Student Visa - Complex Situation

[cliveloughlin]

Hi all

I'm currently working in Beijing with a full work permit but I'll go to study in Kunming from November 2007. Therefore, I will need to change my working visa to a student visa. I plan to do this in Hong Kong as the university have said that it's not possible for them to help me!

This is where the complicated part comes in! I am a Northern Irish citizen and, as such, hold both an Irish & British passport. My work permit is on my British passport but my Irish passport doesn't have any Chinese visa/stamps.

I would like to ask for your advice on whether or not you think that getting a student visa on my British passport would render my working visa invalid. My work visa expires on 11/12/07 but I start my course on 1/11/07. I would like to go to register for the student visa whilst I am still working in my company in Beijing as the company may pay for my flight. If I go in October do you think that the Embassy in Hong Kong would delete/cancel my work permit for China when they add my student visa - I would be scared that I may work not be able to work here if that happened (my company are very strict). Do you think that the Embassy would they be able to start my student visa from November just when I intend to move to Kunming?

Has anyone had this experience in the past?

Does anyone have a contact in the Embassy who I could ask about this? I have tried to find some information but there is almost nothing on this kind of situation - most information only covers new visas!

Or do you think that there would be a chance for me to use my Irish passport to enter HK and then get the student visa on that so I would avoid any problems with possible deletion of my Chinese work permit?

Thanks so much in advance for any advice!

Clive

[johnd]

I'm afraid I can't answer your questions directly, but I don't see why you have to go to HK for this. Surely you can go to Kunming at the beginning of the course and sort out the documentation in the first week with the local PSB. Everything you're doing is legitimate and above board, so why not? If it is a university, they must have procedures for help students arrange things. This is just my conjecture though.

I would suggest that you visit the Beijing PSB and tell them your situation - ask them directly what you should do. I'm sure they would love to help you, maybe!

[roddy]

You may find it easier to use a tourist visa as a bridge.

Any existing visas would be canceled when you got the student one.

Using your Irish passport for the student visa - trouble with that is that when you turn up in HK you won't have an entry stamp on your Irish passport. Not sure how much of a problem that would be, but I think it would at least raise eyebrows.

[johnd]

I can confirm, that there is no problem exiting Mainland with one passport and entering HK with another - you just show the HK border guard both passports and tell them which one you want stamped.

But when you re-enter the Mainland, I really don't know if they'll try to check your chain of stamps, so to speak.

[cliveloughlin]

Hi guys

Thanks for the replies.

I will contact the PSB - I suppose that's the best idea. If I want to get a tourist visa for China in HK I guess I could still use my old ticket which is dated 31st October. I guess I could get the tourist visa on my Irish passport and then send this to the university to change for me!

Thanks

Clive