Transferring/Extending residence permit

[Whartron77]

Hello,

I have just finished teaching at one school and have been offered a job at another starting in August.In the meantine I'll be travelling in China and back to England.

My current school are saying that I must have my residence permit cancelled (otherwise valid until 18th Sept) and be given a single entry, 1 month tourist visa before I can be paid.

However, my new school are asking that I send a copy of the foreign experts card and a reference from the previous school to them so they can help me get a new visa/permit.

Can anyone please clear some of the mud away and give me an idea of how to proceed. Gratefully, Whartron77.

[Tianjin42]

This is a tricky situation and to be honest the rules depend on a host of factors like your location, your boss's guanxi and even the member of staff you see on the day.

If you are moving from one Z-Visa to another the best way to do this is for your current employer to send a release certificate to your next employer and so it can be extended without you leaving the country. However, in my experience, current employers aren't that keen to help out employees that intend to leave. If you can by any chance have them sign a leaving/reference certificate and pass on residence certificate that would be best.

The current employer is responsible for you whilst you are on their Z-visa so once you finish with them, some like to cancel the visa though most will allow some time for travel etc.

If you need a completely new Z-visa (i.e. no extension to your current one) you will need to get this back in the U.K. to do that(there are exceptions but they are rare).

Strictly speaking you should be required to leave the country in order to cancel the Z-visa and take up a tourist visa though this is not as widely enforced.

If I was you I would speak to your next employer to see what they would require exactly in order to extend the current visa. Then do your best to get these things from your current employer.

If your current employer will not budge then you probably don't have much option. You could ask your current employer at the very least, not to cancel your curernt visa until you return to the U.K., and then you could apply for your new z-visa through the consulate in England.

Hope this helps.