Job Discussion Forums

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

Good day friends,

Hoping for some helpful advice from those more experienced in changing jobs than I am.

My situation is as follows:
I am changing jobs in the summer from a job in a Tier-2 city (difficult and expensive to get to Europe from) to a Tier-1 city. I gave the required notice but the current employer is not known for being "helpful" re: release letter and reference. I finish my current employment on 20th June. The accommodation is provided by the current employer and I plan to vacate and hand over the keys immediately after I finish my employment. I start my new job on 14th August. I have a residence permit that is valid until next January in my current passport. I would like to go back to my home country for a while in between.

Here, as I see it, are my options:
1) Leave China shortly after 20th June, returning a month later to finally pick up the release letter (as far as I'm aware, the employer must by law produce it within 30 days). Then move to the new city, staying in a hotel if necessary and hand over the documents.
2) Remain in China for up to a month after (probably staying in hotel), repeatedly requesting the release letter. Then send it to the new employer and get on a plane home for a few weeks so.
3) Remain in China. Do something in between such as an intensive Chinese course (one that provides accommodation).
4) Go home, get a new passport (thus, I believe, obviating the need for a release letter). Get the invitation letter sent to my home country.
5) Any other suggestions?

If anyone has any opinions on the right course of action, I'd be pleased to hear them.

Thanks

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

I start my new job on 14th August. I have a residence permit that is valid until next January in my current passport. I would like to go back to my home country for a while in between.

If you already have a job lined up, what do you need a letter of release and a letter of recommendation for?

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

thebroformerlyknownaschou · Joined: 09 May 2014 Posts: 96

get the release letter now. employers will often provide the letter in
advance if you ask. no need to wait until end of contract.

there are links on the forum......forms in chinese only, or chinese and english.

download, fill in the form, print. take to fao. ask for signature and seal of
department head and (methinks) school leader. say you'll be back in 4 days
to pick it up, cause you need it to apply for other positions.

there's no reason for them to hold it back, especially if you do most of the
work for them. or is there some other problem?

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

Plan B: just ask the new school apply for a letter of invitation, have it sent to you while you are in your home country, then re-apply for a Z visa.

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

Thanks, everyone, for your replies so far.

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

Toast · Joined: 08 Jun 2013 Posts: 428

expatteacher1 · Joined: 12 Mar 2014 Posts: 37

Thanks for that. I have sent the standard form to the HR Supervisor (cc foreign Academic Co-ordinator). I have had no reply from the HR Supervisor. A casual chat with the Academic Co-ordinator - he said he 'sees no reason why the release letter should delayed', but anecdotal experience I've heard from previous teachers does not bear this out.

Any suggestions where I can go from here?

I'm thinking option 2 might be the best.

Bud Powell · Joined: 11 Jul 2013 Posts: 1736

Toast · Joined: 08 Jun 2013 Posts: 428

ymmv · Joined: 14 Jul 2004 Posts: 387

I'm pretty sure the FEC cancellation system is now entirely online nationwide. That is, you turn in your FEC to your old school, they register/deliver it to the local FEB which cancels it on their system. It maybe generates (as Toast mentions) a print out that it's been cancelled. The FEB in your new city logs into the system and receives a message that either your previous FEC has not been cancelled and thus they cannot issue a new one for you, or else your old one's been cancelled and you're good-to-get a new one. Getting an FEC is one of the requirements of working validly in the education sector on a Z-visa/current Residence Permit.

The release letter is a different matter, perhaps required by the PSB (which is a different organ from the FEB). The PSB is concerned, I think, with making sure which work unit is responsible for the FT in case of trouble.

The two requirements seem similar, but are different in that they seem to be required by two different organs. You gotta jump through both hoops.

bestteacher2012 · Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 160