Job Discussion Forums

[samhouston]

I had a residence permit from my previous job, and once it got close to expiring, I went to HK and got an L visa to tide me over while I sort things out with the new company in China. I'm not getting a RP extension, and I've already effectively canceled my existing RP with a new temporary visa. In order to get the Z visa procedure underway with the new company, will I need a copy of my FEC or a release letter from my previous employer?

[xiao51]

[englishgibson]

Dear xiao,

Your reply makes sense and having lived in this country for a while, yes, no and maybe could as well be the answers to just one question. Then, there are so many local laws, rules, regulations or practices that do not nearly ressemble the ones of Beijing.

EG

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Dear Sam,

Your inquiry on the topic of RPs is one of the most interesting ones for FTs working in China.

I am in a similar situation too, although I have not cancelled my RP. I am about to move to another city in this fine country of so many systems and am also wondering. I hope I will not have to make that trip to HK and have my one month L accepted for transfer to RP in another locality.

Reading your original post, I am assuming you have not accomplished your employment contract. Why did you have to cancel your RP? If you have an agreement with your employer that allows you to move on, you should get that Release Letter. However, and some of us might not know that if you work in some locations, such as Guanxi for example, you might need a Recommandation Letter along that Realease Letter for the new employer and the PSB. Believe it or not, it has become a regulation in some areas of this country. We've also had a thread on this one and there're some useful pasted regulations on..even in Chinese.

Thank you for opening up this fine RP can that even the local police sometimes is intrigued by.

EG

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Dear readers,

I don't wanna sway this topic to the disadvantage of our OP, but one question is on my mind. What would the local police station say, if an emploiyee finishes the contract/RP with an employer and then decides to extend his/her RP with another employer in the same city? Would he/she have to get an L first, make that HK trip for Z/F, or be allowed to extend his/her RP directly with the new employer?

I know xiao has the answer, but I really would like to read some of your experiences on the topic here.

Cheers and beers to all FTs in China

[China.Pete]

"What... if an employee finishes the contract/Residence Permit with an employer and then decides to extend his/her RP with another employer[.]" -- English Gibson

You should surrender your Foreign Experts Book to the first employer (making sure they cancel it), obtain a Release Letter and, if necessary, a recommendation letter. Then, with this documentation, the new employer will be able to extend your RP -- assuming you/they were not so rash as to allow your previous RP to expire.

[drjtrekker]

[suanlatudousi]

As a matter of curiosity, where is your current job (based on current Resident Permit) and where is your future job ? I mean, which provinces?

In theory anyway, you should be able to just have your documents changed over to your new job, with no need to leave China. There is no reason to have to get a new visa, unless maybe it was canceled and now you're on another visa type, L for example.

Unfortunately, many employers have no clue as to the actual process: in fact, I have found that I am the one informing the police department as well as to the process with some details, such as no-need to have a new medical clearance if you remain in the same job and in fact the same province at time of renewal.

[drjtrekker]

Going from Sichuan to GZ.

[xiao51]

[kev7161]

Well, this WAS four years ago, so take what I say with a BIG grain of salt:

When I ended my contract with my former school in Hangzhou (remember, 4 years ago), I did not have to get a new visa in my passport. I honestly can't remember if I even got a release letter (I wasn't quite as "savvy" as I am now in the ways of China ) but I do know I just simply moved to Suzhou and the school here took care of my new RP and FEC with NO problems at all. I had all my documentation within a couple of weeks. Of course, I've stayed at the same school since so I've never had to deal with new visa/new RP issues, just throwing in my two jiao.

[naturegirl321]

[China.Pete]

"Hope that after five years it's been canceled." -- Naturegirl

Not sure what the procedures for the school are, but I understand they can be audited, whatever that means, and perhaps they have to balance the number of Foreign Experts Certificates they've sponsored with the number of white faces regularly found on campus. Some schools will accordingly retain the FEC (a no-no from the foreign teacher's point of view) or get very excited about getting it back when you leave. I also did not get asked for it when I left my first employer several years ago, but was asked to turn it in when I applied for a new one later on.

[evaforsure]

[suanlatudousi]

[evaforsure]

[d moon]