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Q: New foreign affairs policy for teachers (*Update)?
Hey guys,
A quick question for teachers out there: have you guys heard anything about a new policy coming from foreign affairs that states that teachers must leave China after working for 5 years? Supposedly you won't be able to come back to China for at least 2 years.The school is trying to tell a teacher that she won't be able to get a visa next year because of the 'new' policy.
I'm posting because it isn't mentioned anywhere on the government foreign affairs site or anywhere on the internet for that matter. Seems odd.....
Anyone heard anything like this at all? Thanks in advance for any replies guys. Just trying to help her out, she's pretty worried.
Update: Okay so a few other teachers (at least 3 others) were told that the new policy states that people over 60 will not be able to get a new visa starting next year. These people were not told anything about the 5 year rule; that was only told to the female teacher that I mentioned before.......even more curious........
Also: the school is in Jiangsu province, not sure if this pertains to any other province.
I'm going to give the SAFEA number to one of the teachers that speaks fluent Chinese. I will absolutely update you guys on the information we hear back.
You guys are awesome. Thanks again.
9 years 3 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
This law is just used to get rid of teachers they no longer want, for whatever reason. If they want to keep you they will keep you.
You can get first hand info from SAFEA (Foreign Expert Bureau) in your Province.
Enter 'SAFEA' is search above for address and contact no. in your Province. SAFEA offices on the posted web link are Provincial headquarters, with Chinese English speaker answering the phone anywhere I dialled..
Please, up-date the Board with answer to your question, if you'll talk to the FEB.
icnif77:
@Iron: ''it's completely different matter now.' Mandatory insurance, because of over 60 y old.''. That might be true. School must purchase Insurance for FT. If FT is older than 60y, Insurance might be high, so I assume school would rather look for younger (than 60y old) teacher. You can see notion 'not older than 60y' in most job adverts.
We'll see about reply. I wish to get some positive feedback from 'talking to SAFEA', so I don't look like am employed by them. LOL. 'anymore'
We need to know where she teaches, meaning the city and province? Shandong and Sichuan Province have this law, Qingdao seems to use it.. 2 years ago when it was reactivated I started to freak out because I've been with Wall Street for 4 years at that time and came to my 5th year. I found out that Guangdong Province doesn't have this 5 year law and SAFEA laughed when I asked them directly. No joke, they laughed...
Last year I renewed my working visa for the 6th year without any problems, It's almost July and I'll be renewing my working visa in July for the 7th straight year with the same company... If my 6th year wasn't a problem, I don't think my 7th straight renewal will be a problem..
Now If you or your friend are very worried take a day off and do as icnif77 said and go to SAFEA and ask them straight up! There might be a chance they are trying to flush her out of the school. But who knows, nobody will know until you ask SAFEA and try to get evidence to prove it to your school if they are wrong.
This law is just used to get rid of teachers they no longer want, for whatever reason. If they want to keep you they will keep you.
it may be the case if (s)he is married or otherwise related to a Chinese citizen. 5 years' residence may be grounds for a citizenship application, so they make everyone not on the path to citizenship leave. just a thought.
ironman510:
to add a note: Shanghai starting July 1st will relax Green Card rules. Your job title doesn't matter anymore and only the salary and secured an address (Bought a house.) Only need 4 years in Shanghai and 6 months in China during those yeras.
The law is real - for technology workers (as far as Guangdong's FAO interprets it). As Fada said, it is invoked whenever they don't want to continue a teacher's contract for whatever reason(
.
Ok so lets say that the school does want your friend out, ask for a release letter and canceled copy of the FEC, than just apply for a new job, yes I know taking a pay cut after working 5 years is gonna suck, but no choice. Gotta move on.
Yes, there is a 5 year "law" in most of the bigger cities, however, there is no need to leave China and it is not true about the 2 year return part...
It simply states that the employee can only stay in that particular role for 5 years... so if your employer wants to keep you, they just need to change / invent a new role.. then your 5 years start again...
ironman510:
Your information is BS! Bigger cities? What, ah did you barrow that line from another Chinese article? We're talking about provinces that implement this law. Stupid if the big cities used that law 70% on this site would have posted sh*t about "hey I've been sent home due to 5 years" from the dawn of time, a lot of us are here in a big city, I'm on my 6th straight year, same company, same FEC booklet.. it hasn't been completely confirmed yet that this law has been used.. It's mostly been used a the excuse to let a person with a good 5 years worth of raises walk and save the company money for supplies, God knows.. There has only been rumors and speculation about it. Bigger cities lol? Get out of China man..
Ilikedumplings:
Easy tiger, I'm just going on what I was told by a friend's school accountant...
I'm sure we've all read the article where your info came from "the excuse to let a person with a good 5 years worth of raises walk and save the company money for supplies" on the "Middle Kingdom Life" site and we all read different things about this everywhere... but I don't think I need to "get out of China"... man.
ironman510:
You should use facts, not fictional gossip from accountants who don't offer any evidence to prove the facts!
You don't need Chinese speaker for talk with Provincial SAFEA, especially not in Jiangsu. There is Chinese English speaker answering the phone in Jiangsu SAFEA.
Limit 'over 60 y old' is entirely different matter. It's because of the Insurance, which is mandatory for FT. It must be purchased by employer.
Insurance for FT over 60y old might be (too) high. FT can stay and work at the same school, if she/he purchase/pay for mandatory Insurance.
Offer to the school refund for an Insurance.
I wanted to work a fourth year at my University and was hired and went and took the physical exam (the first step on three). For some reason, the Foreign Expert Bureau told the school that I could not work there a fourth year, but my boss referred myself to another school literally next door.
i panicked when I heard about the refusal and ended up texting a woman at the Foreign Expert Bureau (FEB) about length of stay and she told me it was five years, and my FEC is over five years old with three different employers. New school hires me and my information is sent to Foreign Experts Bureau with myself scared shitless about someone in the office calling me to state a refusal, not to mention my renewal started late because of the bullshit in my first paragraph. Got through the week and get a FEC book, and the college worker stated it was no problem whatsoever. So now I am sitting on my ass for 3 weeks for the PSB to renew my shit so I can go travel, and although I do not fear the PSB as much as the FEB, it sucks to wait around to see if I can live life here one more year, but this is my second round since 2013. I just hate sitting around. I want to go travel!
I wanted to work a fourth year at my University and was hired and went and took the physical exam (the first step on three). For some reason, the Foreign Expert Bureau told the school that I could not work there a fourth year, but my boss referred myself to another school literally next door.
i panicked when I heard about the refusal and ended up texting a woman at the Foreign Expert Bureau (FEB) about length of stay and she told me it was five years, and my FEC is over five years old with three different employers. New school hires me and my information is sent to Foreign Experts Bureau with myself scared shitless about someone in the office calling me to state a refusal, not to mention my renewal started late because of the bullshit in my first paragraph. Got through the week and get a FEC book, and the college worker stated it was no problem whatsoever. So now I am sitting on my ass for 3 weeks for the PSB to renew my shit so I can go travel, and although I do not fear the PSB as much as the FEB, it sucks to wait around to see if I can live life here one more year, but this is my second round since 2013. I just hate sitting around. I want to go travel!
ironman510:
I have heard of a case like this before, a buddy of mine had the same story as yours, we later found out that FEB was disappointed because he didn't reregister his passport after traveling outside of China. Meaning his entry stamps didn't match the local police districts computers. China is getting strict on that law. I'm not sure if you've done a lot of traveling and didn't report back after you returned to China, but I know its a new trend going on. If you don't report that you're back from traveling than you lose a chance to renew.
I wanted to work a fourth year at my University and was hired and went and took the physical exam (the first step on three). For some reason, the Foreign Expert Bureau told the school that I could not work there a fourth year, but my boss referred myself to another school literally next door.
i panicked when I heard about the refusal and ended up texting a woman at the Foreign Expert Bureau (FEB) about length of stay and she told me it was five years, and my FEC is over five years old with three different employers. New school hires me and my information is sent to Foreign Experts Bureau with myself scared shitless about someone in the office calling me to state a refusal, not to mention my renewal started late because of the bullshit in my first paragraph. Got through the week and get a FEC book, and the college worker stated it was no problem whatsoever. So now I am sitting on my ass for 3 weeks for the PSB to renew my shit so I can go travel, and although I do not fear the PSB as much as the FEB, it sucks to wait around to see if I can live life here one more year, but this is my second round since 2013. I just hate sitting around. I want to go travel!
icnif77:
It won't be three weeks for PSB to renew RP. Some ten days most likely.
I'm in the similar position: School renewed FEC online last week, however no reply from SAFEA as of yet.
We can go to PSB for RP renewal after we get new/extended FEC.
RP expire next Wednesday. I'm sure, they'll take me to PSB on RP's last day.
ironman510:
Yeah I heard the PSB in Shenzhen changed it to 12 days for holding the passport rather than 3 weeks.
Hello,
i am the same guy as above. Got my Residence Permit on July 10th.
it was submitted June 22, and was told three weeks or July 10th. But the sticker was placed in the Passport on June 29th. So basically, I was sitting on my ass for two weeks for no good reason while my passport was in the office. But I feel blessed that i have had two RP renewals since 2013 and the sky hasnt fallen in (yet).
This was for a new teaching position, so at least my municipality will just transfer the permit. The "five year" rule is something I still do not get. Basically I got a new Foreign Expert Certificate, which hopefully will be valid for another five years, which i hope i move on to something else with my (Chinese) wife.
What is difficult is to get straight information from Chinese about anything. Very frustrating, and it causes me a lot of worry and stress two months a year to keep my home and life.
There is no real reason to panic about any lesser known law.
China has a million laws, all that matters are the laws that are enforced. Smaller lesser known laws, a 'work around' can be found especially if money is involved.
expatlife26:
Yeah I agree with that. I dont think the goal is to enforce all these laws just to shift the power in favor of the establishment.
Have a million laws so nobody can possibly follow them all, then if somebody is a problem it's easy to find something they are doing wrong.
its not a foreign affairs thing either thats totally what they do to everybody here
