Z visa-New Employer-Different province-CONFUSED!?!?!?

So let me make a long story short. I started working in China in Harbin, finished my contract and am now working in Zhuhai, both at private language centers. I had a FEC and RP in Harbin along with my Z visa, I moved to Zhuhai and apparently I don't have a FEC, but only a work permit through the Labour Bureau? Now I have just signed a new contract with a language center in Dalian and they are telling me that I MUST go to Hong Kong and apply for a new Z visa before my contract ends with my current employer in Zhuhai and then they can apply for the appropriate papers upon arrival in Dalian. So I am supposed to go to HK, get a new Z visa, but still have my current RP? Would any of this affect my remaining time at my current employer? I am beyond confused at this point.

Me too. Others on the board who've taught in multiple provinces probably know better, but I recently got a Z visa, FEC, and RP in Guangdong, which all go together. When you changed schools from Harbin to Zhuhai, I would expect that your new school would have to get you a new FEC from Guangdong, as well as a new RP from Guangdong within a certain time frame, but I'm not sure. Back in 2005, I know that in Guangdong you could get an F visa foreign expert cert. that allowed legal working (not the same exactly as the current FEC booklet), but that was a loooong time ago. Might be a way to get around the residence permit and Z visa.

You might want to give some of your basic info like nationality. Everything I have been told the past two years is that Guangdong will not allow foreign teachers to go to HK to get a Z visa unless the FT shows residency there. The Z visa needs a couple of letters of invitation from the school that give the home address of the FT, and the Z visa can only be gotten from the Chinese embassy/consulate in the country listed on those papers. If the school will put HK there (there are quotas for HK) or maybe Thailand or something, then you could avoid going all the way back to UK/USA/Canadia, wherever you're from. My school wouldn't do it.

The training centre in Zhuhai may have had your RP issued for something other than an English Teacher because that's what's easiest for them. So no FEC. Now your new school would have trouble transferring that RP so they need to start over again with a Z-visa. This may not be an inter-province issue but more of a training centre getting around red tape issue.

The way that it was explained to me is that since the school in Zhuhai DIDN'T get me a FEC than I must start over with a new Z visa for the school in Dalian. I have to wait until this contract in Zhuhai is over and they cancel my Z visa and turn it into a 30 day L visa, take the invitation letter from the school in Dalian with me to Hong Kong, apply for a new Z visa, fly to Dalian and get the new RP and work permit there. They (the school in Dalian that I will be working for on September 1st) told me that if they apply for a FEC than I have to go back to USA to get the Z visa, but if they apply for a work permit through the Labor Bureau than all of this can be handled in Hong Kong. OMG, what a freaking headache this has turned out to be!? So now I have to send them a scan of my passport info page, a scan of my degree, my resume, digital photos with my full face in color and with a white background AND a new medical check at my expense (in June since it is only valid for three months apparently) to be completed in Zhuhai with the document that she attached in the email to me. I am amazed that I am not an alcoholic!? 

There's a very convenient place to get the medical check in Guangzhou for 482 RMB. Might be valid for Zhuhai. Let me know if you want the details and I'll post them tomorrow.