married and moving to china

[Guest Do or die]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

1. You're military pension and SS cannot be mailed to a Chinese Bank or address - so you need to have it deposited in a US bank with access from China or anywhere else in the world.

 

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation, you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

 

3. What you were told - is that somthing AKIN to a US Green Card to live in CHina is "next to impossible" to get. Most of us here, know of one or two people who have obtained them - but they are special cases. If you would like to read about Prof Bill Brown - who was one of the first to receive one - check out the website amoymagic. So yes, getting a China Green Card is probably not going to happen.

 

4. However, I lived in China several years, others are living there now, and would be more than happy to share information with anyone that asks and interacts with people in a civil and mature manner. I can tell you two ways to keep a Resident Visa in China. Student and/or Husband. Both ways can keep you with a renewable 1 yr Resident Visa - at low cost, low risk etc. Even if you had to someday revert to a Multiple entry tourist visa - you are so close to Viet Nam and or Macau - you could easily cross the border and reenter every 90 days. So you can live in China indefinitely - many are and have done it for years.

 

 

1. It is possible to have your check (after fighting them on the direct deposit requirement) mailed to the US Embassy's street address in Virginia and forwarded to you here. You'd need to develop a contact to assist you, but it is done. That said, DD into USAA or NFCU is the better option. Cashing your check here in China will put an up to 6 week hold while it clears.

 

2. There is no place in southern China that is not humid. Other than that, Nanjing isn't bad.

 

3. For at least 5 years.

 

4. The visa available to spouses of Chinese nationals is not and never has been a resident permit. It is an "L" visa (L = Tourist) which gives you a longer period of stay than your typical tourist visa. You cannot work. A resident permit is available only on an "X" (student) or "Z" (employment) visa and a couple of other types not available to mere mortals.

 

 

Thank you for all the information Bill, much appreciated.

[Randy W]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

1. You're military pension and SS cannot be mailed to a Chinese Bank or address - so you need to have it deposited in a US bank with access from China or anywhere else in the world.

 

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation, you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

 

3. What you were told - is that somthing AKIN to a US Green Card to live in CHina is "next to impossible" to get. Most of us here, know of one or two people who have obtained them - but they are special cases. If you would like to read about Prof Bill Brown - who was one of the first to receive one - check out the website amoymagic. So yes, getting a China Green Card is probably not going to happen.

 

4. However, I lived in China several years, others are living there now, and would be more than happy to share information with anyone that asks and interacts with people in a civil and mature manner. I can tell you two ways to keep a Resident Visa in China. Student and/or Husband. Both ways can keep you with a renewable 1 yr Resident Visa - at low cost, low risk etc. Even if you had to someday revert to a Multiple entry tourist visa - you are so close to Viet Nam and or Macau - you could easily cross the border and reenter every 90 days. So you can live in China indefinitely - many are and have done it for years.

 

 

1. It is possible to have your check (after fighting them on the direct deposit requirement) mailed to the US Embassy's street address in Virginia and forwarded to you here. You'd need to develop a contact to assist you, but it is done. That said, DD into USAA or NFCU is the better option. Cashing your check here in China will put an up to 6 week hold while it clears.

 

2. There is no place in southern China that is not humid. Other than that, Nanjing isn't bad.

 

3. For at least 5 years.

 

4. The visa available to spouses of Chinese nationals is not and never has been a resident permit. It is an "L" visa (L = Tourist) which gives you a longer period of stay than your typical tourist visa. You cannot work. A resident permit is available only on an "X" (student) or "Z" (employment) visa and a couple of other types not available to mere mortals.

 

 

The visa is what gets you in the country. The residence permit allows you to live there without having to border hop.

 

The residence permit looks like a visa (and is PROBABLY what Mike was referring to as a "residence visa"):http://i47.tinypic.com/72dg05.jpg

 

I entered on an L visa and got a job, which got me the residence permit.

[Michael]

Not posting our story, none of your business, seen what happens to those who get personal here and rock the boat.

EX marine just (retired) 26 years service, no PTSD issues, never married before, now married to a chinese woman ,I'm taking my pension and moving there,whats the process ?

 

Congrats!!

 

Well when I was in the Marines. They said if they wanted you to have a wife they would have issued you one. I was only in for 6 years. Good luck with your new wife.

 

Semper Fi,

Michael

[JamesnYuHong]

About spending $3,000 to $4,000 a month:

 

I don't understand how you could spend that amount of money in China, especially when housing is covered. What did you buy? You realize that most Chinese live on a small fraction of that?

 

Am I naive?

[dnoblett]

About spending $3,000 to $4,000 a month:

 

I don't understand how you could spend that amount of money in China, especially when housing is covered. What did you buy? You realize that most Chinese live on a small fraction of that?

 

Am I naive?

Perhaps they meant Ôª 3,000 to Ôª 4,000 per month. $4,000 to $5,000 per month BEFORE TAX is what I make here in the USA and can get by on that. $3K - $4K per month in China and you can live like a King.

[GDBILL]

Thank you GDBILL,KYLE and the others for the goodl advice,I dont have any issues living abroad,done it most of my adult life. My take on it is my pension will be more than enough for a comfortable life in china.

My wife (and only one) lives in Nanning a good locality.So there is no resident visa there, what about Malysia or Thailand can you get your chinese wife there ?

 

1. You're military pension and SS cannot be mailed to a Chinese Bank or address - so you need to have it deposited in a US bank with access from China or anywhere else in the world.

 

2. You've stated that "Nanning" is a good locality (not sure what this means -- as it is basically a humid "shit hole", similar to Hanoi). That aside you also state that you have plenty of money to live in China. If you have significant amounts of savings and investment - in addition to your military pension and social security, both indexed for inflation, you might have enough money to live in China - with a modicum of Western Style comforts. (AC, Hot water, Soft Bed, Clean building, No bugs, no shit or garbarge at your doorway). When I lived in China it cost me between $3K-$4K USD a month to live - and my house was FREE - owned by my wife. Albeit, we lived like westerners and not like I did when I was young and naieve and dug into Khe Sanh red dirt....trying to not step on or dig up the land mines the less than bright Marines had left "Unmarked, Unmapped, and Unreported".

 

3. What you were told - is that somthing AKIN to a US Green Card to live in CHina is "next to impossible" to get. Most of us here, know of one or two people who have obtained them - but they are special cases. If you would like to read about Prof Bill Brown - who was one of the first to receive one - check out the website amoymagic. So yes, getting a China Green Card is probably not going to happen.

 

4. However, I lived in China several years, others are living there now, and would be more than happy to share information with anyone that asks and interacts with people in a civil and mature manner. I can tell you two ways to keep a Resident Visa in China. Student and/or Husband. Both ways can keep you with a renewable 1 yr Resident Visa - at low cost, low risk etc. Even if you had to someday revert to a Multiple entry tourist visa - you are so close to Viet Nam and or Macau - you could easily cross the border and reenter every 90 days. So you can live in China indefinitely - many are and have done it for years.

 

 

1. It is possible to have your check (after fighting them on the direct deposit requirement) mailed to the US Embassy's street address in Virginia and forwarded to you here. You'd need to develop a contact to assist you, but it is done. That said, DD into USAA or NFCU is the better option. Cashing your check here in China will put an up to 6 week hold while it clears.

 

2. There is no place in southern China that is not humid. Other than that, Nanjing isn't bad.

 

3. For at least 5 years.

 

4. The visa available to spouses of Chinese nationals is not and never has been a resident permit. It is an "L" visa (L = Tourist) which gives you a longer period of stay than your typical tourist visa. You cannot work. A resident permit is available only on an "X" (student) or "Z" (employment) visa and a couple of other types not available to mere mortals.

 

 

The visa is what gets you in the country. The residence permit allows you to live there without having to border hop.

 

The residence permit looks like a visa (and is PROBABLY what Mike was referring to as a "residence visa"):http://i47.tinypic.com/72dg05.jpg

 

I entered on an L visa and got a job, which got me the residence permit.

 

Right. And it is the visa if you are on an "L" or an "F" which is stuck in your passport and controls how long you can stay and if you can leave and re-enter at will.

 

If you are a student, diplomat, or have legal employment, you are then issued a residence permit which replaces your visa and indicates the purpose of your stay and all the other information usually included in the visa. A residence permit gives you a few extra advantages such as the ability to buy property and exchange RMB for US$, but a visa does not -- or, if it does, is more restricted.

 

I guess the big clue is that one at the top says "Visa" and the other says "Residence Permit."

[2mike&jin]

I guess the big clue is that one at the top says "Visa" and the other says "Residence Permit."

 

 

Yes, GDBILL, that is the difference...my "residence permit" looks just like the example...but the purpose was "student", written in han zi. So the end result is a "resdient permit", but as you technically pointed out, it is underlying some original visa. Since I was unaware of the level of understanding I omitted the "Visa Type" information and other distractions.

 

Ok, also to answer the other question about how I spent $3K-$4k (Note not RMB), a month - well it seemed quite easy. We did a lot of in country travel, traveled to Thailand, Malaysia, Shang Hai, Hong-Kong, etc, I put a lot of gas in the car, we went out to dinner most evenings - and we took lot's of family and friends, I paid $8K RMB a semester for tuition, and I really like to drink beer! I think the beer may have been the problem! [EDIT...the first 7 months there I paid 13K RMB a month for a "Serviced Apartment", before moving in with my GF now wife, and now that I think about it, spent a "little money" buying my new GF now wife - some small gifts....to include an engagement ring.....so it all went into my averaged costs..end of EDIT]

 

I apologize for starting the "HUMID..S..H" dialoque - as it is also Humid in Xiamen, where we have a house, for at least the 3 summer months - so I also have a home in a Humid Shit Hole - it just doesn't last from April to November. I was less than tactfulllllll, and I should've been a little kinder in my - "so what response"! Since we didn't know much about this fine fellow - who I must respect for his many years defending our nation, it was a cheap shot at his "matter of factness". As usual, one persons passion is anothers poison. My Jin hates SNOW(COLD) and I'm having a heck of a time getting her to spend any time in our House in the Mountains in Reno/Lake Tahoe. I should now term the mountain property the "Freezing COld Shit Hole", because that's how she views it! Since she is the boss - it must be true. Again, I apologize for the regional comment based on warm moist weather!

Edited May 22, 2010 by dnoblett (see edit history)

[JamesnYuHong]

Ok, also to answer the other question about how I spent $3K-$4k (Note not RMB), a month - well it seemed quite easy. We did a lot of in country travel, traveled to Thailand, Malaysia, Shang Hai, Hong-Kong, etc, I put a lot of gas in the car, we went out to dinner most evenings - and we took lot's of family and friends, I paid $8K RMB a semester for tuition, and I really like to drink beer! I think the beer may have been the problem! [EDIT...the first 7 months there I paid 13K RMB a month for a "Serviced Apartment", before moving in with my GF now wife, and now that I think about it, spent a "little money" buying my new GF now wife - some small gifts....to include an engagement ring.....so it all went into my averaged costs..end of EDIT]

 

Thanks for explaining. That is a higher-rolling lifestyle than I would lead. But then, I am broke.

[Guest Do or die]

Thank you all,got alot of useful stuff from the replies.

[Zhou Zhou]

About spending $3,000 to $4,000 a month:

 

I don't understand how you could spend that amount of money in China, especially when housing is covered. What did you buy? You realize that most Chinese live on a small fraction of that?

 

Am I naive?

Perhaps they meant Ôª 3,000 to Ôª 4,000 per month. $4,000 to $5,000 per month BEFORE TAX is what I make here in the USA and can get by on that. $3K - $4K per month in China and you can live like a King.

 

Last fall my wife and I lived on $3,000 per month and that included the apartment, food, utilities and traveling (air & train) to Lasa and Xi'an for sightseeing. Over the past few years I've seen some inflation, but China is still very affordable, imho. Good luck with your retirement...I'm like Michael...I couldn't stand the good life of the Corps and retired after 6 years.

[Eric Petersen]

I would try to get a visa card account and have your funds sent to that account.. any time you want with draw money you can use any atm ... banks are getting tighter trying to see what moneys are coming and going..if you have bigger money you can always western union it to your self..then open an account in China.. I had accounts at ICBC when I was there..they can hold US dollars for you or RMB your choice and lots of ICBC atms around...

 

good luck with your travels what part of china will you go to...

 

bring steak sauce A1 with you..and buy lots of deoderant those things are hard to find...and any other things you might miss..also recomend neosporin and asprins and other cold medicines.. they just dont have a CVS around the corner... so bring one with you stock up.....better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it Right..

 

Good luck ...

[GDBILL]

I would try to get a visa card account and have your funds sent to that account.. any time you want with draw money you can use any atm ... banks are getting tighter trying to see what moneys are coming and going..if you have bigger money you can always western union it to your self..then open an account in China.. I had accounts at ICBC when I was there..they can hold US dollars for you or RMB your choice and lots of ICBC atms around...

 

good luck with your travels what part of china will you go to...

 

bring steak sauce A1 with you..and buy lots of deoderant those things are hard to find...and any other things you might miss..also recomend neosporin and asprins and other cold medicines.. they just dont have a CVS around the corner... so bring one with you stock up.....better to have it and not need it then need it and not have it Right..

 

Good luck ...

 

For what it's worth, Bank of America and China Construction Bank have an agreement whereby you can use your BOA ATM card or credit card at China Construction Bank ATMs without incurring any fees.

[Guest GunSlinger]

Not posting our story, none of your business, seen what happens to those who get personal here and rock the boat.

EX marine just (retired) 26 years service, no PTSD issues, never married before, now married to a chinese woman ,I'm taking my pension and moving there,whats the process ?

26 years in the Corps and you talk about America the way you do, personaly I think you're full of bovine residue, just my opinion.

Bye, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

[dnoblett]

Not posting our story, none of your business, seen what happens to those who get personal here and rock the boat.

EX marine just (retired) 26 years service, no PTSD issues, never married before, now married to a chinese woman ,I'm taking my pension and moving there,whats the process ?

26 years in the Corps and you talk about America the way you do, personaly I think you're full of bovine residue, just my opinion.

Bye, don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.

The Jar-Head is gone.

 

Got answers he needed.

[tkgert]

Damn a post with a good ending,, what a jerk!!!!!!!!!!!!!