Long Stay in China

[waldo8888]

My wife is a Chinese citizen and I am an America. When I retire, we are thinking of moving to China or live part time. I have read that it is very hard to get a long term visa. My current tourist visa allows stays of 60 days. What if I want to stay longer? Is it possible just to go to Hong Kong and then have another 60 days? If so, can I keep doing this?

 

Thanks for all your help.

[credzba]

One of the mods here (Randy) lives long term in China, he is American citizen and his wife is Chinese citizen.

I am certain he can tell you exactly what to do, and in fact I know there has been a discussion of this before.. maybe look some.

Randy is on China time, so he wont be online for a bit yet.

 

I'd give you the reference, but I forget where it was discussed.

Seems I remember you just go to your local .. forgot the name .. the place your supposed to register when you stay in China, and show your marriage book, where you live with your wife, and whatever else they ask for, and they can upgrade your visa to a year or more.

Then you just keep going back to get it upgraded each year, no need to leave the country.

 

After some number of years living in China, I think they give you a long term visa.

 

As I said .. Randy is the expert, so I am sure he'll tell you what to do.

[Randy W]

There are actually several different departments of the PSB. You will register at one (a local office) - provide pictures and information about the place you will live. Then go to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau to apply for the visa. Mine have always been one year, with an unlimited stay. The last time I left China was for a short visit to the U.S. in Jan., 2011.

 

After 5 years, they tell me, I will be eligible for the Chinese green card.

 

Just talk to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau in your wife's hometown. They will tell you what they can do for you and what you need to do.

[dnoblett]

Be aware living overseas can cause problems maintaining a green-card, the green-card is for permanent residency in the USA, and even if you make trips to the USA every year, if it is determined by DHS that you are not permanently living in the USA, DHS can revoke the green-card.

 

What others have done.

• Play the yearly visit the USA game, sometimes it works for several years.
• Give up the green-card and apply for B-2 visas to visit the USA, having given up the green-card tends to make it so getting a B-2 visit visa is not a problem.
• Have green-card holder naturalize and become a US citizen, in which both would deal with the stay requirements in China, but over time both US Citizens may be allowed stay permanently.

Note a former Chinese citizen, and US citizen spouse of a Chinese citizen or former citizen qualify for two year multi entry visit visas to China, and can even get visas valid up to 5 years with interview at a Chinese consulate.

[lhp]

Waldo, I have a marriage-based Residence Permit. It was easy to get; went to the visa office; got pictures taken; got a physical; submitted the results along with the visa form, current police registration, and a copy of our marriage certificate; and then picked up the visa after a week or so. The RP I have is good for one year and multiple entries. The downside to this sort of visa is that you cannot legally work. Otherwise, it's quite handy.

 

There are actually several different departments of the PSB. You will register at one (a local office) - provide pictures and information about the place you will live. Then go to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau to apply for the visa. Mine have always been one year, with an unlimited stay. The last time I left China was for a short visit to the U.S. in Jan., 2011.

 

After 5 years, they tell me, I will be eligible for the Chinese green card.

 

Just talk to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau in your wife's hometown. They will tell you what they can do for you and what you need to do.

I'll be really interested to hear about it when/if you apply for the Chinese green card. It seems like you hear completely different things from everyone about what it takes (and if it's even possible) to get one. Good luck!

[Randy W]

Waldo, I have a marriage-based Residence Permit. It was easy to get; went to the visa office; got pictures taken; got a physical; submitted the results along with the visa form, current police registration, and a copy of our marriage certificate; and then picked up the visa after a week or so. The RP I have is good for one year and multiple entries. The downside to this sort of visa is that you cannot legally work. Otherwise, it's quite handy.

 

There are actually several different departments of the PSB. You will register at one (a local office) - provide pictures and information about the place you will live. Then go to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau to apply for the visa. Mine have always been one year, with an unlimited stay. The last time I left China was for a short visit to the U.S. in Jan., 2011.

 

After 5 years, they tell me, I will be eligible for the Chinese green card.

 

Just talk to the PSB Entry and Exit Bureau in your wife's hometown. They will tell you what they can do for you and what you need to do.

I'll be really interested to hear about it when/if you apply for the Chinese green card. It seems like you hear completely different things from everyone about what it takes (and if it's even possible) to get one. Good luck!

 

 

You need a work permit in order to work. These are issued separately (even though your residence permit will indicate its purpose), and usually in conjunction with a specific job.

 

I'll be eligible to apply for the green card in December. Unfortunately, everything (my residence permit and the passport) expires in Feb., so I need to get those renewed first.

[Randy W]

Getting a Chinese 'green card'

 

The qualification that will be of most interest for most of us

 

Family:

 

. . .

or

● Married to a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence status in China for at least five years, with at least five successive years of residence in China and at least nine months of residence in China each year, and having stable source of subsistence and place of residence

or

 

. . .

 

*Immediate relatives shall include parents (spouse's parents), grandparents, children at least 18 years old and his (her) spouse, and grandchildren at least 18 years old and his (her) spouse.

 

 

http://www.people.com.cn/mediafile/pic/20140619/16/7493806814470226660.jpg

 

http://www.people.com.cn/mediafile/pic/20140619/81/14368067261818267489.jpg

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

I lived and worked in China for nearly six years. Those six years include many memorable experiences; experiences I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. Mixed within those experiences lived an American born man suddenly immersed in China. I aspired to see everything I could while I was there. I visited virtually every major city and province, including living with the rice farmers in the south of China as per Mao's instruction. I saw the best and worst parts of the Chinese working world including Chinese healthcare, hospitals, government, and corruption.

 

I met many expats while in China. Most of them last less than a year before the return home. Some may eek it out up to three years, but most don't. The foreign faces of China change like the billboards along the highway. They come, and they go. But, in the end, nearly everyone burns out. One or two out of a thousand may still be there after ten years, and some even after twenty.

 

Occasionally, you can find a foreigner here and there who is fluent in language and culture that manages to get by a little better than those who could or would not. In the end, no matter how much language or culture you learn in China you will always be a foreigner. I think it's worth the life experience to give China a try for living, but to always keep an exit plan alive. It's easy for me to fall into a groove of just getting by living there and forgetting that life treated me better in the Western world that it did in China.

Edited June 20, 2014 by ExChinaExpat (see edit history)

[waldo8888]

Thank you all for the advise. Can anyone give me advise about health insurance while living there?

 

Thanks again for all your help.

[dan1984]

Thank you all for the advise. Can anyone give me advise about health insurance while living there?

 

Thanks again for all your help.

 

A couple months ago a bought a year of medical insurance from this place for while I'm living in China - actually, the package I bought covers me for anywhere in the world except in the US, so it's good if I'm traveling or whatnot.

 

I just have it for 'what if' scenarios, and haven't had to put it to the test yet, but it seems to have the coverage I could possibly require and their customer service has been spot on in answering questions and in all dealings with them.

 

At the same time, would love to hear about any other insurance options people are using.

 

http://www.pacificprime.com/