Getting a legit copy of FEC cancellation

Yes, my RP expires on the 2nd. My FEC on the 5th. I signed up for a sponsored position at Will Excel whereby they find me a job before I even arrive in China. I trained in Harbin for a month, then moved to my school in Taiyuan. That contract concluded in early June. I had paid for the cancellation of the FEC at the end of May because at the time I was prepared to sign a contract with another school. That position fell through when it became apparent they did not know what they were doing. Further time passed when it became even more apparent that teaching in China without a degree going forward is and was a fruitless search.

I am no longer looking for any teaching position in China and in fact may leave for Cambodia. However, for now, having the visa to live here with my wife would be a nice addition. I just really do not want to have to travel to HK and waste valuable money traveling when I do not have to. I am living in Beijing because I can. For now, I am living on savings, but that cannot last forever.

I have come to the understanding that you are incorrect on one point. The FEC is in fact not your property, it is the schools, but you are supposed to carry it while it is valid according to the law.

Isn't it usually the case that the FEC and the residence permit expire at (about) the same time?  And how can it be that you have a FEC from Harbin, but a RP from Beijing - don't those two documents have to be from the same place?

It seems that you cannot have two different visas at the same time - so you must wait until your RP (and FEC) expire, or go throw the procedures to have them canceled sooner, and then apply for a L visa.  But wouldn't it be best to keep the RP as long as possible since it is already paid for?

I just don't understand why you paid to have a FEC canceled.  And I am curious about this topic because I guess I don't fully understand the FEC - I know you first need to get a FEC to get an RP (if you are a teacher), but I always thought that the FEC just expires if you don't renew it.  I do remember that the FEC is your property and serves an a form of ID but many employers try to keep them out of fear that the foreigner will lose it. 

I have come to the understanding that you are incorrect on one point. The FEC is in fact not your property, it is the schools, but you are supposed to carry it while it is valid according to the law.

Yes, I think you are correct.  I guess the FEC is kinda like a credit card (which is technically the property of the bank).  But I am not sure if the FEC belongs to the school or the provincial experts bureau???

For what it's worth, I have met some people, mostly older gentleman, that almost certainly do not have college degrees but live here and earn money by doing English classes on an informal basis.  They almost always have a chinese wife/gf who helps them find the work.  Many of these guys do a much better job with the young kids than the recent college graduates by virtue of their age and perhaps because they have kids of their own.  Of course there are also people in this category who will give you the stare of death if you inquire about their education, and then proceed to tell you about their masters degrees from an old private university that closed decades ago. but that's a different topic.   

I just received a very evil text message from a previous teacher. When he left, the school cancelled the FEC and gave him a release letter (he left contract early). His new school did not tell him what paperwork was needed so I guess we cancelled the FEC but did not give him a copy and he didn't request it. The new school did not request it either.

He told me that he just paid a 6000 rmb fine (he left about 1 1/2 months ago).

Is this the guy you mentioned in another Thread - where you asked our opinions on paying out salary?  I guess his karma bit early   In any case, I don't see that it's your problem any longer ...

...His new school did not tell him what paperwork was needed...The new school did not request it either.

This is why it's always best to leave on good terms and not to burn your bridges if you can help it - my problem was all sorted out pretty quickly but it could potentially have really f***ed things up.

Yes same guy. He sent me several texts last night saying that this was all my fault. I should have helped him with what paperwork his new school needed. He said that I disgusted him and that white Canadians should stick together (I was more offended by the white part then by the digusting part).

Hello Karma He may have also been a more of a target as his neighbours went to the police several times about him so I'm sure he was on file.

Oh and I found out that we did give him the FEC cancellation document.

So did he fell foul of this apparently new or newly enforced rule 'cancelled FEC = cancelled Residence Permit', hence the fine?  He's technically had no visa since he left you guys if i understand things.

Hey Babs,

If these kind of reactions bother you, (i kinda enjoy this sort of thing), then perhaps you should have a meeting with out-going teachers at the end of their contracts, thanking them for their service blah, blah but also clearly telling them that they are responsible for requesting any paperwork needed for their next position in a timely fashion (perhaps a set date). Explain that the laws change quickly and are not uniformly in-forced throught the country and that they are responsible for doing their own research as to what their incoming school needs/wants. Perhaps give them some links where they can start to research (here?).

Many (most?) shorter term foreign teachers really don't take into account how often the 'rules' change. They depend on the institutions to handle all paperwork and assume everything will be taken care of. This is especially true for those that have not worked in foreign countries before. They assume that the laws stay the same over the course of their contract. Most schools don't help the situation by not explaining the process other than "give me you passport and a few pictures" How many times have we thought a FAO incompetent due to the fact they missed a change in the law? Shift their view of this responsibility from you to them, as it should be.

While this all seems obvious and shouldn't need to be said to an adult, many foreign teachers are not much more than children regardless of their age.


Anybody who says "Us white Canadians should stick together is not truly a Canadian"   

Quote from: terences on August 18, 2012, 05:17:40 AM

I have come to the understanding that you are incorrect on one point. The FEC is in fact not your property, it is the schools, but you are supposed to carry it while it is valid according to the law.

Yes, I think you are correct.  I guess the FEC is kinda like a credit card (which is technically the property of the bank).  But I am not sure if the FEC belongs to the school or the provincial experts bureau???

For what it's worth, I have met some people, mostly older gentleman, that almost certainly do not have college degrees but live here and earn money by doing English classes on an informal basis.  They almost always have a chinese wife/gf who helps them find the work.  Many of these guys do a much better job with the young kids than the recent college graduates by virtue of their age and perhaps because they have kids of their own.  Of course there are also people in this category who will give you the stare of death if you inquire about their education, and then proceed to tell you about their masters degrees from an old private university that closed decades ago. but that's a different topic.   

You are correct.  I posted a memo my company put out when a teachers inquired about their FEC.  Here is a link to that thread... http://raoulschinasaloon.com/index.php?topic=7777.0