Job Discussion Forums

[guobaoyobro]

Hi all,

New account, long-time lurker. Thought I'd join in on the fun.

I took the plunge and am wrapping my first year in NE China, at a private language center. I like the job, and the city, but the hours and scope (K-12 + weekly University) would wear me too thin for long-term.

I also want to move south, to a bigger city with a music scene. I have guanxi in Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Xi'an, Wuhan. All over really, and want to get a University gig for the low hours, and time off it provides. We live pretty lean on 1,500 RMB / month, so salary is no issue.

I'll be extending my initial 6 month contract for another 6 months, bringing me to a year. I have a B.A., and will have a TESOL cert with 500 hours of in-class experience, with a year at this job. I have friends who can likely get me into their University, but I am planning well in advance, and having multiple back-up options. I understand only one year experience is a disadvantage, but I also understand China and the possibilities. I interview well, am clean cut, and energetic.

That leaves me with :
B.A. (will finish in 2017)
1 year experience
TESOL Cert w/ 500 hours in-class.

My top picks for cities are :
Guangzhou
Shenzhen
Chengdu
Chongqing
Xi'an

Thing is, my contract will go to November 21, 2016 but my Residency Permit expires October 25, 2016 .

I'll be off timing for normal University gig hunting, but I have been digging around, and know February / March starts are more than possible, especially having friends all over China.

My main concern is : What's normal for the Residency Permit renewal at this point?

Three weeks is a long time to float, especially not having another gig, and having hiring season 3 months out. I don't suspect I could have offer paperwork in late November for a Feb/March 2017 start.

I do believe this school renewing my RP for a year even though I am leaving late November is possible.

If this place renews my Residency Permit for another year before leaving, I could then firm up a position in February / March, and my new school would just need to get me a new FEC provided I give them all exit documentation (Release letter, Recommendation, etc)?

Would love some thoughts.

Cheers.

[teenoso]

the dates you give are really confusing - never heard of 11 or 12 months RP (Nov 15 - Oct 16) being given for a 6 month contract (Nov 15 - May 16).

Anyway, once the RP expires you have to leave, unless the school expects you work a few weeks on a tourist visa. If they extend the RP to Nov 16, then as you say it's too early for Feb 17 hires , and you would have to leave China in November, or get a short time tourist visa.
I suggest you try to negotiate a May 16 - August 16 contract, and then apply for September 16 starts at Unis in your favoured cities.

[hdeth]

For a Feb start it may be mid-late December before you have everything done. Going out of the country may be problematic, tourist visas are expensive...kind of a crap situation there. As suggested, negotiating for a different time frame with your current school is probably the best course. Sounds like they may want to cheap out on your residence permit.

[guobaoyobro]

[hdeth]

Last time I renewed, my residence permit went for some months after my job ended. We had to go to the PSB several times because there were a few minor problems with the application each time we went and ended up being a day or two late renewing. Normally the fine is something like 500yuan per day if I remember (and I don't remember that well because there were so many other problems) but we went around apologizing to various people and they waived the fee. Again, this is in Beijing.

My current residence permit expires towards the end of January and my new job starts towards the end of February so not sure how that will work but I'm sure I will find out soon. Hopefully don't have to fly to guangdong in january because we're going to visit my girlfriend's family in Qingdao for new years and tickets for beijing-qingdao-guangdong are a lot cheaper than beijing-guangdong-qingdao-guangdong.

EDIT:
New job says I have to start applying for the residence permit down there at least a week before my current residence permit expires, or I have to go home and do a z-visa from scratch. Problem is my current residence permit expires just a few days after my last day of work...so looking at possibly flying down there on the weekend (expensive) or sending my passport and original degrees by mail (risky, especially in China), and do without a passport for winter vacation. I'm guessing they could send me that receipt back if they mailed it in, the one you can use in place of a passport, but that is quite a bit of risk.

[teenoso]

Agree with above post, the residence permit is usually renewed at least three weeks before the expiry of old one. If any national holidays intervene, then renewal could be four weeks or more before expiry.
If your existing visa expires and you are still in China, you are technically an 'illegal overstayer' and subject to fines, or worse.
You may get away with a few days, but I'm sure the PSB would not overlook a few weeks.
Transferring to a new job always involves logistical juggling , IME, and I have always had to be physically present in the new PSB for the new RP renewal, so sending you passport, Hdeth, might not be an option.

[guobaoyobro]

Actually, I messed my dates up. This makes sense now.

Current contract is October 21 - April 21.

Will either :

- Renew 6 months until October 21, hunt for University gigs in summer and hope to get one, then put in 2 months notice.

- Or - Likely just be up front with them when re-signing a 6 month and tell them my intentions for trying to get a University jobs in September.

I'm tempted to not do that, as it's still very much a "what if" on getting a job.

However, If I could grab a good UNI job in Sept I'd be all set. I suppose we'll see.

[Non Sequitur]

Expect some (or a lot of) change of attitude from you current school when you say you are finishing.