Job Discussion Forums

Travelingman · Joined: 18 Nov 2003 Posts: 33

My Boss for a Public University says it's not important as long as I have a Z Visa and FEC Red Book. I feel that he doesn't want to pay for the medical exam.

Please advise. I want to protect my interest but I don't want to create too many waves.

Thanks! Very Happy

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

Not this abyss again? Shocked

One thing we all agree on is the Red Book is worth nothing. Take it home as a souvenir.

Green Book is crucial if the Z in your passport is expired. (Iv'e been in this boat for a year plus.) And in local matters this will prove where you live. As a residence permit it can be carried in lieu of a passport.

But if a visa in your passport says you are valid---cant argue with that can you? If they really are a Public University I would trust them. In my case I was given a new Green Book (new job) but no update in my passport. I don't like it but the rules are bizarre here so I'm positive it's OK. HAving said all this I would be a little fussed. That green book has saved me a lot of misery in the past and I don't see why they wouldn't get it. Are they really legit????

James_T_Kirk · Joined: 20 Sep 2003 Posts: 357 Location: Ten Forward

Travelingman,

Sounds shady to me! Everything that Lagerlout has said is correct. However, even if your Z visa is good for 12 months, I still think that officially, you are probably still working illegally.

Here is a blurb from this site

mike w · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 4:00 pm Post subject:

I have to deal with this problem on a daily basis. There are some small differences in the rules, depending on which city/province you are in. But the basic rules are this:-

A 'Z' visa gets you into the country, and allows your school to issue a red book and apply to PSB for a green card. Once you have arrived in China, you have 30 days in which to obtain these books.

The red book (work permit) belongs to your school. and has to be surrendered when you leave the school.

Your green book (residents permit) is your property - not the schools - and cannot be cancelled by anyone except the PSB. Legally, it should be surrendered to the PSB at the airport when you finally leave China.

Once you have your green book, your visa is a worthless piece of paper. Your green book allows you to reside in China until its expiry date. Even if you leave your school or change jobs, you take your green book with you, and you are still a legal resident. You may need to get it changed if you move to another city.

You cannot be issued with either red or green book if you only have an 'L' or 'F' visa - you need to change your visa to a 'Z' visa to get them. That is possible if you have the right connections.

Larry Parnell · Joined: 06 Jun 2004 Posts: 172

mike w · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:57 pm Post subject:

quanxie · Joined: 11 Feb 2004 Posts: 91 Location: The Sticks

Just my two jiao,

The visa might be "just a worthless piece of paper" once you get the green book, but it is still a valid for 1 year from date of issue... For example if your green book expires before your visa does, you can still use the visa to exit "without a fine" if go to Hongkong, they don't even look at the green book... If you leave via most airports, the green book expiration date is the final word. They will take the green book away if you have no re-entry visa and fines almost always apply...

In most cities if you change jobs/location you MUST get a letter of release from your current employer and get an "exit stamp" in the green book before moving to your new job/location

A general rule about the rules here is "the only thing that is consistent is inconsistency"

Phil

struelle · Joined: 16 May 2003 Posts: 2372 Location: Shanghai

Oh man, we've been down this road so many times before! The green book is a legal residency document, and is important. However, it's absolutely and totally vital to have it under the following conditions:

- Your employer issues you a single-entry Z visa within China
- That visa expires
- You want to leave China or change jobs

The reason is simple, if the employer issues you a single-entry Z within China, that will expire in a month. Once that expires, you need proof of residency to leave the country, and the green book will do it.

Steve

Brian Caulfield · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 1247 Location: China

i don't understand all I have is two stamps in my passport one green and one red . Do you actually have a book ? I am Canadian.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

quanxie · Joined: 11 Feb 2004 Posts: 91 Location: The Sticks

The Z visa is a 1 year work visa... not 30 days... You have 30 days for the entry date stamp to get a green book... But the visa is valid one year of date of entry...

You can use the visa to leave the country without even having to show your green book at the Shenzhen-hongkong border, if your visa is still valid...

But, Strulle is right!!! At most other points of exit, your green book expiration date is the gospel according to the man... An expired, lost or no green book means you WILL pay upto 5000RMB fine...

And the bottom-line answer to travelingmans' question is: You need to get a green book to reside/work in China legally...It is important...

Phil

Sechelt · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 35

The Foreigners Residence Permit (or, "Green Book") is issued by Chinese authorities (the PSB); written in (mostly) Chinese; and has the all-important stamp(s). For these reasons, it is invaluable. As others have said, it can serve as your best form of ID in China- hotels, etc.
However, it is NOT absolutely necessary. If you reside on campus, you don't need one. I worked/lived at Hunan University for a semester, without an FSP. The only problem I had, was at a hotel in Shenzhen. But, that was because the clerk was an idiot and pretended to know how to read a passport/visa (her English was quite good, despite her idiocy). But, I digress.
As valuable as FRP's are, they are not crucial.
As for the medical, if you don't get one, you and your boss (read you) can be up s*** creek!!! Insist on it. It is the law. Would you rather surf a few waves, or pay a hefty fine or worse?
My advice: get a medical. YESTERDAY!
As a final point: if you have a green book and transfer to another city, you must surrender the book to the PSB in your current city of residence. Then, apply for a new one, in your new city. I ran into a problem with this, when I moved to Beijing. The new school didn't bother to tell me (I guess I could have asked) of the need to switch books. Oops. So, I had to go back to Dalian, to fix the problem. [I should add, I had changed schools in Dalian mid-year and only had to change the employer/address recorded in the Grreen Book. So, I assumed...]

Sinobear · Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269 Location: Purgatory

Never surrender the green book (Residence permit)!!!! Keep it with you. You will surrender that in your new place of residence to acquire a new one in the new place.

1. You MUST get the darn physical upon entering China (answer questions in Beijing, normal deal in Urumqi, "Go deep on 'em in Guanghou) - been there, done that.
2. With the medical cert. , a copy of your diploma/degree, the letter of invitation, your resume, and a copy of the contract, the local (or the largest city nearby) department of foreign affairs will issue you a Foreign Experts Cert. and a Residence Permit.
3. The PSB will have stamped your FRP. It says where you are legally residing and it's usually good for a year.
4. You may or may not have a single/multiple (if you request and pay for it) entry visa in your passport.
5. The FRP is all you need for i.d and travel WITHIN China.
6. If you change addresses/schools within a city or province, the FRP will be updated.
7. A change of province will require you to submit #2 criteria plus the green book (surrended it? You'll have to get it back! BEEN THERE - HAD TO DO THAT!!)
8. The FRP supercedes your passport. Need to go on holiday? Arrange with your school well ahead of time to get the visa issued. The whole debate that you might have read over the issuance of single versus multiple re-entry visas may stem from schools not wanted to pay for multiple re-entries, or, they want to limit your wanderlust. I've never had a problem getting a multiple re-entry visa if I requested it (and paid for it myself).
9. There is no ninth item.

I will concur that depending on where you are, the mood of the officials serving you, your school's relationship with said officials, and the chance of a day ending in "y" may cause a variance in what you get told.

NEVER surrender your Foreign residence Permit unless you are geting a new one or are leaving China for the last time.

JimmyJam · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:57 am Post subject: GREEN BOOK: FRP

My friend finished her contract last July. Upon her exit (Beijing Airport) she was asked for her FRP (Residence Permit) which unfortunately she left in Changchun, 8to11 hours by train from Beijing. She has no re-entry visa whatsoever... She was denied exit. She had to produce the FRP lest be denied exit. Good thing another teacher was travelling down to Beijing the next day...

She missed her flight. She had to stay in a hotel at her expense, of course...

Is this incident just an isolated case?

ilunga · Joined: 17 Oct 2003 Posts: 842 Location: China

This is a update to what I posted on a very similar thread a couple of weeks ago.
I lost my green book. It is quite a big deal apparently but my school sorted me out with a new one. I received it the other day, it took 3/4 weeks.
I had to fork out 100RMB for an advert in the paper. This is a PSB thing policy apparently.
You're advised to carry it wherever you go but it's probably a better idea to only take it out with you when you know you're going to need it, ie travelling, hotels etc