I’m holding a visa 18. My residence visa expired on Dec 2, 2009 and at the same time so did my 2-year contract. My company extended it for another 2 months, until Jan 31, 2010. In between, I found a new job and my new company instructed me to go back to my country and wait for my new visa. The new company is asking me to cancel my visa and give them saying paper that my visa has been cancelled, because they are saying they can’t apply for a new visa while there is an existing visa. Are they correct? But I’m planning to go home on Jan 30, 2010. Is it fine that I leave one day before the expiration of my visa? My last question is why should I need to cancel my visa as it will be expire on Jan 31, 2010?
 

Name withheld
Answer: The new company is right. You can’t get a new work permit as long as you have a valid one. Secondly, you have to cancel it. Until the current one is cancelled you can’t apply for a new one. It’s expiry doesn’t matter, it must be cancelled. And lastly you can leave anytime before the visa expires.
 

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