Job Discussion Forums

[tofuman]

Voodikon,

The school is lying to you about the visa renewal; however, you are in a loosing situation. Your visa should be extendable.

I was actually thinking of starting a thread about the visa scam business in China. Although presently not teaching, previously I was burned on a visa. I paid for a 5 year visa with multiple entries but was given one for the approximate period of my contract, 1 year. The difference in the cost was not refunded!

My current FAO is a sociopathic type, similar to the night mare I had while teaching. He pulled some kind of a shady deal with my visa, getting me one shorter than the school term; consequently, I'll have to renew my visa to complete the entire term, a step which should not be necessary It will certainly be more expensive. He told me so many conflicting stories about the visa, I dread ever entrusting my passport to him again.

The Chinese embassy website has good info about visas, but it still manages to be ambiguous.

[Roger]

Normally the validity of a residence permit (or the old work visa) was or is tied to your tenure; few employers want to sponsor you during your holidays if you do not return to them after those holidays. That's why the end of a semester or the final exams usually is the end of your visa. Extensions are possible - but if the employer isn't willing he isn't willing, full stop.
You can still get an extension by moving to a respectable hotel, stay one or two nights, and go to the P.S.B. yourself. You will need two pictures and some cash (maybe 50 kuai).

[clark.w.griswald]

I don't think that leaving should be something that you consider. If you leave then you are guaranteeing that you won't get those benefits. If you stay you might be given them or in the very least you will be entitled to fight for them.

I recall seeing a situation such as yours on this forum not so long ago and frankly it is disgusting to see schools behaving this way. It seems that you have all the legal documents and therefore it is likely that you are working at a SAFEA recognized school. If so then you have recourse for making a complaint and seeking mediation through SAFEA. Complaints apparently count against SAFEA recognized schools and theoretically they can get their rights to employ foreigners revoked if there are enough complaints, but i am not aware of any case of this having ever happened. It is however a good thing for us all to bear in mind as formal complaints can sometimes have an impact.

I think that if I were you I would speak with SAFEA and the local foreign affairs police. I have always found the foreign affairs police to be very cold on the outside but actually quite helpful if you can get past their icy exterior. What I wouldn't do at this stage is leave, make a scene, or any threats.

Let the school know that you are not happy about the situation and give them (in writing) a point form summary of what you want them to do. Insist in this document that you will not work illegally. If they give you any of that 'it will be okay, don't worry about it' business then say 'OK, but I just want to check with the authorities that it is in fact OK. If they say that it is OK then I won't have a problem.'

Finally, let us know how you go.

[voodikon]

well i thought it mighty silly of them to sign contracts with us through the summer, but then they'd stipulated we'd have only two weeks of vacation during the winter and three weeks in the summer; they thought they'd have work for us during these periods, because they thought that the "english training program" they wanted to offer during the holidays would attract enough students that they could hold them. well, the program advertised during the winter holiday turned out to be a flop, attracting only a handful of students, and not enough to supports its running, so they've known they wouldn't have work for us in the summer and are now trying to weasel out of their promises.

and i'd certainly consider (and likely would) work for them next year, but they suddenly don't want me, though they can't tell me any specific reason why, other than "the students said they can't learn from" me. whatever that's supposed to mean. (i've never missed a day of work; i willingly took on six additional classes when another teacher bailed on them and the other teacher, whose contract they want to renew, refused to; i generally show up to their dumb voluntary "extracurricular activities"; i put effort and energy into organizing the other teachers and my lesson plans; and i thought i had developed a pretty good rapport with my students. was it my lack of "yellow hair" or the fact that i don't just throw on a dvd every class period? i'll never know.). yeah, i'm pretty insulted and bitter about the whole thing. and to be told this with two weeks of exam-giving to go, it's getting mighty hard to get up and go to work each day.

[vikdk]

[clark.w.griswald]

[Voldermort]

[Malsol]

[tofuman]

Voodikon, Your description of all that you did for your school, only to be terminated does sound painful. I felt this type of pain for many years in a service oriented "profession." It is not at all unique to FTs. Many people who enter this kind of work are essentially codependent types. By nature, we hook up with people who will abuse, not appreciate, or victimize us.

Similar to women who stay with abusive husbands. Others fret when the devoted wives are finally murdered, but really, there is something in their sick mind that asks for this.

Not a few people working in China are in similar positions. Possibly suffering from low self esteem, or disrespect of oneself for various reasons, we try to deal on the level with people whose entire life experience has been on a slant.

Tough situation.

Re: Clark W. Griswald. I found Clark to be a decent guy trying to do something to improve the situation of FTs in China. You guys are all hat, no cows.

[Roger]

I will second that - Clark has done his best in giving a helpful answer, and some posters are merely looking for a fight where there should be no fight at all.

There isn't that much you can do in China, laws notwithstanding. It's always a gamble. The best advice is to try to cut your losses!

Try to get some authority involved, but it will be a fiasco: it's going to be a "she said" versus "he said" game.

The police here are amateurs, the judiciary is composed of ideologues and amateurs, and the schools are run by despots; in the end it's a "us Chinese versus foreign Barbarians" game.

I would love to report something nicer but my opinion on China's authorities is deeply marked by scathing disappointments due to their unreliability. Chinese loathe nothing more than having to go nout of their way and show some initiative and imagination. Two burglaries in three weeks in my life - and the cops, in spite of my giving them leads and clues, stay in the airconditioned comfort of their offices and sip tea, doing nothing else. You can also call it "pass the buck" - they actually suggested I pursue justice through the court! In other words: the police have no mandate to prevent crime even if they know who is going to commit it!

[william wallace]

nil

[Susie]