We now have it on excellent authority that as of May 2008, official letters of recommendation from former employers (i.e., whoever sponsored the teacher’s current residency permit) will be required by new employers when applying to the PSB for a residency permit renewal. In addition, we were also informed by our sources that Hong Kong can no longer issue Z-visas to foreigners. What this means is that anyone currently teaching in China on anything but a current residency permit will have to return home to his or her country of origin with the proper paperwork to apply for an entry Z-visa before the new employer can have that Z-visa converted into a residency permit. See unit 27, Changing Jobs and Provinces, for more information.