Residence permit renewal

[helvetus]

Hello to all,

I am a French teacher in Wuhan. My residence permit will finish on the 10th of July. I just found a new teaching job in Dalian but they told me that I have to come back to my country, Switzerland, to apply for a new Z visa.

Is there a way for my new employer to renew my current residence permit for another year in China ? Or do I really have to leave China to get a new Z visa?

Thanks for your attention

Best regards

[Senzhi]

I'm afraid that, if your new employer wants to do everything by the book, they are right: your residence permit is connected to your work permit. Your current employer will cancel your work permit, and has the right the cancel your residence permit, on which you will be issued an exit visa.

Which basically means you'll have to leave the country and apply again for a z visa from your country of residence, through the documents your new employer will provide you.

So far the theory.

Try to negotiate with your current and new employer. Explain them how cumbersome this procedure is, and the current visa problems with the Olympics. If they're smart and have some guanxi they'll likely help to find a solution. If they are pure bureaucrats, you're in for some summer walking in the Swiss mountains again. If that would happen, think positive: it's a good opportunity to visit family and friends again ... a kind of (unpaid) holiday. Good luck.

[roddy]

With everything visa-related being up in the air the moment it's hard to say. One member here has recently got a Z visa in HK, so that might be an option.

In the past this was complicated, but doable. The only time I did it (years back now) involved sending my passport back to the city I used to be in so that the PSB there could officially take me off their books, allowing the new city to issue a new residence permit. But since then residence permits have changed a bit, plus the current uncertainty . . .

[Senzhi]

One member

Roddy, could it be that, for obvious reasons, UK, Irish, Canadian, or Austrialian citizens would be able to apply from Hong Kong?

Even though, I had one colleague from Wales, here on an F visa, and he simply had to go back to the UK to get his Z visa ... no discussion ... no Hong Kong.

Helevetus, in general, I would try. However, I would not make any other assumptions than that you'll have to go back to your country.

In my personal case, even my Z visa was refused initially in Ireland (where I was residing and working for 6 years), simply because "Belgians can't speak English". I came here on an L, F visa, and then I received a residence permit ... in that order.

Bureaucracy! Hell, my hometown (Ostend) is even closer to London than Manchester is!!!! :roll:

[self-taught-mba]

British friend had to go back. No HK for him. Last week.