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Visa: the phone was answered, but...


Dan Bang

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The impossible happened today when a person actually answered the phone at the Chinese Embassy. Though his English was disjointed I managed to get an answer to some of my questions. However, there are still some things that I need to have explained. As I could understand from what he said, it is not possible to combine “study and travel” when you apply for a visa – just as a kind soul stressed in his reply to me on this board.

My thoughts are the following: my admission notice is valid from March 31st to June 22nd. I’m thinking of travelling around in China, looking for a job or perhaps finding another place to study after the time at BLCU. But what would be wisest of me when I apply for a visa before I leave for China: to apply for a tourist visa and then hope that it could be extended when the admission notice “expires”? Or to apply for a study visa and then try to have it converted into a tourist visa when the admission notice “expires”? Anyone who has experiences in that direction? And in relation to this, would it be seen as an attempt to push it too far if I wrote for instance 6 months in the “duration of each stay”-box in spite that my admission notice only is valid to June 22nd? Must “the duration of each stay” be in accordance with the admission notice? Any suggestions for what to do in my case?

And is it true that the local police determine the length of your visa after you arrived to China? Or is it only if you have applied for a X-visa and the like?

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What you have to realise is that the 'student visa' is merely an entry visa.

Once you arrive you must use it to obtain a 'residence permit'. This is obtained from the PSB (or police). This becomes your new 'visa' and entitles you to remain in the country after your initial (entry) visa has expired.

The residence card is only valid while you remain a student (or for a short time afterwards). If you intend to remain afterwards, you would need to apply for a new (tourist) visa. You can do this in China.

There is no advantage in asking for a longer visa now. It would only extend the time in which you are able to 'enter' the country.

It is an entry visa!

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Exactly as Liuhzhou said, it's an entry visa... You'll still need to register with the police. And more importantly, and even I forgot this, is the fact that you can change your visa once you get here. There are agencies that can help, or you can always take a nice little holiday in Hong Kong, where any visa problems can be handled within a couple of days. Same with Japan. I went to Okinawa to change my visa when I lived in Taiwan. Okinawa is gorgeous! I think I'll go to Hong Kong if I need any visa stuff done because I've heard that place is just as awesome.

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First of all thank you for your answers. However, I’m still puzzled. The situation is that I have to apply for a F-visa (a business visa) because I’m (initially) going to study for only 12 weeks. In such a case, is it still the procedure with the residence permit? From what I have read around on the Internet, I’m namely going to receive the full visa before I depart. And then the residence permit is only for those who are planning to be in China for one year or more. But that could definitely be me mistaking something. Isn't there an official document on this issue?

And – correct me if I’m wrong – your suggestion is that I travel to Hong Kong in order to get a new (tourist) visa when the 12 weeks at BLCU are over? That would be easiest for me though I’m in Beijing? And that would be wisest of me when my plans are to find a job as English teacher (or somewhat similar) or to travel around in China. Gosh, I’m really starting from scratch when China is in question...

It’s so annoying that it’s impossible to find a fully detailed description of the whole Chinese visa system! Anyone who knows such one?

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Well, to quote straight out of the BLCU handbook, they can allow an extension of a student visa for 15 days. No more it seems, so if you want to stay longer than 15 days after your study is up, you'll either want to change visas (either through an agency, or by leaving the country, Hong Kong, etc)

X visa is student visa, whether 1 year or one day, x = student. They require you to have an x visa when you register for classes, otherwise you have to go through a process of changing it to an x visa, which equals higher expenses and more trouble. 太麻烦了。 Trust me, get an X visa, get 15 days through BLCU, and if you want more, it's agency or Hong Kong time. That's straight from the BLCU handbook, and watching the madness unfold at today's registration fiasco.

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Thank you for your answer once again - it's really a help.

However, what confuses me is that the admission notice talks of the fact that I "can apply for the student's visa (F-visa)" with the documents received. This information corresponds with the information that can be found on the embassy's homepage: the X-visa is issued to an applicant who is invited to China for a period of six months or above; the F-visa is issued to an applicant who is invited to China for a period of no more than six months. In addition, you do not decide which visa you want to apply for (there is no box on the visa application to put a mark against), the embassy decides for you. So, I guess the only thing that I can do is to write some extra days in the "duration of each stay"-box. (Am I right?) But I don't know if that will work?

What happened at the registration since it was a fiasco?

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Hiya Dan Bang,

Once I was in a similar situation to you although I studied for longer than you will be doing. Although I was in Beijing a few years ago (so the rules may well have changed), what Jiizzosh is saying fits exactly with my experience then.

Also, Jizzosh is right that BLCU will only extend your visa for a limited amount of time after time studying is over. There is no flexibility on this issue (just like other countries), so- as far as I am aware- it won't work to write a longer stay in on the application form.

Trust me, get an X visa, get 15 days through BLCU, and if you want more, it's agency or Hong Kong time. That's straight from the BLCU handbook, and watching the madness unfold at today's registration fiasco.

This is right, as far as I know.

When I was in a similar situation I went to Hong Kong, changed to 'L' status and came back in to travel. I can't say what the situation is about changing to a working visa. There might be possibilities to change status in Beijing using an agency but I am not sure about the cost and legality of that option.

Please remember that this is the situation that I remember from a few years ago, I don't know if the information is still accurate now,

Good luck =)

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Thank your for your answer.

I guess the only thing that I can do, is to hope for the best when I pay a visit to the Chinese embassy in a week (I will write about my experience here). Still, I don't have much trust in the possibility that they should issue a X-visa to me. And when my visa expires I probably have to follow your piece of advice about going to Hong Kong.

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Hello Dan Bang,

According to what Jizzosh has said, if you enter on an 'F' visa, you will still have to change to 'X' status before starting classes. If that is true, you will be making the trip to the PSB in all eventualities: either to convert to 'X' status or to get a residence permit if you already hold an 'X' status visa. So whichever visa they gve you, X or F, it sounds like you will be going to the PSB anyway.

Therefore the outcome is the same in all cases...it's just more convenient to just enter on an 'X' visa and go and apply for a residence permit, as opposed to entering on an 'F' visa and having to both change status and apply for a residence permit.

Clear as mud?!?

Another way to look at it is, the Embassy see hundreds of people like you every day, and providing the information you provide is the same in all scenarios, then they will give you the appropriate visa. After all, it is all routine to them.

However, I understand why you are not sure whether to put 'X' or 'F' in your application, and you don't want to have your application rejected, so I have emailed a friend who studied at BLCU short-term and asked her what she put. Perhaps you could fill out the form leaving the box blank and just ask when you get there. Or to be more cautious you could download two forms and fill in one saying 'X' and one saying 'F'.

The Public Security Bureau on changing visa status:

http://www.bjgaj.gov.cn/epolice/qianzheng4.htm

BLCU says that

学一学期以下(含一学期)者可持“X”或“F”签证来华
('students studying for one semester or less may hold an 'X' or 'F' visa to come to China') here:

http://www.blcu.edu.cn/lzb/lxxzh/index.htm (Chinese)

Could someone who studied/studies short-term at BLCU confirm whether, if they entered China on an 'F' visa, they had to change it to an 'X' visa?

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