If I want to study at a language school long-term (about 10 months), can I feasibly get a 12-month F visa?

[MilesM]

Hey, guys. I'm planning to study at a language school next year for approximately 10 months. Since it's a language school and not a university, they can't get me an X1 visa but they say they can help me acquire an F visa with two entries. However, the school I want to attend is in Chengdu, so it would be highly inconvenient for me to exit the Mainland and then reenter. So, I'm wondering if anybody knows if I can feasibly get a 12-month single entry visa if I explain to the consulate that it would be more convenient for me. Thanks for the help!

[ChTTay]

What happened to Beijing? I thought you were leaning toward this. If so, a few private schools here can provide X visas.

 

If the school in Chengdu says they can only get you a F visa with two entries, I would probably be inclined to believe them/accept that. You would think the school would have a lot of experience getting their students visas. As a result, they'd have a good amount of experience and knowledge about it.

[abcdefg]

However, the school I want to attend is in Chengdu, so it would be highly inconvenient for me to exit the Mainland and then reenter.

 

Chengdu is really not so far from Hong Kong by air. I make visa stamp runs from Kunming several times a year.

 

So, I'm wondering if anybody knows if I can feasibly get a 12-month single entry visa if I explain to the consulate that it would be more convenient for me.

 

Depends on your consulate, but I think it's unlikely.

[Demonic_Duck]

As far as I know, the number of "entries" on a visa always refers to the maximum number of entries. What you want to look out for is how long the visa is for. A 6 month visa with 2 entries means you're fine for 6 months as long as you don't exit and re-enter Chinese territory more than once. If it's a year-long visa with 2 entries (not sure whether or not such things exist), then you'd be fine for the year, but again, as long as you didn't exit and re-enter more than once.

 

For what it's worth, when I signed up for the programme at Tsinghua, I indicated that I wanted to study for a year... but the visa they applied for on my behalf was still 6 months (actually a residence permit, which means I didn't have to leave the country, but applying for it twice instead of once is still twice as much 麻烦 as I would ideally have liked...)

[ChTTay]

Hey Duck,

 

Did you pay for a full year or just the first semester?

 

When I was at Tsinghua, it worked that way. I got a full 1 year X visa as I paid for two semesters whereas my friends who intended to stay two semesters but just paid for 1 semester got an ... F? visa and had to leave between terms.

[Demonic_Duck]

I paid for one semester, but they didn't present paying for 2 semesters in one go as an option.

[ChTTay]

Haha funny that, when I went they didn't present paying for 1 semester as an option if you said in your application you wanted 1 year / 2 semesters!

 

I found out when speaking to classmates. In the end though, paying two semesters and getting that X visa / year long residence permit was pretty nice.

 

I guess we both now know if you don't ask you don't get!

[leeovisa]

For a short-term study, you can apply for an X2 visa, instead of F visa. It has been changed since Sep. 1, 2013.

[catherineak]

MilesM

Hi,Merry chritmas to you first !

About you ask about 12 months F business visa,could you tell me what is your country ?

You explain to chinese embassy about the student visa ?it is not useful,if you apply for F business visa in chinese embassy and you explain that because you can not do student visa in school ,so apply for F business,is that you will explain to the chinese embassy about this point?

This is really no useful,this maybe will let the chinese embassy refused your application for F business visa ,you know why ?because now you are in school ,if apply for F business visa is not possible.business visa is mainly used for company trader and partner.

So my suggestion is that if you need business visa ,you can contact visa agency to help you get it .will prepare the documents for you to apply it in chinese embassy.But different country suitable for different visa policy .

Because now i am working in visa company ,so know something about it .if you need any help welcome to contact me anytime,thanks 

this is only from my experience about china visa for foreingers,if anyone have good comment welcome.thanks