they refuse to answer my calls), the school where I am now employed have tried to call them. Whenever I am able to get a reply they state they are too busy to do this. It is their obligation to do this but they seem to think they are doing me a favour and it can be done at their convenience. They say they will complete it on a said day, then when it is not done they deny they made such a promise.
The company in Question is called BKL, they are based in Chongqing and Chengdu. I strongly advise anyone thinking of working in China to avoid this company if they wish to later remain in China but move on to a new location.
I am not the only person to go through this, the other overseas teacher now based near to Beijing is having the same problem.

[Non Sequitur]

Why after 3 years of satisfactory relationship do they do this?
There seems to be little appreciation of reputation and maintaining goodwill for the long haul.
Don't seem to appreciate that in these days of the global village, everyone is everyone's potential confidante.
Galling though.
Best
NS

[johnsmither]

They are trying to say that we were good friends while I worked for them, we had a good working relationship, but were certainly not friends.
My Chinese girlfriend has spoken to them on the phone on my behalf, instead of sorting the problem out, they tell her it is all the fault of the new school I am at and that I have put myself into a school that does not know how to apply for everything that is required.
They have even tried saying the authorities in Guiyang are in the wrong, sadly all this laying the blame on others is not getting the certificate cancelled. Very frustrating for me and not sure how this will end.

[A593186]

As usual, I'm sure there is quite more to this story than being conveyed.

If your contract was completed successfully (as you state), then your FEC is now invalid if it has not been renewed. Despite it having an expiration date that may be beyond your contract date, then your FEC is invalid anyway. No matter what people think or claim the fact is, that without a valid, current contract, you are without an FEC. Therefore, make it clear to your new employer and the FEC people that you have no valid FEC to renew any longer and they are to issue you a new FEC. That's simply how it works.

Nobody out here, it seems, has the balls to stand up to the so-called authorities to tell them how it is supposed to be done. I'm curious as to how many of you bow your head and go get a physical exam on a yearly (or more frequently) basis for your yearly (again) RP renewal. So long as you remain within the same province for a new job, you are not required to resubmit to a physical exam. Yet, nobody has the guts to tell the PSB the reality of the situation. So, submissively you do it as they tell you to do.

Thus, again, get on the horn and tell the folks that as your job ended, contract ended, and you did not have a renewed FEC, etc., prior to your contract end date (AND thus your Resident Permit as well), that you are without documents. Then, you should start documentation anew, not renewal or transfer.

But, I'm sure this won't be done.

[johnsmither]

In reply to the above comment, the registration has not been cancelled by the company I worked for at the Sichuan SAFEA bureau, until that is completed the same bureau in Guizhou cannot apply for a new one for me as it will be rejected by their computer system as it appears on there system that I am still employed by that company in Sichuan until they complete the process and inform Sichuan of my no longer being under contract to them and they cancel my FEC.

The problem is not the new employer or my not having the balls (as you imply) but the system in place not being able to implement a new FEC until the former employer completes the process of cancelling the old FEC.

But thanks for your knowledgeable reply to this problem.

[Mr. Leafy]

[JamesD]

[jimpellow]

Excellent observations and advice IMHO from the previous two responders.

Yes, very mainland Chinese. You are no longer useful to us, so you don't exist. The kind of pervasive short term selfish thinking that will doom China forever. Note too the basic ongoing structure of screwing up and then refusing to take responsibility for it.

Love the comment too about standing up for yourself. You have to call the Chinese on their bs each and every time or they will see it as a green light to walk all over you. That mindset is the key to survival and success.

Not sure if it will help the poster in this case, but the best shot he has.

Best of luck!

[jimpellow]

[choudoufu]

[johnsmither]

As Choudoufu states, there is a procedure to go through and if the previous employer feels no longer obligated to continue with this, even though it is a legal obligation there will be no comeback on them if they refuse to do this.

I have enquired if I can make an official complaint, I am entitled to do this if I so wish. However should I take this course of action there will be no punishment handed out to my former employer and the only course of action will be a mention on whatever record the authorities have on me and this may come back to bite me on the .... at a later date when trying to apply for another FEC or residents permit.

[roadwalker]

The health checkup thing may vary by province/city as well. Also if I'm a school sponsoring the teacher, I may certainly insist on yearly checks for my older, less fit-looking teachers. Likewise the insurance company that may be involved may refuse policies without them.

OP, perhaps the current FAO at BKL has no clue as to how to cancel a FEC or even what it is and how to apply for one. I've noticed in working at unis that once someone knows the processes for how to get a foreign teacher set up correctly, they move that person! Of course this doesn't bode well for current BKL teachers or prospective ones. On the other hand, perhaps there is a non face-threatening way to give instructions to BKL's FAO.

[johntpartee]

[johnsmither]

Roadwalker, the person doing this job at BKL has been in this position for a number of years, maybe not knowing the process is believable. She has had numerous requests to complete the process, it has been pointed out to her in great detail. The problem is her being uncooperative and thinking she should do it at her convenience and then when that day is past she denies saying she would do it at that time and claiming it is the fault of everyone else and not hers.

[muffintop]