Thread: Visa: Introduction to Chinese visas
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Visa: Introduction to Chinese visas
There are four types of Chinese visas you are likely to come across. A couple of other types do
exist, but you are unlikely to need to know about them unless you are here long term or work on a
boat.
Contents
* X or student visa
* Z or working visa
* F or business visa
* L or tourist visa
* Visa free Entry
* APEC Cards
* Green Card
* Notes
o Length of stay restrictions.
[top]X or student visa
Used by long-term students (usually more than one semester). Obtained from your local Chinese
embassy or consulate, you will need to provide proof of enrollment at a Chinese university.
Private schools are not usually able to assist you obtain an X visa. Once you have your X visa you
have three months to enter China. Once you enter the country you have thirty days to complete the
residence permit application process which will allow you to leave and enter the country as you
please as long as it is valid.
Under this Visa, the student is not supposed to work. However if the student is a native speaker
there is ample opportunity to teach English and get paid under the table. Many students do this,
and the authorities rarely check up on the students unless they have a reason. However, realize
that working under this visa is illegal[1].
[top]Z or working visa
Obtained from your local Chinese embassy or consulate, you will need to provide an invitation
letter from an approved Chinese employer. Many employers are reluctant to provide this and may ask
you to enter on a tourist or business visa. Once you have your Z visa you have three months to
enter China. Once you enter the country you have thirty daysto complete the residence permit
application process which will allow you to leave and enter the country as you please as long as
it is valid.
[top]F or business visa
Although commonly called a 'business' visa, the F actually stands for 访问 or visit. The F visa
is appropriate for short-term students (one semester or less) (that need to be confirmed as of
01-01-2008!!!!), those visiting for business purposes, visiting scholars, short-term internships
(not exceeding 6 months), etc. It is also commonly used by those working in China who cannot
obtain a Z visa. This is not legal, but often done.
To get an F visa from an overseas embassy or consulate you will need a letter of invitation from a
school or business in China. However, in Hong Kong agencies can arrange, at a cost, F visas of up
to three month duration with no documentation required. For more info, read about Hong Kong F
visas.
For many young westerners this is the visa of Choice. Most Europeans can get a 1 year visas, US
and other countries can be restricted to a 6 month visa. In some of the wealthier cities of
Beijing or Shanghai you may work one month (usually teaching English) and live of the earning for
another 5 months until you need to renew you visa or work again.
If you leave your Z work visa job the company can get the police station to revoke your visa.
However this entails some paperwork and is rarely done. For this reason some foreign workers
prefer the F visa. In addition, companies and schools need authority certification to issue the Z-
visa invitation letters. The criteria for F visa is less, and some schools will ask you to get the
F -visa.
Note: since 01-01-2008 the requirements for F Visa are stiffer. Hong Kong travel agent now give
only up the 3 month with no proof. For longer you need an invitation letter and you will have to
apply through an official channel.
[top]L or tourist visa
No supporting documentation required, but when applying don't mention on the form that you are a
journalist planning to research the plight of ethnic minorities in sensitive border regions.
Duration can range from 30 days to 120 days, and can usually be extended up to two times within
China.
[top]Visa free Entry
Currently, following nationals can enter China without visa for up to 15 days: Brunei, Japan,
Singapore
Source: http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/xwrmq/
[top]APEC Cards
If you are an APEC region resident you may can apply for an APEC card with a China visa waiver. An
APEC card will give you 3 years visa free entry.
http://www.apec.org/content/apec/bus...s_travel0.html
[top]Green Card
If you have started a large company in China or married a Chinese National, lived in China for 5
years you can apply and get a Chinese Permanent Resident Card. This will allow you to come and
leave the PRC without a visa. You will present the Green Card to Immigration on arrival, you may
need to present your passport as well.
[top]Notes
[top]Length of stay restrictions.
Be aware that F and L visas may have length of stay restrictions - ie, you may have a 6-month F
visa with a 60 day stay restriction, meaning you have to leave the country every two months.
Leaving the country can be as simple as crossing the border into Hong Kong and coming right back,
but even this can be expensive and time-consuming if you live in Urumuqi.
[1] Some Nanjing students made this mistake when they took part in a television advertisement for
a School that didn't have the authority to employ westerners. The School was shut down and
students were checked on everyday in the campus and were almost deported.
====================================================================================================
Contributors: flameproof, tester, roddy, muyongshi, simonlaing, cdn_in_bj, BrandeX
Created by tester, 23rd July 2007 at 06:17 AM
Last edited by flameproof, 13th January 2008 at 10:27 AM
6 Comments , 2727 Views
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