Job Discussion Forums

[Songbird]

Just a warning to others so you don't end up in the mess I'm in!

I'm on holidays back in Oz but needed to renew my passport. My current Res. Permit expires 25 September so it's fine. But if I renewed the visa the Chinese could deny it because I would only have 3 months left of my passport at the other end next year.

Okay, passport's done, all fine. However, to check about what to do with the current visa in the OLD passport I have tried and tried to call the Chinese consulate for the past 2-3 weeks with no answer, also emails. No answer.

I am returning to China MONDAY. Still trying to get through to the Consulate this morning, FINALLY they answer their phones. They tell me I need to head to the consulate pronto and get the visa in the new passport. Which means there is only TOMORROW left! Lucky they do a same day visa....

Will be most interested tomorrow if they simply transfer the Residence Permit or if they make if difficult and just give me a tourist visa, which means my boss will be ticked off because then it will mean new medicals etc for no reason (staying in the same job this year). I certainly do not have any letters of invite or anything, indeed, we discussed this possibility BEFORE my coming back to Oz. No probs he said, not needed. I have a copy of my contract (Chinese & English), ticket etc etc.....

Fingers crossed for tomorrow, but just wanted to let others know in case you get in a mess life me !

[tw]

I was in an almost same situation as you. My old passport expires this November and the old RPF was to expire in July. I went home for a month during February and thought about renewing the passport in Vancouver but worried about not being able to get on the plane, let alone enter China with a cancelled passport that still had a valid RPF (the thought of getting a new visa never entered my mind). To make things worse, had I chosen to get a new passport in Vancouver, it might not have been ready in time for my flight -- even if I were to put in a rush order. In the end, I chose to get a new passport in Beijing, which worked out perfectly for me.

[Songbird]

Tw, glad it worked out for you . I'm just kind of hoping I won't need to get another medical, that blood test lady was eeeevvvvviill .

And with all the cracking down, it will mean a 2 day trip to Hongkers....which hopefully the school will pay for!

[lostinasia]

So you went home with a valid RP (multiple entry) and are returning to continue working at the same job ?

1 - Why didn't you renew your passport MONTHS ago ? Few countries allow you to be issued a visa or enter the country with less than 6 months remaining on the expiration. You should have renewed this thing 6+ months ago while still in China and this whole problem would have been taken care of then

2 - Even though you have left the country, you should not need a new medical exam and the like, since you are remaining at the same job, presumably in the same province

3 - More importantly - did you FINISH your existing contract before the school renewed/extended your contract for a second year ? If they did not renew your contract before you left the country - then you in fact do NOT have a valid permit - the permit is useless once you finish you contract (without extension) AND after you leave the country.

These are the consequences of not being fully prepared - especially with having a soon-to-be expired passport.

Because, it sounds like you finished your contract and left China - then after the fact decided to renew ... if so, then you are a "new employee" since you left China without valid credentials for the upcoming year. If that is the case - well you should properly go through the credentialing process -again, though, if my scenario is correct - then you must do the physical exam as well again - because you left the country.

It's a low likelihood they will transfer the Visa unless the school has already renewed your contract AND FEC prior to your departing China to go home.

Basics ...

[Songbird]

Lost, to answer your q's:

Maybe I didn't explain the passport expiry well enough. It expires December 2008, NOT this year, so I have loads and loads of time. Even when I renewed the passport a few weeks back I thought they would have laughed in my face for having over 18 months still left!

Lucky me, my contract is for 2 YEARS, and these dates are very clear on it (which I have to show tomorrow). But they only issue FRP's yearly, regardless of how long your contract is. So I am still on this.

Medical- I'm just thinking that if I'm now on the Z/ FRP now, if I cannot produce the original letter of invite tomorrow (which I can't), they will just offer me a tourist visa, therefore downgrading my status and to regain the RFP/Z I will need to redo the medical, though I'm in the SAME province at the SAME school. Could be wrong though (I hope!).

The school did not renew the FEC because they didn't even give me one! the FRP is valid til 25 Sept, but I told the school many times I would need to renew my passport over the holidays, so don't bother doing it yet. Plenty of time when I get back to renew anyway. So I'm still legal.

[lostinasia]

Hmmm

Well the two year contract resolves the issue (almost)

That's crap about Permits being issued for only 1 year - you can get it for up to 5 years - the legal, maximum length of contract for a foreigner - the PSB's even list the price for 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 year permits - I believe 5 year is/was 1200.

As for the FEC - well, you say that they didn't give it to you - but it MUST have been issued (in theory) or you would not have obtained a Z Visa and Resident Permit.

If you had a 2 year contract, then you should have had a FEC and Resident Permit, which you do.

You need a copy of the FEC - which is exactly why the TEACHER should keep his FEC and not just a copy, the contract, and copy of your old Resident Permit.

In theory it should be simple to re-issue the proper credentials - that is the whole point of multiple re-entry - as well as for a lost/renewed passport.

When I first came to China I had a similar situation. I lost my passport only days before leaving Korea to come to China - got an emergency replacement from the Embassy and entered China - I already had my entry visa to China - just told the guy at the airport and he verified my existing visa (did not have permit yet of course) - got to China and everyone just scratched out and replaced the passport number - - -

So--

1 - New passport
2 - 2 year contract
3 - 1 year Resident Permit
4 - Unknown issue length of FEC

If the FEC was one year, then you legally have ended your employment - regardless of what the contract says - because the FEC gives you legal rights to work, not the contract. So if the FEC is one year, then you need to go through the entire process again as the Resident Permit would thus be invalid.

Theory of course

Oddly, many countries also have the rule that you cannot renew your passport until it is one year from the expiration ...

[clomper]

Hmm.. I don't know if it's a case to case basis..

I did a passport change last year before leaving Australia. I think I mentioned this already in one of the threads. My passport is valid until 2010 but since the Australian Embassy found that the picture part of my visa has a crack on it, they suggested changing it after I got my tourist visa with them.

To make the long story short, I have two passports at that time with my Australian and RPF in my old one and nothing in my new one. Went to Australia and back with no problems. Just took a long time in Shenzhen Chinese border as they have to flip back and forth from one passport to another. They stamped my entry in the new passport. I don't have my FEC at that time since I didn't know but I have it in my apartment.

If they changed the rules from Jan. last year then my info is useless..

[lostinasia]

Did they at least cut out part of your passport ?

My first passport (long ago) had around 100 pages, so when I renewed at expiration they let me keep my old passport - but they made this diagonal cut through it - i.e., chopped off the corners

Australia let's you keep the old passport?

[clomper]

I don't hold an Aussie passport.. I said I went and get a tourist visa.

Anyway, no cuts.. just used a double hole punchers on pages I haven't used.

[mike w]

Got myself a new passport in Beijing because the old one was full. Visa wasn't transferred and the old passport wasn't cancelled.
When I got my new visa in my new passport, I asked the British Consulate about cancelling the old one.
They told me to cut the top corner from the back cover myself. Did that - had no problems. Just got the second visa in my new passport

[Songbird]

They cut the corners on both front and back covers of my passport (therefore 'cancelling' it), but they didn't cut/ punch/ do anything to any of the pages on the inside of it.

Maybe tomorrow then they'll laugh me out of the consulate and tell me to have a good trip and wish me happy everyday

[Songbird]

Update:

I had to get a tourist visa. They refused to give me anything else, even though I had all the paperwork to show them. I have now advised my boss via email, hope he's not too cranky !

Other than that, I'll be leavin on a jet plane on Monday bound once again for the Middle Kingdom!

[Mpho]

I had a similar problem a few years ago with a US passport and an already issued residence permit.

When I went to renew my passport, I left a note with it saying not to punch a hole in the residence permit. The new passport was used to enter China with the old passport without a hole in the residence permit at Beijing Airport with NO problems.

All the other pages in the old passport had a hole punched through them.

Mpho

[Songbird]

Mpho, nobody would tell me that! I don't have any holes punched through any pages, just the front and back covers cut.

There is another teacher in this situation at my school too- she also needed a new passport but she's not quite so lucky- she's returning the same time as me and hasn't done anything about it so she's a little concerned about being deported on arrival- unless of course what Mpho says is right....