Job Discussion Forums

[Louras]

Background: did not renew contract with previous school. They arranged for the work visa/permit which was needed when employed with them. Now they are refusing to part with it. It's valid for another 8 months. I'm at my new school. Work visa in the passport, but work permit with ex-school. New school needs that permit. We're in the same city.

What's the drill for getting a new one? Will the results of my medicals still fly the second time around? The med check was done about 4 months back. New school says something about advertising loss of work permit in papers before applying for a new one. True?

Thanks.

PS: I tried talking nice. Didn't work.

[tw]

I am not sure about legal rights. But many if not most employers do hold on to the FEC (the work permit) when the FT leaves them. This is because in their view, they had paid for it to get you teaching legally with them so since you no longer work for them, your new employer has to get you a new work permit to work for the new employer. Besides, they feel that the FT should not be using their investment to work for another employer. Also, many employers fear that should something happens to the FT, the PSB would question them and give them "inconvenience".

You need to get a release letter from youyr former employer stating that you have completed your contract with them so your new employer can get you a new FEC.

[Louras]

I paid for the work permit/visa entirely. They aren't going to give a letter or anything. They are sore that I opted to work for a competitor.

[Roger]

I guess you are one of those who need to learn the hard way. You are not supposed to be job-hopping here. YOur first school is perfectly entitled to prevent you from finding a new employer, and legally, this is entirely in their possibilities.
No, they cannot be forced to give you your work permit.
Your current resident's permit is valid only so long as you work for the same employer. Your new one has to prove to the authorities they are not poaching you from your first employer, and that you are not just an opportunist switiching employments.

Your new school will have to sponsor you legally, including paying for a new medical exam (possible but not necessarily required).
Your former employer can possibly only be mollified and enticed into cooperating if you pay them a penalty as stipulated in your contract.
Then they will need to sign a release letter which must be stamped by the PSB before you can apply for that new position.

[erinyes]

[erinyes]

[tw]

[Roger]

True, my reply was hasty, but the original post was framed in a somewhat shoddy way too.

What exactly is he or she missing? The work visa? The resident's permit? To my knowledge, you don't get a VSIA any more. What you do get is a resident permit sticker in your passport.
Perhaps the OP arrived on a work visa for a limited period (maybe 3 months), with the expectation of getting it changed into a resident's permit that would be valid for the entire period of employment.
I can not believe his or her first employer applied for a one-year resident's permit and had him sign a 3-motnh contract due to be renewed for another 9 months (or 4 months and 8 months). That would have been disingenous by them - circumventing the legal way to secure a foreign teacher's service for an unbroken period of employment. Why should the OP have signed such a document? Did he/she anticipate he or she was going to leave once his or her school had gotten that resident permit sticker for the OP? That would mean two devils trying to fool each other!
It is hard to believe the OP was hired for 3 or 4 months only! What would his contract say about airfare and other perks?

I don't care to know why the OP wants to change jobs, but surely that is the crux of his or her own situation?
As I said before, the OP cannot avoid responsibility! IT is a fine and some kowtowing to the OP's first employer, no less than that.

[Louras]

Roger, why should I not job hop? My contract ended. A better deal came up. What is wrong with going for the new one?

Thank you, erinyes, for noting I didn't renew. Old school is mad with new school for taking me on. New school says there was no legal reason stopping them. Old school is not pleased. Hence, the tussle.

I'm more interested in that little red book though. I was under the impression that the new employer's name would be entered in the same book. From what I now understand, new employer = new red book, under normal circumstances. Right?

[Babala]

It's not the FEC you need to worry about. It's the release letter that you need. Without the release your new school can't process your new FEC and visa.

[Louras]

[englishgibson]

[Louras]

[tw]

[Babala]

Ever feel like you're talking to yourself I said the same thing that tw did about 6 posts ago.