CHINA VISA FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Do I have to go to the immigration office when apply for the Residence Permit later?
Yes, foreigners and their accompanying family members above 18 years old (inclusive) must go to the Chinese immigration office when apply for the Residence Permit.
2. What kind of entity can be the employer in China?
Your employer in China can be WFOE, local company, branch office, representative office or a Chinese entity where you are assigned to work.
3. What if my visa expired and overstay in Shanghai, what can I do and how much fine should I pay?
It depends. According to the Chinese immigration law, foreigners who over stay their Chinese visas will be charged a penalty of RMB 500 per day (maximum up to RMB10,000) or be detained for more than 5 days and less than 15 days. We suggest you contact us immediately. If it is handled in time and properly, it is possible to avoid penalties and liability. Otherwise, as the time goes late, everything will get more difficult to handle.
4. Do you know if 24 hour turnaround is possible on an M business visa from Hong Kong?
Yes. For some countries (such as USA, UK, Australian) we can assist you to get an M visa within 24 hours from Hong Kong.
5. If I lost my passport in Shanghai, what should I do?
You should go to the Shanghai immigration office to report lost as soon as possible and a lost report will be issued to you. Then you can go to your Consulate in Shanghai to apply for a new passport and get a re-issued visa from the Shanghai immigration office.
6. Tourist visa expiration - I'm currently in Shanghai under tourist visa. I have found a job already but the company will help me apply for the work visa a couple of days after my tourist visa expires. So should i get an extension on my tourist visa? or?
It is illegal for foreigners to stay in China after the China visa expires. You need to extend the tourist visa before the work visa is granted. In Shanghai, the tourist visa can be extended 30 days at a time but can only be extended just once. Let us know which city you are based in China to see there is any further we can help.
7. How to change student visa to anything else? I have currently student visa for mainland China which will expire soon. I am not going to study the second semester and am looking for job now. But since I am not sure to have found one before my visa expires？
You have 2 options in relation to yourstudent visa:
- change it to a business visa, you need to leave China to apply for a new business visa.
-change it to a tourist visa up to 3 months, you need to have your school in Shanghai issue an application letter to the Visa Office. The application letter needs to set out your reasons for staying in China; for example you wish to apply for a period to stay in China to travel and practice the language having spent time studying it. But note it is all up to the Visa Office whether or not to grant this tourist visa.
8. Change of residence - I am currently living at a school dorm but I eventually plan to rent an apartment. I was told that I need to go to the police station to file for a change in residence. How do I go about this? How long does the entire process take?
In moving from a dorm to an apartment, you will need to go to the police station where the apartment is located to change the residence registration and obtain a new Registration Form of Temporary Residence. The process will be completed within a couple of hours. Passport and original lease contract (if applicable) will be required.
9. How should a foreigner register his/her residence?
A foreigner needs to register his/her residence at the police office where he/she resides within 24
hours of entering China. If a foreigner stays in a hotel, the reception desk usually registers foreigners. Failure or delay to register in time will cause a penalty maximum RMB 2,000.
10. Can a newly setup Shanghai company apply for the work permit and one-year residence permit for a foreigner?
If the business license of the newly setup Shanghai company indicate no paid-in capital, the work permit could still be obtained, but its validity is usually less than one year. Similarly, the residence permit could still be obtained, but its validity
is usually less than 3 months. Within the validity of the residence permit, the Shanghai Company could apply for a renewal of the residence permit with an updated business license indicating some paid-in capital.
11. Do I have to leave China to apply for the Z visa?
Yes, foreigners are required to leave China to go to the Chinese consulate or embassy at their home country to apply for
the Z visa and then return to China to continue the rest of work. We may assist to get a Z visa from Hong Kong, depending on your nationality. However, if you are the legal representative or investor of the WFOE, or you are the Chief Representative of the representative office, we can assist you to apply for the work permit directly and change your tourist visa (L visa) or business visa (M visa) into the Residence Permit in China directly without leaving China.
12. What’s the validity of foreigner’s health certificate ?
Foreigner’s health certificate is with 6 months validity.
13. In Shanghai, the child of a foreigner working in Shanghai is near 18 years old, how to apply for his/her visa?
If the child will go on studying in Shanghai, he/she can change the type of the Residence Permit from family member to foreign student, but the validity won’t exceed the date on the application letter issued by the university (school). Alternatively, he/she can apply for a China S2 visa, which is a multiple entry visa issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China. The duration of stay of S2 visa in China is no more than 180 days.
14. What is foreigner’s illegal employment?
The following circumstances are considered as foreigner’s illegal employment:
- Has not obtained work permit or residence permit;
- Work beyond the specified work permit.
15. What are the legal responsibilities for foreigner’s illegal employment?
The employer could be fined RMB 10,000RMB/person (maximum up to 100,000RMB). The foreigner could be fined maximum up to 20,000RMB or be detained for more than five days.
16. What's meaning of 01 entry in my visa?
It means the numbers of entries you can enter China during the visa validity: 00 = Zero; 01 = Single; 02 = Double; M = Multi.
