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HunanForeignGuy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 989
Location: Shanghai, PRC
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 Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:42 pm Post subject: These Items |
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| tw wrote: |
It's been some time since anyone has brought up this topic. I can only assume that either not too many people are changing employer, or somehow their new employer hasn't asked for a release letter and/or a recommendation letter.
My (hopefully) new employer in another province has asked for both. Actually, they call the release letter a "contract expiration certificate". Before that they used the word termination which I strongly objected because it sounded like I have not completed my year-long contract. After calling me and me calling my FAO, my FAO has finally given me a release letter in addition to an updated recommendation letter with corrected marital status and showing two passport numbers, one being the one I came here with and the other one being my new passport.
So what's this all about? Nothing really. My suggestion is, for the sake of covering your behind and avoiding having to bother your FAO once again (God only knows how soon they would love to see you pack up your bags and leave their apartment), ask for BOTH. In fact, DEMAND. It's better to have more than not having enough. Also, the new employer wants to see the ORIGINALS, so make sure you photocopy a few in case somehow they can't get you a new FEC (in the case of non degree holders and non native speakers) and won't mail back the original copy to you. It's also a good idea to scan the originals. |
OK, here we go...TW and the others have raised some good points and this is a process that I have gone through.
If your contract has run its course, you technically only need a Letter of Recommendation. If your contract is still in effect, for example, my kind new school here processed my renewal TWO months early to get me out of the cluthes of the devil of a FAO where I am, then you will need this Letter of Release / Letter of Termination of Contract and the Letter of Recommendation. It simply speeds up the process for the paper processing. My renewal sailed through two months early in about three-or-four working days, in the name of the new school...then the school where I am now was FORCED to write a letter to the new school asking their authorization that I continue to work at the old school on the new school's visa. I had a great amount of satisfaction in learning how much this displeased the SOB FAO where I am.
If you leave your contract early, then you will need both a Letter of Release and a Letter of Recommendation.
Yes, the Letter of Release must have the original red stamp of the school. The Letter of Recommendation should have the stamp -- some provinces require it -- others do not care.
The Letter of Release should be imminently simple and under current rules, it must be in Chinese. An English version is not authoritative but for lack of a Chinese version, it may work -- again at the discretion of the PSB.
The wording should be very, very simple something to the effect that Mr. or Miss or Ms. X is hereby released from employment on such-and-such a date. It actually need not make mention of anything more except, under current rules, of one thing : it needs to state that the Foreign Expert Certificate has been duly returned to the school.
As for being stamped by the PSB and Vladimir I. Lenin and the Central Committe and the Third Directorate and everything else that has been written, that has never occurred in all the years that I have been here. It need only be stamped by the school and it should be on the school's letterhead. However, nonletterhead with an original red stamp has been known to suffice.
cj750's advice is quite accurate. As for Roger, he must have been in some village near Macau...never heard of that in GD. |
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Teatime of Soul
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
Posts: 905
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| Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 10:48 am Post subject: |
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A Letter of recommendation is not required. It is just a letter that says what a swell teacher you are. You may ask for a letter of recommendation before you get a Letter of Release to facilitate your job search. If you are on good terms with your school, it should be no problem.
A Letter Of release is often required and will usually be given close to the last day of your contract. It must be (as a minimum) in Chinese, and should state that you have no outstanding obligations to the school, or, failing that, what your inclusive work dates were.
A Letter of release is technically required by law, (although not every school complies) hence you may end up in quirky circumstances where schools may write only the teacher's inclusive dates of hire or even derogatory information (quite rare).
There have been cases where teacher who have done a runner went back and asked for a Letter of Release and got one.
No PSB chop is required on a Letter of release, however the school's chop is a must. After all, the PSB is in no position to know what obligations to the school the FT may have. The Letter Of Recommendation SHOULD have the school chop, but since it is voluntary, you may or may not get (usually you will). |
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tw
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
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| Posted: Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:02 pm Post subject: |
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| Teatime of Soul wrote: |
| A Letter of recommendation is not required. It is just a letter that says what a swell teacher you are. You may ask for a letter of recommendation before you get a Letter of Release to facilitate your job search. If you are on good terms with your school, it should be no problem. |
I guess we all have to look at the letters of recommendation we've received from previous employers before we can say whether they are required or not. Take my current school for example, they sent me a form last year asking my employer in Hohhot to complete, and they are now using the same form as my letter of recommendation. The letter of recommendation was obviously needed last year or I would have been here at all. Likewise, my new employer has also asked for it. Is it they who need it, is it the PSB, the provincial education ministry? Who knows, but just to be on the safe side, get one anyway.
| Quote: |
A Letter Of release is often required and will usually be given close to the last day of your contract. It must be (as a minimum) in Chinese, and should state that you have no outstanding obligations to the school, or, failing that, what your inclusive work dates were.
A Letter of release is technically required by law, (although not every school complies) hence you may end up in quirky circumstances where schools may write only the teacher's inclusive dates of hire or even derogatory information (quite rare).
No PSB chop is required on a Letter of release, however the school's chop is a must. After all, the PSB is in no position to know what obligations to the school the FT may have. The Letter Of Recommendation SHOULD have the school chop, but since it is voluntary, you may or may not get (usually you will). |
And here we may want to clarify whether this release letter is the one issued by the local PSB as some posters have said it should be, or just some simple statement issued and red-chopped by the current (and soon former) employer. The one I am talking about is issued by the current school because the new employer never mentioned that I had to get it from the police. |
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