Partial annual residence in China?

[TheMace]

I think the question is more about the Chinese citizen being able to reenter the US after being out of country for an extended amount of time 4 months or longer. They may not let the Chinese citizen reenter the US.

 

However I would like to know more about a US citizen married to a Chinese citizen being able to stay for a year on a visa. Did you need to return to the US or just leave China after the year and reapply for another years visa? Or did you just have it extended each year in China?

[thelocaldialect]

Just get it extended in China. No need to exit China at all.

 

I haven't been back to the US in ... six years!

[Randy W]

Just get it extended in China. No need to exit China at all.

 

I haven't been back to the US in ... six years!

 

 

But don't you get that from the PSB and not at the Chinese consulates in the US?

[thelocaldialect]

Just get it extended in China. No need to exit China at all.

 

I haven't been back to the US in ... six years!

 

 

But don't you get that from the PSB and not at the Chinese consulates in the US?

 

Right, I get it here in China.

 

What you can do is just come over on a normal, 30 day visa, and once in China get it changed to a year long multi-entry visa at the end of the 30 days. Once you have that visa you can renew it yearly. The advantage of this visa is that you don't have to worry about leaving the country (China I mean) at set intervals, which isn't always convenient.

[Kyle]

I've been here for almost six years as well. I've always renewed my visas in China - at which ever branch of the PSB I was required to go to. No, you do not have to leave China to do so, unless you are changing the status of your visa (moving up in status) such as going from a tourist visa to a work visa. In that case, I believe you'll have to leave through a POE and renter the mainland. You can achieve this by going to Hong Kong. When I was working and decided to quit and become a full-time student, I was able to change my visa status without leaving/reentering a POE.

Edited January 21, 2010 by Kyle (see edit history)

[roblimei]

Just get it extended in China. No need to exit China at all.

 

I haven't been back to the US in ... six years!

 

 

But don't you get that from the PSB and not at the Chinese consulates in the US?

 

Right, I get it here in China.

 

What you can do is just come over on a normal, 30 day visa, and once in China get it changed to a year long multi-entry visa at the end of the 30 days. Once you have that visa you can renew it yearly. The advantage of this visa is that you don't have to worry about leaving the country (China I mean) at set intervals, which isn't always convenient.

I understand the changing to a one year multi entry but how long is each entry of stay good for?

[dnoblett]

I understand the changing to a one year multi entry but how long is each entry of stay good for?

Typically 90 days, which you can get extended at the PSB.

[amberjack1234]

The more that I read about the visa system the more that I am inclined to believe that there is the American system and then there is the Chinese system.

 

The American system: Extremely rigid and nonflexible.

 

The Chinese system: Flexible if one know how to work the system.

Guanxi goes a long way.

 

I gather this from here and other websites that I visit. School teachers websites mostly.

 

Larry

Edited January 22, 2010 by amberjack1234 (see edit history)

[thelocaldialect]

Just get it extended in China. No need to exit China at all.

 

I haven't been back to the US in ... six years!

 

 

But don't you get that from the PSB and not at the Chinese consulates in the US?

 

Right, I get it here in China.

 

What you can do is just come over on a normal, 30 day visa, and once in China get it changed to a year long multi-entry visa at the end of the 30 days. Once you have that visa you can renew it yearly. The advantage of this visa is that you don't have to worry about leaving the country (China I mean) at set intervals, which isn't always convenient.

I understand the changing to a one year multi entry but how long is each entry of stay good for?

 

No, that's what I'm saying here. You can stay for a whole year without leaving China. Not 90 days, a year.

Edited January 22, 2010 by thelocaldialect (see edit history)

[Denny&yan]

I think this might depend on the province or city. I wanted to stay longer than 60 days in Jiangmen. Jiangmen officials told us that they used to allow 1 year stays but no longer allow more than 60 days. Fortunately, Jiangmen is 1 1/2 hours bus ride to Macao, I can easily go to Macao and return for 60 more days.

[chengdu4me]

Seem to getting terms mixed up here....

 

Two types of L visa

 

Single Entry/Multiple Entry - Limited stay (30,60,90 days), could be valid for up to 2 years. Get this at Chinese Consulate in the U.S.

 

Extended L visa - Issued at PSB Main Offices of the City/Province.

 

Enter China on your SE/ME L visa and then go to PSB. Apply for a Extended stay L visa. Once you have that, you can stay up to a year at a time whether you come and go or not. At the end of the year, go apply to get another one.

 

For now, you can stay in China for as long as you want by simply getting a new Extended Stay L visa each year. You can come and go as you please for whatever time you wish to be gone as long as you return before the visa expires.

Edited January 24, 2010 by chengdu4me (see edit history)

[TLB]

Seem to getting terms mixed up here....

 

Two types of L visa

 

Single Entry/Multiple Entry - Limited stay (30,60,90 days), could be valid for up to 2 years. Get this at Chinese Consulate in the U.S.

 

Extended L visa - Issued at PSB Main Offices of the City/Province.

 

Enter China on your SE/ME L visa and then go to PSB. Apply for a Extended stay L visa. Once you have that, you can stay up to a year at a time whether you come and go or not. At the end of the year, go apply to get another one.

 

For now, you can stay in China for as long as you want by simply getting a new Extended Stay L visa each year. You can come and go as you please for whatever time you wish to be gone as long as you return before the visa expires.

 

I had hoped that by the time I had seen the acronym "PSB" ten times on this thread, I'd have figured out what that meant, but I haven't.

 

Could someone type it out once and then see that it gets added to the Acronyms FAQ?

 

thanks

[chilton747]

Seem to getting terms mixed up here....

 

Two types of L visa

 

Single Entry/Multiple Entry - Limited stay (30,60,90 days), could be valid for up to 2 years. Get this at Chinese Consulate in the U.S.

 

Extended L visa - Issued at PSB Main Offices of the City/Province.

 

Enter China on your SE/ME L visa and then go to PSB. Apply for a Extended stay L visa. Once you have that, you can stay up to a year at a time whether you come and go or not. At the end of the year, go apply to get another one.

 

For now, you can stay in China for as long as you want by simply getting a new Extended Stay L visa each year. You can come and go as you please for whatever time you wish to be gone as long as you return before the visa expires.

 

I had hoped that by the time I had seen the acronym "PSB" ten times on this thread, I'd have figured out what that meant, but I haven't.

 

Could someone type it out once and then see that it gets added to the Acronyms FAQ?

 

thanks

 

Public Security Bureau

[chilton747]

http://z-visa.com/work/psb.asp

 

FYI

[thelocaldialect]

Seem to getting terms mixed up here....

 

Two types of L visa

 

Single Entry/Multiple Entry - Limited stay (30,60,90 days), could be valid for up to 2 years. Get this at Chinese Consulate in the U.S.

 

Extended L visa - Issued at PSB Main Offices of the City/Province.

 

Enter China on your SE/ME L visa and then go to PSB. Apply for a Extended stay L visa. Once you have that, you can stay up to a year at a time whether you come and go or not. At the end of the year, go apply to get another one.

 

For now, you can stay in China for as long as you want by simply getting a new Extended Stay L visa each year. You can come and go as you please for whatever time you wish to be gone as long as you return before the visa expires.

 

Exactly.

 

For the one year L visa (extended stay) when you're at the PSB in China you want to tick the box on the form that says "visiting relatives" and specify that you want a one year visa duration.

 

I've heard of people some places only getting six month "visiting relatives" visas, but I do think that as long as the officer at the PSB understands what you're asking for and you have all of the correct documentation (you need your marriage certificate, hukou book, IDs, your police registration, and your spouse's temporary residence permit if you're not applying in the city where your spouse has his/her hukou), you should be able to get this visa and stay in China without having to leave every 90 days. I've gotten mine in both Kunming and Beijing with zero problems.