Got an email this morning from a loyal reader asking what he would need to do to switch China employers while hanging on to his China work permit (Z Visa).
Here goes.
The most important factor in keeping your work permit is getting a letter of release from your current/old employer company. Technically, as long as an employee has not violated its contract, the employer company is required to provide this release letter. However, people often have problems obtaining this letter when they don’t have a good relationship with the company they are leaving. There are ways the company can strip you of your permit so you are left with thirty days to leave the country. Other sticky situations include companies that hold onto your employee permit or even your passport.
However, assuming there are no serious issues, the process is relatively straightforward and the below is a list of documents that typicallly must be collected:
- A release letter from your employer;
- An original of your diploma;
- A simple CV, preferably in Chinese;
- A letter from any ex-employers certifying that you have more than two years working experience;
- Your passport and four 2 inch white background photos;
- Your residence Registration;
- The business license of your prospective (new) employer and two copies, chopped;
- Your application form, also needs to be chopped
