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Q: Work permit was cancelled but my residence permit still valid?
I changed jobs recently, and even though I signed a paper stating that the work visa I had with them was cancelled, I've still been traveling with it, going in and out of the country no problem. I recently got a short term business visa, but when I go to the police station to register, they ignore it completely and just look at the old, 1 year residence permit.
Is this normal or do their databases just not update things?
12 years 2 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
The work ("Z" type visa should have an expiration date on it. Either on "validity" or "expires on" and then the date. In theory, once you enter China on a work "Z" visa, it should be canceled within 30 days and substituted by the combination of the FEC, work permit and residence permit. This last one, takes over the visa part. Residence permits are given for work purposes for the period of your contract, and also have an expiration date.
I have no idea how you can enter the country on an old expired visa, or apply for a Registration of Temporary Residence on an expired residence permit. I never heard of that done previously.
Work permit is made by labour bureau... Residence permit is given by the usual emmigration office based on work permit. Normally the Residence permit expiry date will be work permit expiry date. So its supposed to be interconnected... so if work permit is cancelled.. i think then residence permit is to be cancelled as well... but there is no automated connection between labour bureau and emmigration.. so it wont be automatically cancelled. I have stayed in china for ~6 months after my work permit was cancelled.. but residence permit remained intact.
But legally .. i remember there are gudelines for this. You are allowed to switch employer in china.. But once Work permit is cancelled.. you should in that case apply for new work permit at the new location within 10days. Then it is fully legal. In my case i did apply within 10 days.. but the process took 6 months!! Nobody complained.. Once the new Work Permit was ready.. a new residence permit was issued.
That is completely normal and the law for transfer of work permit is 30 days after it is first cancelled.
