Dear visitors,
for professional reasons, I am currently living in India, which makes me unable to follow the latest visa regulations in China and answer your questions regularly. Please refer to the visa section of thebeijinger where you can post your inquiries.
Thanks!
This page is there for questions of any kind concerning your visa application. You can post your questions as comments; I will try to answer them as quickly as possible but please don't forget you might be in a different time zone and I won't be online a lot on weekends.
For comments on specific blog entries (which don't require an answer from my side), you are welcome to post them directly on the pages.
If you have comments or questions about this site in general, please use the "Contact" button.
Thanks!
224 comments:
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Coeurdelion
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«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 224 of 224 Newer› Newest»Hey Trif589,
your residence permit acts as multiple entry visa for the time it's valid. There's only one last thing to do when you got it - register (again) at the police. Your new police registration will be valid for the same dration as your RP.
Concerning Shenyang, this is a bit of a complicated issue and you should contact the Labor Bureau about it. In short, both your work permit and RP subsequently need to be transferred to your company's Shenyang office.
Heather,
it seems the local authorities are really having a close eye on you and your company - and you can't really blame them can you? I guess in this situation special rules apply to you all. Of course it is not normal that you'll have to report all travel activities - usually only the ones when you leave China. You'll just have to hope things calm down in the future!
Hi,
Have a question regarding F visas. I am currently on my second F visa (in quick succession). Is there a limit as to the number of F visas I can apply for? Does it matter if I apply for 3 F visas in succession? I was originally going to apply for a 6month F visa but I heard they tightened the rules so that I could only get a 1 month visa. I heard that the next best way to continue to reside in Shanghai legally is to go to HK and apply for a L visa. Will it matter if I keep on switching between L and F visas? I do hope to switch to a Z visa eventually and was wondering if these L or F visas will affect my chances of actually finally getting a Z visa. Thanks
There's only one last thing to do when you got it - register (again) at the police. Your new police registration will be valid for the same dration as your RP.
If I am still staying in hotels at this point do I need to visit the police to register or will the Hotel registration be sufficient? Can I wait until I get a permanent address?
Thanks for your help.
Hello!
I am currently resident in Beijing, and my X visa runs out in a few weeks' time, and I will not be attending the university course that I was originally on, so need a new visa. I will be continuing with my studies (Chinese Medicine), but with a private institute which would not be able to get me an X visa.
I assume from what I've read that I need to apply for an F visa, and the institute is happy to issue a letter of invitation, but have not done this before for an F visa so we are all unsure about how to proceed.
Could you please tell me:
* Do I have to go to HK to apply for an F visa if changing from an X?
* What does the institute need to provide me with? I saw on your site that an official form from the Ministry of Commerce is needed, but I could not find the relevant documents/info on the 'ebeijing' site that you mentioned.
* I would like a multi-entry 1 year visa - are these being issued in HK now? Would I be more likely to get another type of F?
* I don't know if this makes any difference, but I own the apartment I live in here in Beijing.
Thanks in advance for your assitance - any help greatly appreciated.
A.T.
visaless,
if you can't get a Z visa now, I advise you buy a 6 or 12 months F visa from an agency like Leeo, Emoo or Trader's Link (those are again available). That way, you don't need so many different visas in succession.
Your chances of getting a Z visa decrease mainly if your visa situation looks like you've been avoiding to pay taxes. Therefore, even when on an F visa, you should take proper care of your income tax situation if you stay here for more than 183 days a year.
Trif589,
if you stay at a hotel they will register you automatically. If you temporarily stay at a friend's house, you should register as visitor. Whenever you get your own place, you can get a "proper" long term registration.
Hello A.T.,
if your school cannot provide the JW202 form for your student visa, they probably will have trouble to provide an invitation letter which is good for more than 30 days, too. In that case, it would be easier for you to buy a long term multiple entry visa here in Beijing from an agency like Leeo or Trader's Link. This avoids the trouble of travelling to Hong Kong, where you wouldn't get a visa with such long duration anyway.
A great site. Keep up the good work. I have two questions:
1. I have been working in China for almost one year on a Z-visa. What documentation is required to renew/ extend the visa for next one year?
2. My wife (foreigner) is working in China as well. She has a Z-visa/ work permit sponsored by her employer. She intends to quit her job and become my dependent. Could you please explain what is the procedure for doing this and what documentation is required for her to switch her current visa to a dependent visa?
Thank you.
Coeurdelion hi -
here's my situation:
i) i have been working at a local company in Shanghai since July 2005
ii) the company is Nasdaq-listed with a market capitalization of ~$2billion; the company is also an IT-industry leader (i'm not sure if these facts will make my work / residence permit renewal process easier?)
iii) i just signed a 3-year contract with my company
iv) i am a manager in the business development department; i also function as a "foreign language specialist"
v) my 1-year work/residence permits expired on 09/23/2008
in order to renew my work/residence permits - is my only option to pay the 5000RMB fine for my expired residence permit, apply for an L-visa in SH, leave for HK, apply for a Z-visa in HK with an invitation letter, return to China and then apply for my work/residence permits? is there a more direct way for me to renew my permits?
Thanks in advance!
Patrik
Great site and information!
could you elaborate a bit more on this point?
"The only way to avoid leaving China completely is if your work permit says you're the GM, Vice GM or Chief Representative (or any legal representative) of your company. In this case, your employer should be able to get the Z visa for you right here."
specifically - what positions qualify as "legal representative"?
Thanks!
-E.F.
Hi anonymous poster,
to extend your residence permit, your company will need to extend your work permit first. With the extended work permit, you only need to hand in an application form, police registration and some new photos to have your visa extended.
To get a dependent visa for your wife, you'll need to take your residence and work permit and your marriage certificate to the Exit and Entry Division of the PSB, along with pictures of her and her current police registration. You should give them a call beforehand though to find out if regulations have changed and/or if it's possible to switch directly from Z to dependent RP!
Patrik,
although your starting position is excellent, you killed it all by overstaying your visa. How could you let this happen?
Yes you'll have to pay the fine (and you're lucky if it's only a fine! people have been sent to prison for overstaying), get a tourist visa (if you're lucky), TRY to get a new Z visa in Hong Kong (but they might tell you they can't process it and you need to apply back home!). Remember you have to apply for a work permit first, and will have to hand in the green certificate to apply for the Z visa.
Please be aware that the fact that you overstayed will be made known to all Chinese authorities worldwide, and that many people before you were denied a new visa for that reason.
E.F.,
it depends on where you work. In Beijing, authorities will only process Z visas without you having to leave if you're the legal representative mentioned on your company's Chinese business license. In other regions, "General Managers, "Directors" and "Vice Directors" will also be accepted. Please be aware that this title should be clearly mentioned in your application for the work permit already.
Hi,
Thank you for answering my question. I will attempt to get a 6 month visa. I have an additional question regarding my chances of obtaining a Z visa after so many F visas. You mentioned that my chances of obtaining a Z visa decreases mainly because of the perception that I may be avoiding taxes. However, I am under the impression that if I am in China on a F visa, I am not allowed to accept a salary. Is that true? If that is the case, then I wouldn't have to worry about paying any income tax. Am I correct in this assessment? Please advise. Thanks!!
Visaless
Hey Visaless,
it's not that you're not allowed to accept a salary. You can accept one if it comes from a foreign entity (and it should because you're only on a business trip remember?), and if your time in China is longer than 183 days per year, you should duefully declare this income as "derived from China", no matter what visa you're on. The tax authorities won't even ask you to show your visa.
However, if a company wants to pay your salary though a Chinese entity, they'll have to provide your work permit.
Hi Coeurdelion,
This is my situation
a) I just signed a contract at a european company in Beijing, I will be on the payroll of the Hong Kong Office
b) I’m just graduated (bachelor’s degree), only have internship working experience and some administrative parttime jobs (together 2,5 years)
c) I just turned 21
d) Everything is arranged, except my visa. I will travel on a L-visa to China first in order to apply for a working permit there, will return to my homecountry after 30 days and apply for a Z-visa in my homecountry.
How are my chances of getting a working permit?
Thanks
Hey there,
I'd say your chances are about 15%. You're way too young and Beijing is the most severe city in China when it comes to work experience after your graduation. If your company has extremely good relations to the authorities it could work but if I was you I seriously wouldn't rely on this!
Hi - thank you so much for all the useful info here - you deserve a medal.
I am here on a legit work visa (z) due to expire on 26th Nov.
I want to stay until 19th Dec so plan to get an L visa for 30 days. I assume I also need to show proof of 25,000 RMB in my account
I have heard that sometimes people going from a Z to an L only get 10 days to pack up and leave - how can I be sure to get 30 days (well I only need 24 days actually). Will it help if i take my plane tickets to the PSB.
Also how quickly can money be withdrawn from the bank account as soon as the visa is issued? Do they/ can they monitor your account?
Thanks so much for all your help
Hi, Coeurdelion
I have obtained my Z visa. Thanks for your suggestion to take a red ink pad to my doctor's office to stamp my health report.
When I apply in China for my residence permit & employment permit (little red/brownish book), will Chinese authorities want to see a return air ticket to Canada?
I expect to arrive in Beijing in December on a 5 year work contract and plan to enter with a one-way plane ticket from Canada. Not an open-ended round trip ticket. Is that okay, or will somebody be wanting to see a return ticket to Canada?
Thanks,
Ray
I came to China in May on a Z visa and everything was going well until the project I work for got into some financial difficulties and I am certain my contract is going tpo be terminated.
Since my residence permit expires in May 2009, is it possible that I can stay on in China even when I no longer work for the people who processed for me the Z visa and hence the residence permit.
I would like to stay on and do a few things on my own but I do not know if this will be possible.
Please tell me what options I have so that when the contract is terminated, I have some idea where I can go from there.
Thanks
Jay
NL,
you can get a standard 30 days visa - the ten days are what you get if you don't get a new visa. However, check with the PSB to see if you can switch directly from Z to L!
Concerning the money, when you get the bank statement they'll tell you they need to block it - make sure they only do this for one day, so that you can withdraw it on the next day.
Ray,
congratulations! You won't need to show a round trip ticket, a single flight will do.
Jay,
technically, your residence permit is valid as long as nobody puts a stamp across it. However, your employer might cancel your work permit which subsequently withdraws the basis from your RP, and whenever you next meet the authorities they will try to make sure you don't go on using it. That's why it's more secure to switch directly to another type of visa (you might need to travel to HK for this) in order to be on the safe side.
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