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Thread: Visa Types

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[quote=APAULT,228136]I currently have 3 to 5 different visas in my passport and have learnt some info on the way.  I will list my knowledge and experiences but I know that some people have different experiences.  The rules are certainly not applied consistently.

As a tourist you apply for the L visa.  The Chinese travel agent I use in Sydney assures me that 3 months is the maximum that can be given though you can get dual or multiple entry each entry being a maximum of 3 months and a total amximum of 1 year.  I know Jabarootoo said you can always get 3 months outside China but my agent says this is not the case and they sometimes give you less even when you request 3 months.  There is some provison for renewal inside China but I have not expereinced this.

If you are planning to work and the work is approved you get a Z visa, maximum duration 1 year. The prospective employer must supply various documentation, not all of them get approval.  You must supply documentation to prove your skills and in theory pass a medical before entering China (there are workarounds).  within 14 days your employer must request a temporay residence permit and when issued (in your passport) the Z visa is cancelled!   Assuming you do not seek a new Z visa you can apply for a limited tourist visa maximum duration 14 days which is NOT renewable.  So you have to go to HK or somewhere to get a full tourist visa.   Sometimes you can get a Z visa from within China, though I was told this is not supposed to happen!

If you plan to operate a business you apply for an F visa and a medical is required.  I was employed in a language centre as a teacher and worked on an F visa.  Some people tell me this is not officially allowed and is being clamped down on...but I guess it depends if you have the right contacts.   It seems that the F visa is the catch-all visa which can be issued when you dont fit into other categories provided you know the right people!

There is a student visa for genuine students.

There are transit visas for people who are transiting for between 1 and 7 days.  In Beijing airport there seems to be no transfer system, you exit into the main public area and then re-enter the next gate!  I got a stamped entry permit, though this seemed to confuse some other officials!

I hope to work in China again soon but I will not apply for a Z visa externally as the medicals are ridiculously expensive compared with what I will earn in China and they sometimes demand you retake them when you arrive!  But this is reasonable for me because I am going early and am happy to travel as a tourist should the application fail!

Please add your experiences.[/quote]

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