Hi finedude and PsyGuy! Thank you for taking the time to respond. I appreciate your perspectives and for highlighting some of the hard realities of the situation I am in. I do have the required PU and work permit letters that the school obtained and am just waiting for the visa policy to change and for the visa center to open here. I will be heading the LS program so it sounds like they really need someone to sort out the mess. Yes, it is possible it could be someone else but I guess since I don't have proof that they are looking for someone else, I am going to assume it is still me (may be I am being naive:). I am considering responding with a follow-up email thanking the HOS for his support and highlighting all the main discussion points so it is on record or I could ask that an addendum be attached to my present contract with the revised agreements. Good point about the housing allowance - there was no mention of that and I clearly didn't think to ask about that in the moment. Of course, everything remains to be seen and I will ascertain the situation more clearly in the next two to three weeks. If being out of the country means the contract isn't worth anything that can be enforced, then I am not going to worry too much about it. I definitely learnt the hard way last year about how meaningless the contract can be when the school chooses not to keep their word! I am preparing for the worst but I am hoping for the best! Thanks!

I signed a contract with an IS in Shanghai back in November. It's July now and I am still waiting to apply for a work visa. The country I am in now is in lockdown and the Chinese visa center has been closed since June 1st. They have not been processing work visas since March 2020. The chances of leaving the country to report to work by August 16th is not possible now. I have been updating the school's HR staff regularly regarding my situation since February.

In May I began enquiring about the contract to find out what was the school's contingency plan in case I wasn't able to report to work in August. I received no information except to be told that the school's admin team would decide later. When I enquired further, I didn't get a reply. Since June, I have been emailing the school regularly and finally I was told that they wanted me to come and I could teach online but it needed confirmation. After two weeks, I still received no news. Finally, I told HR I will not be able to report to work due to the current circumstance and followed up with more questions about online teaching expectations. At that point, a meeting was scheduled with the head of school. I was told
1. that the school was willing to wait as long as possible.
2. I will not be expected to work online for 6 hours! Work hours will be flexible...meet with teachers, meeting with parents, work with some kids etc. I had expressed my concern about possibly working online for extended periods time. I was assured that expectations would be adjusted and it was all going to be fine!
3. Due to the reduced workload, I will only be paid 80% of the agreed salary. It was standard practice at the school. Is this common practice?
4. The visa situation will be reviewed monthly but if there was no change to the visa policy, then we would review the situation again in August.
5. HOS was confident that things will open up by October and things will improve when more people are vaccinated around the world.

Should I be asking the school to give me this in writing regarding work hours and responsibilities? If I did ask, would that mean I implying indirectly I don't trust them? I was also told the person whom I was taking over from left the school in a lurch and did not fulfill some of her responsibilities and because of that, there was no program as such. Sounded like I will be walking into a bigger mess than I thought!

I have never been in this situation so am feeling very unsure of what to do, say and obviously feeling concerned. Should I just bail out now before the contract kicks in on August 1st? I have never considered bailing out on a contract ever in my whole life but last year, the school I was with dropped me after a year into the contract and used the pandemic as an excuse, so my views on this have changed. There is a clause in the contract that says, "The contract is conditional upon the employee obtaining the work permit." and "If the Employee having signed the contract informs the school that he/she does not intend to start work with the school, ...be liable to compensate the school with an amount equivalent to the wages payable for the required period of notice (which is 30 days)..." Should I enquire if the school will follow through with the second clause under the current situation?

Help! :) Any words of wisdom/advice/suggestions on how to maneuver a situation like this would be appreciated. Thank you!

I was informed last week by my school in Shanghai-Lingang that nothing could be done currently to apply for the work visa. The Education Bureau is closed and the Chinese consulate where I am is closed as well. Until they get the PU letter, it's just a waiting game. The consulate has not received any directives and they have not been processing any work visas before January 13th. The possibility of waiting up to June is likely, I am told. Should I be worried or have plan B? I have signed a contract with the school and wonder if there will be repercussions if I do decide to pull out before August. It's something I am not comfortable doing it but I will if I have to. Meanwhile, I was approached by billionaire parents based in Dubai regarding homeschooling their 3 children who attend ASD. It's only for a few months till end of this school year but if things work out, this could turn into a long term position. I thought I could do a few months in Dubai and if China does not work out, then it'll be a good option to have. If China does work out, then proceed as planned or renegotiate with the family regarding the package if I end up really enjoying the stint in Dubai. While the parents have not discussed a monthly salary as yet, they have offered to cover for flight, visa, medical, and provide furnished accommodation. They have also offered to fly me in for a week to meet the kids and see the current set-up and determine if it's a good fit. Too early to bail out of China? How much should I expect as a reasonable salary for homeschooling? Questions..questions...would love to hear other perspectives on my situation. Thank you.