Please help me move away from appalling agency... when they will hate me! (visa issues)
I am an ESL teacher, hired through an agency. I am an excellent teacher, with demands from various managers that I teach in *their* department, etc.
I want to be hired directly for the big public institution I *actually* work for, cutting out the agency. As well as being underpaid, I think they’re not paying social security, and they have a different work address, plus they dispatch me to additional institutions for promo(!). *Every lawyer-proximate person I've spoken to has advised the setup is unlikely to be legal.* Because of this shadiness, I will be exiting my contract early, and will not abide by their ‘early exit fees’ or their non-compete, both of which seem unenforceable.
However, it may get messy, since the contract formally concludes in December & I'll be cutting out the agency to work direct. Presuming I can sign a new contract directly, can you help me navigate the process please, especially if the agency kicks off?
First, my agency currently has my work permit card. It seems I may be able to report my work permit as lost, & I can be issued a new one. Is this correct, & will doing this be useful? I don't think they'd give it to me if I asked.
My current residency permit runs out early July. Semester would begin again September. I can easily travel to Hong Kong & stay there if needs be for a while. Am I right that the steps are:
a. get job offer / signed new contract
b. give notice
c. employer processes release letter (HR) / work permit cancellation (govt), AFTER my final day
d. obtain(?) short-stay visa, whilst waiting for new work/residence permit?
…and if this is correct, how then should I get the agency to issue release letter & cancel my work permit, if they hate me? Could they technically keep me working, but behind the scenes have cancelled my work permit or something? Or just delay the release letter / work permit ad infinitum? Do you have any advice?