2021 Visas and More, It's Time to Call HR
Stories from the Front
I don’t know if any of this is true. However, if there is a 1% chance it is partially accurate, then the advice at the end will give you the piece of mind you need.
How many unrelated people have to tell you the same story before you consider it to be worth investigating?
For me that number is three.
In the last three month I have had three friends tell me the exact same story: their contract to start in August 2021 has either been cancelled or changed.
One person was lucky, and can work remotely from the USA. They were advised to do this until 2022. Their employer manages multiple schools in Asia, their contract was based in China.
The next person is not only a great teacher, but a fully bilingual English and Mandarin speaker (reading and writing included). They are qualified to teacher various subjects. Their contract was with a school that has campuses around the world. Well funded. My friend was told their contract was cancelled, they were based in China. My friend was stuck, like many, outside of China during the pandemic but their contract was for two years. They had only completed one year.
The third person has worked at only what people would consider top tier schools. They had a contract to start August 2021 in China at a top tier school. The school was being slow on communication. A call was made to HR. HR affirmed that the contract would be honored but visas for the other two family members could no longer be guaranteed. This was well after recruiting season.
Taking a macro view of this situation, and even looking at what is happening regionally in the USA, I believe (this is merely speculation) that all the targets are still moving. I do not believe this is only China. I do not believe this is bad management. I believe that every week organizations are being given vastly different sets of rules and policies.
There is a strategy to be played here, but, it is not to be angry and berate. Your goal should be to be stable, healthy, and hopefully profitable.
Be aware that online research may not be of any value. I applied for a Chinese visa in 2013, and the people at the consulate told me not to use their website because all the information was wrong. They told me I would need to do complete two or three trips to their office and to prepare.
I doubt much has changed.
Putting China aside, I am highly suspect that offices processing paperwork, while the rules are changing, have time to update their websites. This applies to the entire world.
You need to make a list of questions for your current or future employer if you are not already inside the country where you will be working.
I would include the following items in that list:
What changes have been made to the work/employment visa process for 2021?
How long have the processing times averaged once all materials have been received?
Can non-working spouses and children currently enter the country with the primary visa holder?
IF NO: Can non-working spouses and children gain a tourist visa of some kind?
Once inside the country on a work visa, can I still travel outside the country?
Can I bring pets? Are there limits? (HR may not know this but you are going to make two phone calls :) )
These are the key questions, but each person/family will have more. If you are a current employee, say you are asking out of curiosity or for a friend who will be working at another school.
Please considering scheduling a call with HR or whomever manages new hires and/or contracts. If you have a current contract and are simply not in-country, assume that you need to make a friendly touch-base call with your HR team.
Phone calls will let you hear truth. It is easy to write things to calm people down, it is harder to verbally communicate statements that are not accurate.
Be polite and do not react. The goal of the call is to get information. Use a notebook or post-its to write down facts.
Remember this is tough for both sides. No one wants the Streisand effect. I could tell you today that you can get a spouse visa, and then next week that can change. I am trying to be diplomatic and remove panic.
Do not make decisions during this call. You are being a professional and simply making sure everything is in order.
Now you need to verify. Why? Well sometimes HR people make mistakes and this is your life.
If the information seems troubling, or the rules have changed, email or call a consulate related to the country you are going to.
I have often email or called the US based embassy to ask them questions instead of the embassy located in the country I was in. I have done this because the communication in English is normally better. Sometimes they can help, sometimes not.
Do research online if you want, but if you cannot see when it was updated, then be wary.
Use the same questions with the embassy. A consistent reference will keep the call on track and help with the note taking.
There are many What-Ifs here.
I can suggest what to do if it seems like you and/or your family cannot get into the country legally in a reasonable amount of time.
Do not resign with an angry email. Get back on the job search and see if anything else is out there. Try and secure another opportunity.
If you happen to be using an agency, contact them and explain the situation. Be polite. You understand, but, you need the employer to understand as well. I assume they will have to back a candidate in one of these scenarios.
The goal is to find a job, have a plan, and make the cleanest break possible.
If you are creative, you maybe able to negotiate some type of remote work until things clear-up. Some people hate the thought of doing that, but if you can stick it out for a few months maybe in the end the victory will be worth the pain.
Why is this SubStack called, Pancake on a Stick?
Pancake on a Stick is the single funniest story I have ever heard in my life. In about a year from now (Fall of 2021) , the event will be reenacted and recorded. I named the SubStack after the story, because every time I think of the name, I smile and laugh. This helps with my writing and tone, and makes me always remember the most important things in life.
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Most social media is dead to me, but you can find me on LinkedIn and Youtube.
LinkedIn (A bastion of boredom but mostly on mission)
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tdeprato/
Email
info@tonydeprato.com
My video series on Expat Recruitment is BORING but useful Listen or Watch and you can master this process.