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Q: If my company is registered in Shanghai and i live and work in Hangzhou?
Is this illegal?
7 years 20 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
I think so, yes.
Of course, in China there are all sorts of relationships and 'grey areas' with employment laws so it might not matter.
Depends if the company has a locally registered company/office in HZ, and what your contract says.
Remember, employment laws etc may be slightly different between SH and HZ... which is why this is often done (it may be easier to get someone a work visa in Shanghai than in HZ).
To give you an idea of how illegal it is, one of the big Disney chain schools (all relatively legit) was forced to shut down because the teachers were legally registered in Shanghai, not Hangzhou.
Stiggs:
I remember hearing about that at the time, I met a guy who got caught up in that mess.
What I took from that is... you have Disney, a huge company that's investing a lot of money in China, you can bet they made all the right connections and I'm sure do everything they can to ensure they are legit in the way they run their business, especially when it comes to working visas for their staff. They're not going to be trying to fly under the radar and hope nobody notices in other words, they obviously thought they were legal and above board.
So when all of a sudden they get closed down, you have to wonder why. I know of people who are registered in a different city from where they live and work, they do it for years and renew their RP every year and it's fine with everybody.Until the day it isn't.
And that's the thing with questions like the OP. There isn't any absolute rule you can apply because what's OK one day might not be OK tomorrow, and what's allowable for one school isn't necessarily allowable for the school next door to it.
Shining_brow:
I knew a few of the staff who were there at the time... most lost their jobs, some got moved to elsewhere.
It depends where your working visa is registered. Its illegal if you are not working at the registered address.
Depends on where your visa was processed. The company may have an office in Hangzhou and processed your resident permit through Hangzhou's PSB, then it's legal.
However, if your RP was obtained through Shanghai's public security bureau and says 上海 on it but you work in Hangzhou, 100% illegal.
In China, you can only work and live in the city where your residence permit was issued.
ironman510:
Listen rookie, a little tip you might want to add in, off the topic a bit but still a good tip, if your Visa is from the Hangzhou PSB and lets say they have 5 offices in Hangzhou, its important to know that he can work at only "one" of those Hangzhou offices, it would be illegal at the other 4, you make it sound like you can work any where at any office as long as the visa is from the same city!
RandomGuy:
LOL stating the obvious, how cute, dude thinks he is some China expert or something. But then, China, anyone who follows the rules is a rookie. not those who work around it. One day you will know that, noob.
I have heard that you're not supposed to live in a different city.
The silkworms in hangzhou are very delicious.
Who cares if it's legal?
It's totally worth of the risk.
*grin*
NicholasBA,
If your work permit and the new unified book replacement for the previous FEC and/or Alien Registration Work Permit are issued in City "A", then you are required to work in that city. If your employer has several places of employment in City "A", and if your employer has indicated to the PSB that you may be assigned to any or all of these places of employment, then indeed that is also valid. Your work permit is tied to the employer itself in his geographical location. For example, should you be working for the Bank of China in Shanghai, you may legally be assigned to any of the Bank of China branches in Shanghai, provided such has been witnessed on your contract of employment and on the application made to the PSB.
Next, should, for example, you wish to avoid the expense of living in Shanghai and you decide to live in Kunshan, or in Suzhou, or perhaps even in Hangzhou, this is also allowed provided that you and or your employer register your place of residence with the local police alien registration office. You will need to retain the white slip of paper as proof of registration. Your employer will need to complete this step for you because of the amount of papers the local police registration office will require of the employer.
That being said, if your work permit is valid for Shanghai, you cannot, without undue worry, seek employment in Hangzhou, Wuxi, Suzhou, Kunshan, etc. That is a guaranteed problem at the mildest, particularly with the prevailing current attitude in the PRC.
Wishing you all the best.
