By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: RP extension. Legalities.
Hi everyone. Please, give me an advice what to do in a following situation. My current contract ends on 30th oh June, as well as my Residence permit. I’ve found a new job in another province. Recently I signed my new contract. It starts on September. On summer I am gonna fly to my home country and stay there till the beginning of my new job. My new employer told me that at the end of my current contract I must ask my university for release and reference letters and FEC cancelation, then email them all these documents scan copies to convert RP to the new one (smth like that…). My Qs are:
1. When I have to ask my current employer for those papers? Whether in a month before the contract and RP expiration or earlier? Maybe even now?
2. After my new employer receive scan copies of mine what are his next steps in a paper process? (Whether he must apply for WP, or just convert my current RP to the new one? How will he do it? What about terms? I am curious, I dont know how it works (all these working permit, residence permit, FEC.... should they apply for all papers again or only for some of them?)
3. How will I enter China in September? Will my new school send to me the documents (maybe new invitation letter or smth else) while I am staying in my homecountry for submitting them to the local visa office?)
4. Whether two month will be enough to renew the document that allow me to work in China legally or my new employer probably suggest me to come to china in September on business or tourist visa and renew RP after my arrival?
Maybe it’s a total mess I’ve just written here.. I am really confused.... I tried to find proper information on this website but still haven’t figured out how it works in my situation, explain it to me please... thank you in advance.
9 years 33 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
<p>Last time I checked, there is a deadline of 30 days if you wish to switch jobs on the go.</p><p> </p><p>Past this delay, then I believe you will need apply for a new WP, which means, the whole process.</p><p> </p><p>1. You should have them in your pocket before you leave.</p><p>2. You'll need your FEC and an invitation letter at the consulate to apply. WP comes after, once you are in China with your Z visa.</p><p>3. See 2. Normally this should be fast. Maybe you could discuss with them an earlier date so that you can just switch instead of starting over?</p><p>4. Never arrive on anything else than a Z visa if you intend to work. Never.</p>
iryna_keis:
<p><em>"You'll need your FEC and an invitation letter at the consulate to apply. WP comes after, once you are in China with your Z visa</em>"... which consulate? Chinese or my home country one?</p>
RiriRiri:
<p>Why would you apply for a Chinese document at your country's consulate? Of course everything happens in a Chinese administration.</p>
RiriRiri:
<p>Why would you apply for a Chinese document at your country's consulate? Of course everything happens in a Chinese administration.</p>
<p>Last time I checked, there is a deadline of 30 days if you wish to switch jobs on the go.</p><p> </p><p>Past this delay, then I believe you will need apply for a new WP, which means, the whole process.</p><p> </p><p>1. You should have them in your pocket before you leave.</p><p>2. You'll need your FEC and an invitation letter at the consulate to apply. WP comes after, once you are in China with your Z visa.</p><p>3. See 2. Normally this should be fast. Maybe you could discuss with them an earlier date so that you can just switch instead of starting over?</p><p>4. Never arrive on anything else than a Z visa if you intend to work. Never.</p>
iryna_keis:
<p><em>"You'll need your FEC and an invitation letter at the consulate to apply. WP comes after, once you are in China with your Z visa</em>"... which consulate? Chinese or my home country one?</p>
RiriRiri:
<p>Why would you apply for a Chinese document at your country's consulate? Of course everything happens in a Chinese administration.</p>
RiriRiri:
<p>Why would you apply for a Chinese document at your country's consulate? Of course everything happens in a Chinese administration.</p>
Before RP expiration, your present employer must take you to PSB (police), where you'll get 30-days visa (either 'extension of RP', L or S2 visa).----- 'Chinese law'
When you arrive to the new job site, your new employer will have 30 days to extend your RP, and you don't need to exit China.
You must have Release letter and Cancelation of FEC certificate from present employer. If you complete the Contract, your employer is required to submit this two docs. to you or your new employer in 30-days after your last working day.----'Chinese law'
With this 2 docs. your new employer will be able to extend your RP. As soon as your new employer extend your present RP, you'll be able to travel out of China, and return. You must wait for RP extension, before you can exit China/travel home.
For more detailed explanation call SAFEA (FEB) in your Province. I won't tell you how to get SAFEA's ph. no.
OK, let it be, buTT....this is the last time!
'Enter SAFEA in search above for address and ph.no. in your city'.
icnif77:
WTFok? Let me dial 'Up-yours' in Russia. We need professional to fix eChina soft-lines-ware. P.S. Does last smiley remain you on 'UP-YOURS'? Not the same, buTT.....very similar.
iryna_keis:
<p>Thanks a lot! How do u think is it possible to get RP extension before 30th of June (the date when my current contract and RP expire)?</p>
icnif77:
No, you can't do it before. You will get 30-days L visa to extend your present RP. Your Contract and RP expire on the same day. That means, you must be in the classroom at RP expiration. 30-days L is just an extension of your RP. Then, your new school must extend RP till the end of new Contract validity. Your passport goes to PSB for a week or two. RP expiration on June 30th + 30-days L visa till July 29th. You'll get passport back with new RP around Aug. 10th. PSB (police) will accept your passport for RP extension not earlier than 14 days before expiration (July 15th). I suggest, you leave China after you get RP extension. If you leave China before RP extension, your new school must apply for new WP, and you must apply for new Z visa at Chinese Embassy in your home. Ask about it at your new school. They will tell you the same.
iryna_keis:
Oh… But I cant stay in China till 10th of August. Just because I don’t have where to stay and what to do during the summer vocation. Is it only one way to change job in China and renew RP? Is there another road for me? What if I start the process from the very beginning? what if my new employer apply for WP, then for invitation letter, then give it to me before my departure or if I leave China before the documents are ready he would mail them to my home country and I will apply for z-visa in my home country visa office. And in 30 days of entry China (in September) my new school will apply for new RP. Do u think it is possible? Will my new employer agree to handle everything like that? There is enough time I suppose… why not?
icnif77:
You should talk to your new employer about right process. Tell them, you must vacate your apartment by .......date, and you need an apartment at new school. If they want to employ you, they must have apartment ready for you.
For employer is much easier and less costly to extend RP, than to apply for new Working permit, and then Z in your home country.
There is one possibility to slightly speed-up RP extension. Your new employer should apply for new Foreign Expert Certificate at SAFEA as soon as you'll give them Release letter and FEC Cancel Certificate. On June 30th, you'll be ready to travel to the new job location. If School has new FEC at that time (what I doubt it's possible), they might convince PSB to give you new RP, however it will be shorter than your new Contract. RP is issued for one year for English teachers. Some Provinces PSBs might deal differently, than by my experience. It never happened to me, PSB would do as you're asking.
1. Last working day on 06/30th.
2. 30-days L till 07/29th.
You'll arrive to the new job location on 07/2nd. Your new employer has 27 days to extend your RP.
PSB won't accept your passport for RP extension before 07/15th. In some Provinces time when PSB accept passport for RP is not earlier than 7 days before L expiration. They usually keep passport 14 days.
You won't be able to exit China before Aug. 10th.
Your new employer won't agree to apply for new WP and Z.
iryna_keis:
Got it! Thank you very much. Now I understand how it looks like… But my new employer wont give me accommodation, only housing allowance will be provided according to my contract. After your suggestion I am about explaining to my new school that I don’t have where to stay in summer... Maybe I will ask to give me kind of house while the RP extension process will be held. May be they even offer me kind of part time job or summer camp to enable me to earn some money. Because I counted to stay on a parental care during my nonpayment vocation, but it turns that I should stay in China for more than one month longer without any income.
icnif77:
You could look for the Summer Camp job also.
Explain to your new school your housing reality. Just tell them, you don't have anywhere to live from 06/30 till the beginning of new semester.
If they'll extend your RP, they should give you housing allowance.
Is your new employer CTN by any chance? If 'yes', write 'Helen' in search above for some threads about CTN.
iryna_keis:
haha )))) CTN is my current employer. I was waiting for working visa for 6 months and my salary is the lowest i have even heard about in China. of cause i will never sign with them again. My new one is Guangzhou Worlda Educational and Consulting Services CO.LTD. Do u know smth about them? or any websites where i could check it out?
CTN will require you vacate apartment on the same day as your Contract expire. If you'll ask them to stay in the apartment another 30 days during L visa, they'll ask you for rent. They are the worst leeches in China. However, Helen will always employ and sponsor Z for Non-native English teachers (because nobody else would sign Contract with them).
You must talk to 'Guangzhou Worlda .....' about your housing during RP extension. First, tell them that English word 'world' isn't spelled 'worlda' as it is in their title on Yahoo-gle, and they should correct that. You might score few 'points' with them.
As I saw it very quick, they are Chinese employment agency.
If you want to get more info about certain school, you can just open Q here with their name in title. Maybe somebody's currently working with them.
When you ask Q, more readers can see it than now, when we have chat at your last Q.
http://www.uniagents.com/en/consultants/guangzhou-worlda-cultural-educat...
iryna_keis:
Yeah, Helengroup sucks. I am only one among seven teachers who come to China the same day and who finally obtained a working visa. We keep in touch and they all are still staying on F (business) visas… and not only non natives but natives also were cheated with visas buy CTN. I was lucky, maybe because my university administration had persisted on my legal status. Even my salary sucks I satisfied about my first year in China coz now it’s much easier for me to sign next contract with better conditions. As u told before, it’s much easier for prospective employers to renew RP than to apply for new working visa. I guess now I have better chances in China than I had a year ago.
About housing… I live in a campus, so Helen doesn’t pay rent for me. Maybe I talk with my uni administration and they allow me to stay here a bit longer… anyway I hope I will solve it. Thanks again for ur advise.
about WorldA…. Its really funny, but the guy’s interviewing me English was pretty good))))
icnif77:
Tell other FT without Z to call SAFEA, same as I did. SAFEA will make Helen to get all FTs proper working visa. Purpose of SAFEA (Foreign Expert Bureau) is help to FTs working in China. If you have any problem with School, because they disrespect Contract, you should dial SAFEA. See here, how many times I called them: http://answers.echinacities.com/question/do-you-think-its-possible-icnif77-gets-paid-safea?type=alatest#lastcomment
Helen is the only Co. in China, which can guarantee Z visa pick-up in HK. That's rare in China.
If you read my thread on 'Helen', you can get pretty good guidance how to deal with Helen.
Every FT you know should dial SAFEA. Address and contact numbers of SAFEA in each Province can be obtain from my post here: http://answers.echinacities.com/question/address-safea-and-contact-numbers-different-provinces
iryna_keis:
hey icnif77, I have one more idea! Listen to me plz... ive just talked to a friend of mine... and heres what she thinks... id like to know what u think about it..
I am gonna to ask my current employer to give me release letter and RP cancelation ASAP. I will try my best to convince them to do it fast. Then, before 15 days of my RP expiration (around 15th of June) I will go to Guangzhou PSB with my passport, then back to my current school, wait for two weeks while they send me my passport with new RP back and go to my home country. and only in September come to China again. What do u think? Does it look realisticly? Is it safe? Can I trust my new employer and let them take my passport from PSB on my behalf? what if they dont send it to me?
... oh... i am so pessimistic ^(
icnif77:
Teachers slamming Worlda on Dave's Cafe and ESL Teachers Board. Read comments there, before you sign Contract with Worlda.
Some teachers complain they had to travel to job and back home more than 3h per day.
PSB won't accommodate your wishes and plans. They are Chinese Immigration Police.
PSB rules at extension of RP are set. You can't change that. It's wasting a time to try, because they'll send you away.
They'll tell you to come back 5 working days before RP expiration. Then, they'll accept your passport, and keep it for some 2 weeks. You'll get passport with 30-days L back on July 5th or later. L will expire on July 29th. You must hurry-up to the Worlda, so they can start applying for FEC and things.
iryna_keis:
I see. A guy interviewing me told there are two options I can choose: 1) lower salary but accommodation provided and 2) higher salary with no accommodation. So i will be able to look for a house close to my school. He recommended me to choose the second option. But I think i should have plan B. Next week start looking for some more opportunities. Could u give me some advice how to find a decent and honest employer?
icnif77:
There are few Native English teachers, who work for Worlda (and deal with new hire), but boss is Chinese lady, hence school is run by 'Chinese customs'.
Do you think, Worlda wouldn't get teachers apartments close to the Schools, if that would be possible? Either, there are no apartments close-by or there are too expensive for school to rent them. Once, you'll rent your own apartment, you are responsible for anything happened in the apartment. You must also deal with Chinese landlord by yourself.
I never do that! If anything is wrong in School's rented apartment, I dial my school's contact, and they deal with the problems.
Best Co. in China to work as a English teacher is Public School, IMO. Worlda or Helen are taking big part of your salary, if you work for them.
