Tsuris
Joined: 25 Mar 2008
Posts: 69
Location: Wasting My Life Away in China
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 Posted: Sat Aug 09, 2008 10:08 am Post subject: Re: Are "recommendation letters" a visa requiremen |
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| North China Laowei wrote: |
| if one has been here for a while, there need not be a letter of recommendation from the most recent employer (if there are letters from past employers, written, of course, in the elogious (sic) of manners) but a letter of release will be required. In any case, there has been a move in most provinces to a standardized form that combines LORel and LORec in one form. |
As is true with just about everything in China, there may be provincial differences at play here.
The way I understand it is that the letter of recommendation must be from the current employer, i.e., the one who has sponsored the current residency permit and not from a prior one. Certainly prior letters of recommendation can be used to build your case, but at least the PSB (in my neck of the woods anyway) are demanding that they have, in their possession, a letter from the current employer particularly in the case of those who are applying for a renewal.
The primary reason for this is logistical and it's one of the few things in China that actually makes sense. If an employee is going to finish his contract at the end of July and he applies for a new position in April or May, it's not valid or even reasonable for an employer to issue a post-dated letter of release--so the recommendation letter kills two birds with one stone until such time that the employee actually does finish his contract. The thinking is that the recommendation letter confirms that all is well, i.e., the applicant is not a menace to Chinese society and that the employee will finish his contract, receive the letter of release and all will proceed as planned.
Yes, you are right, a letter of recommendation was always technically required but rarely enforced. What is different about the May 2008 regulation is that it specifically stipulates a letter from the current employer as a requirement--or at least that is what our contacts over at the PSB are telling us... and we've confirmed this with a couple of provincial officials.
PS. I assume you meant eulogious? Smile. |
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