You don't have to that, in case the present employer give you a release letter with stamp.

With that and other necessary documents, you can change your employer and renew your Residence Permit without leaving China mainland.

To extend a Residence Permit (even changing the employer) is much easier than re-applying for a new Residence Permit.

In case you can get the release letter from the old employer (listed on your Alien Employment Permit, a brown booklet), the other documents from your new employer and you are not very hard to prepare.

If the new employer is efficient enough, 1 day is enough for them to prepare all the documents required.

Thus the key point is whether you can get the release letter from the old employer.

beijingleeo:
what if you cannot get the release letter from your old employer? What would your new employer have to do in order to legally employ you?

what if current employer doesnt wanna give me the release letter?
can i wait till my visa expires then i extend it using new employer's company???
thanks

Ok, so what if I am going to lose my job because the Company is closing the Office and I don't have another job right after that?

My Residence Permit is valid until July 22. Will I be entitled to legally stay in China until that date, or the employer can actually cancel the Residence Permit?

Hi! I need some advice, pls help.

I Just moved to a new Province and employer. Problem is the new employer can't process renewal of residence permit and foreign expert certificate. Apparently, the police is aking me to go back to my country and have the Z visa processed there again, after the new employer gives all the necessary documents I need. Have been working in China for a while and this is not the first time I moved Provinces, yet never encountered such problem. My previous employer also have given me release and recommendation letters, stamped and signed.

My foreign Expert certificate was cancelled already, and the my residence permit's due on the 30th of this month.

China residence permits for work (work visas) are tightly tied with the cities and employers. You have to do it in the province you will work.

When you want to renew your work visa, you need to renew your foreign expert certificate and residence permit in turn, not reverse.
Thus if the local Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs can issue you the new foreign expert certificate, there should be no problem to renew your residence permit in the PSB.

The staff in the local PSB may have less experience in dealing with such cases like yours. Thus don't want to bother themselves too much.

Since your residence permit is going to expire on Jan. 30, you have to hurry up. Or you have to re-apply.

I change my employer last year and my previous company did not give me a release letter and the cancellation certificate of my work permit, but they were still able to transfer my visa and secure a new work permit for me.( guanxi I guess)Now im moving to a new company again and im sure my current employer will most likely refuse to give me a release letter.I already found a new employer which can secure me a working visa. My question is if my new employer does not have guanxi at the PSb , will it be impossible for them to transfer my visa since i didnt have a release letter? how bout the work permit can my new employer secure a new work permit for me even with out the cancellation certificate? I dont know if it might help or not, im married to a local. Appreciate any inputs!!!!!

Before 2004, Z visas are the 1-year (or longer) work visas.

After that, Z visas become the temporary ones, which are issued by Chinese embassies/ consulates. Within 30 days of coming to China mainland, you have to apply for the 1-year (or longer) residence permits at the local public security bureaus.

When changing the employers, you can extend your residence permits, too. You don't need to go abroad to re-apply for new Z visas.