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[englishgibson]

Last month, I agreed to stay on with my employer (former now) for the fifth year and since my passport was not going to be valid for the whole full year of new contract, I had to apply for a new passport.

After giving it some thoughts, I decided not to sign another one year (with an appropriate one-month notice), and so I've got to apply for an L before I find another employer.

My trouble comes with the new passport (just got it) that has of course no visa in and the old one (now corners cut) with the PR only till 27th of April 2009. My, now former employer, has arranged a one-year RP ONLY TILL THE LAST DAY OF MY CONTRACT (27th for past 3 years). Too bad I was scheduled for classes on that freaking day, and the Canadian Consulate seemed to have received my new passport tardi too. This May Day holiday makes it even worse for me and I am wondering how the local PSB is going to reply on my excuse of the overdue RP in my now old passport.

Now, I have a receipt from the Canadian Consulate, when I've got the passport from them, although the date of issue of my new passport is 22nd of April 2009. It took a while for my passport to arrive in China and through its customs.

Has any of you recently been in a situation where you had to deal with a local PSB over your overdue visa in China? If so, how has it been handled? I am aware of the 500 yuan per day fine, but is it avoidable with a plea of guilty with an explanation?

Thank you all for your suggestions or shared experiences on in advance
and
Cheers and beers to my local PSB that'll hopefully like my professional smile with an honest explanation

[suanlatudousi]

A coworker had nearly the same issue 2 years ago in Shandong and he was fined and refused a new RP. He was told quite adamantly that he was responsible for knowing that his passport was going to expire and should have renewed it at least 6 months prior to its expiration. Once the new passport arrives the police would have issues a new permit for the new passport.

In the end he was fined 3000 RMB (after some negotiation) and refused a permit and basically left the country.

He returned to a new province about 5 weeks later without any problems.

[Hansen]

EG, Sorry to learn of your plight. I have had experience with an expired visa due to incompetence in the school FAO department. The PSB was not interested in excuses. They were interested in 500RMB/ day.

Fortunately, someone in my school has a "friend" in the PSB who was willing to waive the fine. I did have to write a formal apology and explanation. I was also caught without a visa due to a stolen passport. Major problem. Again, someone in my school had a friend in the PSB who ironed out the issue.

These favors do not come cheap. Although we benefit, our advocate owes some major "solutions" to whoever helped him fix our problem.

"If things are done right here, the back door will not be necessary. When the back door is needed, if you don't have a friend to open it, find one."

Wise words from the son of a cadre.

[englishgibson]

ok, guys. today, it seems i've settled my epired RP problem and according to the officer in charge my L (for a month) will be issued by next monday.

my morning was extremely stressful though and after i called my (former) employer who was completely unhelpful (wanted to delay the issuance of my release letter further), i felt pretty well down. well, i thought i wanted to kill that sh*t i worked for for full 4 years, and that especially after i found out (from the phone call to the PSB) that the employer i have worked for has yet again, the second time, not renewed his license to employ fts. the center has got 4 fts now and daves forum advertised an opening at that center a few days/weeks ago. further more, and after i insisted i wanted to pick up my release letter at his office, i was told there was "nobody there". i suspect my now former employer has moved his office (twice before in the city) to another location and probably out of the city (this time), although the center still operates at a uni grounds (somewhere)..sorry, at the moment i am really affraid to release any more info about the center's name or location.

then, after contemplating a few other "crimes", i called a few local friends i play tennis with. luckily, one of them is a police officer with a connection at the PSB visa office. she made a phone call to the officer in charge at the local PSB and i had an hour at the station with him. he filled in a few forms, had me sign them and then i went to a bank to make a payment of 1,000 RMB (a fine) for my overstayed RP. i don't know how he arrived to the sum of money, or what it would've been, if my friend didn't make that call. however, what i know is that the regulations about visas seem to be getting really tough with foreigners. for my upcoming L visa that i have applied, i have been asked to provide them with the address where i live and another PSB letter of confirmation that i live there. for my one month traveling L??? yet another shock, when a police officer said that foreigners applying for L in china need to have 100 US dollars per day (proof from bank statement). so, my general feeling is that we may not even be welcomed here in a few years at all.

cheers and beers to my L being issued now as well as cheers and beers to the hard working officers at all local PSBs that have to follow the tough rules now