China’s New Visa Rules
Starting last Monday the 1st of July， China has new visa rules for us foreigners. I found that cityweekend.com.cn has a really good article about the changes and new visas:
As you may have heard, there have been rumors floating around regarding the changes to China’s visa system that will take effect July 1st. These changes are apart of the new Exit and Entry Law which was adopted by the National’s People Congress last June. The new regulations are aimed to address the illegal stay and illegal employment of foreigners here in China. The most relevant alterations include…
Read the whole article here: A Breakdown of China’s New Visa Rules
There is also a handy chart for all the old and new visa types over at The World Of Chinese, you should check it out too.
Updated! Other useful news and posts about the new China visa laws:
Easy check list on which kind of visa you have to get: Which is the Most Appropriate Visa Category for your Application?
Check lawandborder.com’s new blog post about Q&A on China’s New Exit-Entry Administration Law and Regulations
China Briefing: China Releases Final Draft of New Visa and Residence Permit Regulations for Foreigners
Chinese-forums.com has a helpful topic about applying for China visa in Hong Kong
About my own visa situation
Currently I’m in China on a student X visa wich will expire in September, then I can have a new student visa for half a year, but that’s it. After graduation I have to start looking for another visa.
As it’s a bit unclear what I’m going to do after graduation, I might have to get a tourist visa from Hong Kong first. Although I learned from the visainchina.com website, that I might be able to get a zero entry tourist L visa without leaving China too.
But of course I can’t be on a tourist visa forever. If I find a job, then the company should help me with the visa, but what if I work as a freelance basis in several different projects? Am I able to get a new M business visa if I open a company? According to my knowledge freelancing isn’t really possible without a company in China, as everyone working needs to have a correct visa.
As you can see, visas are still bit of a foreign land for me, as until now I’ve been able to stay in China on student visas. If you have more information or links to great resources, please let me know in the comments!
