Converting M-type visa to X1-type

[Anca_]

Hello everyone,

 

I need to ask for some advice as I've been stressed about this matter ever since I arrived in China about 3 weeks ago. I am doing an internship so I have an M-type visa, but right at the end of it I am going to a different city to study for a year over there. I was unaware that visas cannot be converted in mainland China (at least that's what everyone's telling me but I'm yet to pay a dreaded visit to the entry-exit administration bureau today) and I still have a month left on this visa, but I need to know whether there is absolutely no way of changing it over here? The city I am going to is called Yantai and I had a Chinese person call the authorities over there and apparently they said they didn't know what is to be done. I emailed the Romanian embassy in China (I am a Romanian national) and they said I should go to Yantai and sort this out over there. My university in Yantai is unhelpful-they said they didn't know and that they don't deal with this. A Chinese co-worker called the entry-exit administration bureau in Beijing and received a flat "no" and hung up. I want to avoid going into HK now but if there is no way I need to start booking my flights right away.

 

I'd like to know if anybody has some experience with this since the laws have changed. Plus I read in the new regulations that:

 

Article 10 Where, after entry with a visa, a foreigner changes his or her purpose of stay or is granted entry conveniences in accordance with relevant provisions of the State, or where a foreigner starts using a new passport or needs to stay separately from his or her tour group after entering China with a group visa due to objective reasons, the applicant may apply to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ of the local people's government at or above the county level in the place of his or her stay for a change of visa.

Article 12 To apply for extension, change or reissuance of a visa, or for a stay permit, a foreigner shall fill out an application form and submit his or her passport or other international travel documents, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of application.

Article 13 Where a foreigner's application for extension, change or reissuance of a visa, or for a stay permit, meets the acceptance provisions, the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ shall issue a receipt of acceptance valid for a period of time not exceeding 7 days, and make a decision on whether to issue the visa within the validity period of the receipt of acceptance.

 

I'll let you know how it goes today and in the meantime if anybody has any suggestions they are very welcome.

[shuoshuo]

A while back I was on a short-term visa (the F visa, which is almost the same as the current M visa) and I was trying to convert it to another type of visa or extend it. My intention was to stay in China longer than I had initially planned to. I was also doing an internship. The immigration bureau told me that I was not allowed to extend it. The only way I could stay longer was to convert it to a residence permit. So the immigration bureau agreed to convert it to a residence permit if I met all the requirements in the list. I later successfully obtained a 6-month residence permit and my school at the time helped me with it by giving me the necessary documents I needed (from them, I needed an admissions letter and an accommodation slip).

[Anca_]

Thank you for your reply. Actually I am a little confused as to why you needed to convert it yourself to a residence permit, don't they do it automatically within 48h after your arrival? 

 

Regarding the immigration bureau, they told me today that I need to go to Yantai to convert it and that there is no need to go to Hong Kong...despite everybody else saying this. But I take it as a positive answer and I'll see what happens when I arrive there in a week.

[shuoshuo]

There is no such thing as converting a visa into a residence permit within 48 hours, let alone converting it automatically. A residence permit is something you have to apply for, and you have to meet the requirements of it. That takes about a week to process. I call it the immigration bureau but yes, I suppose the 'entry-exit' bureau is what it's called in China but I'm sure you know what I meant by that. As far as I know, they only want you to exit and re-enter if you want to change your visa type. It's a different thing if you want to convert it to a residence permit. As you will be staying in China for another year, you will need a student residence permit. Visit the immigration bureau and ask them for the list of documents you need to provide so that you can get your residence permit. If you already have your admissions document from your school, it shouldn't be too difficult to obtain the other documents.