I want to change jobs but my boss says if I leave he will cancel my visa, can he or is it just an empty threat? My new job will apply for a working visa but only after Ive done a trial month. What happens if he cancels it before my new job applys for my new visa? Is there anyway to know if its been cancelled or not? Also my company wont give me the foreign experts certificate book - do I need this to change jobs? Can they legally keep it? Ive asked all my friends about this but no-one knows!!
Thanks so much for any help given!

If you have a Z visa, it is transferrable. I am uncertain why you let the company keep your certificate book though since i believe its actually yours. maybe contact an lawyer to ask how it works to be certain, but obviously your boss is an arse and deserves to be outed as soon as this is all over. Name and company would be nice / Good luck.

Yes, try to get this as soon as possible because I think you need it

holly1980 wrote:I want to change jobs but my boss says if I leave he will cancel my visa, can he or is it just an empty threat? My new job will apply for a working visa but only after Ive done a trial month. What happens if he cancels it before my new job applys for my new visa? Is there anyway to know if its been cancelled or not? Also my company wont give me the foreign experts certificate book - do I need this to change jobs? Can they legally keep it? Ive asked all my friends about this but no-one knows!!
Thanks so much for any help given!

Unless you physically surrender your passport in order to have the PSB cancel your visa, it is all but impossible for your boss to have it cancelled, period. Of course, your work visa is tied to one specific employer so that means you can't legally work for another employer though your visa is not cancelled, but so many people do it anyhow and it's highly unlikely you'll get busted.

I'm not sure what you mean by FEC book, but I assume it's something like a work permit for teachers or something. If you have your work permit, it makes switching employers easier when you re-apply for a work visa, but it is not the end of the world if you don't have it.

Your Z working visa he can't do anything about. Even tought you aren't working in Shanghai anymore, you can still live and stay on your Z visa until it expires.

The other book he has must be your Ailien Working Permit... here I'm not so sure, because here he can cancel. What he can cancel is your working permit for his company. Which means you can't legally work for him anymore, i suspect you don't give a **** . However, you're gonna need to give this book to your new employer so he can add his company in there...

I don't think this book matters all that much. Just tell the visa people your old boss dosn't want to give it back and you need a new one for your new job and you're all solid. You don't need this book when you exit the country anyway.

What kinda job? Is the book you talk about a proof that you know something special or is it actually the ailien working permit?

Alien Employment Permit. The little red book. I'm looking at it now. It just states then my employment at my current company expires. I guess the boss can cancel that, but of course you have possession of your own passport. If he keeps the Alien Employment Permit, I'm guessing that your new company would have to go through the entire process of applying for it all over again.

OP mentions Foreign Experts Certificate. This is usually an item additional to the work permit that authorizes the holder to work as an English teacher.

In any event, whether it be the work permit or FEC, they are not crucial to your continued stay in China. The key is not surrendering your passport for visa cancellation. A new work permit and / or FEC can be very easily obtained by your new employer.

A word of caution: some employers withhold your final paycheck unless you surrender your actual visa for cancellation.

Assuming another scanario for discussion:

Job A: Contract 1 year, expires in 31 Dec 2006.
By 31 Dec 2006, decided not to renew the contract, thus, the Employer A does not renew the visa for you.
But u intend to stay in Shanghai and work for Emmployer B (Job B).

But the contract for Job B starts in 1st Mar 2007. (To start Job B in Jan 07 is not possible due to specific reasons.)

What are you going to do for your visa in Jan and Feb 07?

Any ideas?

Use traveller's visa and go in and out of HK to get it renewed before March 1st?
I heard this is quite common... but still u might want to get more advice.

I don't think you need to go to HK. Just go to Shanghai Public Security Bureau with passport and one photo and fill out an application for L visa which is good for 30 days. Pick up visa and passport in 3 working days and pay 160rmb. Renew visa for another 30 days.

i opened this thread seriously expecting to read something like "unless i blow him"

To be honest he can't cancel your visa period unless he has your passport. He CAN cancel your working permit but that doesn't matter. Retain the working book from the labour department and a visa company can help you switch over to another company. If you don't have a release letter from your current employer though you may n eed to start the whole process over.

As for the question from GGH, you can get a L visa in Shanghai for one month to cover the void.

Call some of the visa agencies and maybe they can help. I refer everyone to Dave at Hotsun because he seems to be able to fix all my friends problems. His number is 13818894237.

^ What is the commission rate?

it could be an empty threat, but for sure that ur boss could cancel ur Z visa. so the best suggestion is u change ur Z visa to F visa. there're more info here: http://www.emoo.net/modules/icontent/index.php?page=28
u can check it out. and if there're any other questions, u can contact me and i'll reply u asap. or u can call me at my office number 51035456 exit 803

Another lie. Your boss cannot cancel your visa.

Well, lemme put myself clearly. You boss cannot cancel your visa if he doesn't have ur visa. But if u don't give him the visa that he'll not give u the certificate of leaving the job. So which means u cannot apply for another job to stay here. So what i suggested is to get a L visa(0) go abroad and went back and transfer to F visa.
If we could do that we certainly will help u. u won't lost any penny for inquiry,right?

All what i was trying is to help, is that wrong? or that everyone should keep quite and nobody got to be helped?

No. It's that when trying to "help" you don't need to sell your useless services, repeat what has been already stated a dozen times, write like a primary school student or otherwise be retarded.