China Visa’s

1. Valid passport (at least six months before expiration) with at least two blank visa pages left and under good condition.
2. Completed Chinese visa application form A and B with clean and tidy hand-writting, one colored passport photo taken in the last six months.
3. For additional requirements of documentaries, see section ” Visa Categories and Requirements of Supporting Documents”.
4. Applicants may submit the application in person or entrust close friends or some agencies (agents) to do so.
5. Applicants should be physically in HK before entrusting other people to submit their applications.
6. Applicants with HK resident status should provide personal Hong Kong Identity Card and a copy of the said ID card, besides the passports and other required documents. Applicants have to write an authorized letter when they entrust people to submit the applications.
7. Applicants without HK resident status are required to submit their applications through the Chinese Embassy or consulate office around your resident country.
8. Children, born in mainland China with Chinese ancestry, should apply the first visa back to their home country.
9. Applicants without HK resident status can not apply for multi-entry-visa at our office, and they are required provide their Chinese visa records during the submission.

Issued to relatives of Chinese citizens or foreigners with permanent residence permit residing in PRC.

Overseas Chinese can expect to benefit from the change when they return to China for family reunions. Depending upon the duration of stay and applicants’ classification, the Q visa is further divided into two subclasses: Q1 and Q2.

Q1 is issued to relatives of Chinese citizens applying to enter and reside in China for purposes of family reunion, and to those who apply for family reunion of foreigners with Permanent Residency in China, as well as to persons applying to enter and reside in China for foster care, adoption and other reasons; Q2 is issued to relatives of Chinese citizens or foreigners with permanent residence in China for a short period of stay (less than 6 months).

Q1 is generally issued with a single entry and 30 days, and the holders must apply for Temporary Residence Permit within 30 days after entry. The residence permit can be granted for a minimum of 90 days and a maximum of 5 years. So, holders can exit and reenter freely during the validity of the residence permit. Q2 is flexible from 30 to 180 days, allows single, double, or multiple entries, and the holders can stay in China within the duration period as indicated on visa.

The tourist (L) and transit (G) visas are the only ones that you can apply for without assistance from a business, government or academic institution.

Tourist (L)

Issued to aliens who are going to PRC for tourism.
Most visitors to China will only require a tourist L which will allow them to travel freely in most parts of China as tourists. If your situation is not described by one of the other visa types, then this should be the one you need.

If you are travelling in an organised tour group you might not have an individual visa in your passport. Instead, the tour group will be issued with a group L. The invitation letter issued by the travel agency is required. In such situations you will supply your details to the travel agency before you travel and then you have no further concerns. If you are travelling to Hainan province in an organised group you might also find that no visa is required.

Transit (G)

Issued to aliens who are going to a third country in transit of PRC.

Transit visas are for persons who are staying for a short period while in transit between two other countries. You must have residency in the destination country or have a valid visa for it (if required). The fee appears to be the same as for a tourist L, so check whether you might as well get a tourist L instead.

Some airports do not have an international transfer area and you might have to collect your baggage and exit into the main area so you would expect to need a visa. However, in some instances the airport immigration officials will issue you with a 24 hour ‘Stay Permit’. When you make bookings that look like you will not be checked straight through to your final destination, you are advised to ask the airline or the agent, or contact the embassy or consulate to check if a transit visa is required.

Crew (C)

Issued to crewmembers involving international-based transportation by trains, airway and ships and their accompanying family members.

Persons arriving as crew on international planes, ships or trains and their family members should apply for it. Clearly they should obtain information and complete formalities via their employers.

Additional Requirements: A letter of guarantee issued by the foreign transport company, or the invitation letter issued by the relevant units from China is required.

Note:

• Crew members from following 11 airline companies may apply for multiple entry C valid for two years: United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, UPS, Federal Express, Polar Air Cargo, Evergreen Air Cargo, Kalitta Air Inc., Southern Air Inc. and World Airways Inc.
• Non-regular scheduled flight, chartered flight, private plane must get the Aviation Permit before departure.

Resident (D)

Issued to aliens who are going to reside permanently in PRC.

In summary, the regulations state that a person who has lived 5 years in China and is a desirable person may obtain permanent residence status. In practice it seems that very few people are able to achieve this status. China is not an immigrant country (like the USA, Canada, Australia) and does not seek foreign permanent residents. Unless you have made massive investments which have generated substantial profit to China and you have good connections with the establishment, it seems you are unlikely to succeed.

Additional Requirements: For Resident D, applicants should provide original and copy of the Confirmation form for foreigner’s Permanent Residence Status issued by the Ministry of Public Security of the PRC.
Note: D holders are required to apply for the foreigners’ residence permit within 30 days after entry at the exit/entry administration of public security organs under local governments at or above the county level in the proposed place of residence.

Journalist (J-1, J-2)

Issued to foreign journalists for the purpose of reporting from PRC.

The long stay J1 is for resident journalists, the short stay, J2, is for those who are visiting for short term assignments. These are rather specialist visas and there are several extra requirements including approvals, invitations from the Chinese media authorities, or itineraries. There are extra requirements if you want to bring filming equipment into China. You will find the full details on the application form.The J-1 is only for 30 days from the date of arrival during which time you and your local organisation must seek a Temporary Residence Permit for the duration of your contract, to a maximum of 5 years.

Additional Requirements: For J1 or J2, the applicant should go through formalities in accordance with relevant China’s regulations or provisions, and submit the corresponding application documents. For foreign journalists coming for profession-related purposes such as news coverage, interview or reporting, the Visa Notification Letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of PRC, and official letter signed by the head of the foreign media organization (with details as follows: name list, arrival and departure time, places of interview, content to cover, introduction of the news agency, and name/address/contact number of the news agency) are required. For applications at Chinese embassies or consulates, please contact the Press Section in advance.
Note: J1 holders shall apply for a residence permit within 30 days after entry.

Business (F/M) Issued to aliens who are invited to PRC for business visit, an investigation, a lecture, scientific-technological & cultural exchanges, intern practice.

Student (X)

Issued to aliens who are going to PRC for study, furthering studies. Student Visa is divided into X1 and X2. X1 is issued to aliens who come to China for study, advanced studies, or fieldwork for more than 6 months. X2 is issued to aliens who come to China with same purpose but for a period of less than 6 months. The organization must be accredited for offering courses or internships to foreigners. They will send you a JW201 or JW202 form and an admission letter. Submit these with photocopies with your application.

You are not permitted to work on the X type visa. But part-time work and internships off campus may be authorized in near future. You should contact you university or employer after you have settled in to see what can be arranged. For foreign students who work in violation of the regulations on the administration of foreign students working to support their study in China and work beyond the prescribed scope of jobs or prescribed time limit, they shall be deemed unlawful employment and will probably have to stop or be expelled.

X1 holders shall apply for a Temporary Residence Permit from the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) within 30 days upon entry into China. The temporary residence permit can be issued with validity of 180 days to 5 years. X2 holders shall stay in China within the duration period as indicated on the visa, and it is not necessary for them to apply for the temporary residence permit.

Issued to aliens who are going to PRC for a post or employment.

A work visa is required for persons wanting to work in China for pay. It is also issued to aliens who come to China for commercial entertainment performance. It is only granted if you and the employer meet certain requirements. First, the organisation must be accredited to employ foreigners. You must meet the requirements as a ‘foreign expert’ and the employer must obtain a certificate stating that you comply. The most common employment is teaching English for which the minimum qualifications are stated as having English as a first language and having at least a Bachelors degree and two year teaching experience. The age limit for male applicants is 18 – 60, and 18 – 55 for female applicants. However, there is some flexibility in these requirements so if you can find a willing employer they still have a chance of obtaining approvals for you.

The employer will send you a government issued Employment Permit and Visa Notification Letter which you must submit with a photocopies with your application. Accompanying family members should apply for new S1 or S2 visa submitting invitation letter from the relative with work Z in China and a ‘proof of relationship’ i.e. their marriage certificate for a spouse, or birth certificate for a child.

This Z is valid for only 30 days from the date of arrival during which time you and your employer must seek a Temporary Residence Permit for the duration of your contract, to the minimum of 90 days and the maximum of 5 years.

Issued to high-level personnel and much-needed highly talented people.

Under the regulations from September 1 2013, the R Visa is issued to foreign high-level personnel and much-needed highly talented people who need to stay in China. The measure would complement the existing Work Z Visa that allows foreigners to work in China if they have a work permit or employment certificate issued by the competent Chinese authorities. The Chinese government has shown its sincerity towards global talent with this policy and created a friendlier environment for them to work in China.

However, the regulations do not mention what constitutes the type of talents sought. Indubitably, eligible applicants for the R visa must have the highly-skilled and specialized qualities that are urgently needed due to a short supply among Chinese. To apply for R application itself from Chinese embassies and consulates, those professionals shall firstly obtain the qualification approval in accordance with the provision of the relevant competent departments of the provincial government for the high-level personnel and much-needed highly proficient talents, and submit the appropriate supporting documents.

The final regulations don’t explain in detail about the duration of stay issued to the R, and it is neither referred to as residence visa (which is required to apply for the Temporary Residence Permit after entry such as Q1 and S1) nor referred to as stay visa (with a stay of less than 180 days such as Q2 and S2). So, things will be clear later when the first person who gets his/her R after September 1 2013.

The required documentation to support your application differs according to the visa you are seeking. Here we explain some of the requirements though it is not your responsibility to organize all of them, the organisation you will be dealing with will need to arrange the ones special to your visa type, except for tourist visas, of course. Naturally, you should assist where required by providing information. Preparing the documents can take some time, from a couple of weeks to months, as many bureaucratic procedures are involved. It is a good idea, however, to keep checking back with them that they are getting on with it as sometimes matters can slip.

Non-business Exchanges and Visits (F Visa)

F is issued to foreigners invited to China on a noncommercial exchange, investigation or visits for scientific-technological, education, cultural exchanges, health or sports activities. In some situations overseas businessmen with a need to travel frequently in and out of China over a longer period may be granted a 12 month multiple entry F.

The F type has over the years been used as a ‘catch all’ option. Consular offices seem to have been willing to issue them relatively easily and often for longer durations than a tourist L. It is not permitted to work as an employee of a Chinese business in China while on an F (there are a few exceptions such as working for a company funded from overseas), but many people have done so, often with the full knowledge of local officials, but on the other hand some people have been expelled!