First time here

[alien]

Greetings all.

 

First time here. Great site. I am so happy I found it.

 

I have worked in China for a long time and married about 3 years ago.

I have always had a Z/working visa as I have stayed here for over a decade.

 

I am heading home(USA) to spend time with my mom and start setting up life back there to bring my family from China home to live with me.

 

I have a question.

 

I will be giving up working in China but would like to get residence here.

 

For example:

 

Holding a working visa now which expires on Nov. 1st.

(i'll be in the States at that time)

 

I have plans to come back to China next summer.

I do not plan to get another working visa

 

I want what i heard is a family visa.

 

Q1 or Q2 or something like this.

 

The PSB here in Fuzhou said that I should come back into China on a tourist visa then go visit them with my family and apply for residency.

 

has anyone done this?

 

thanks

 

- Alien

[Randy W]

Yes - I entered in Feb. on a Q1 visa, which allowed me 30 days to get to the PSB and apply for a resident permit. The resident permit allows unlimited stays (no border hops needed to renew), but is only good for 1 to 3 years (I'm over 60, so I got the 3 years - I will need to visit the PSB to renew again in 2018). But check again with the PSB to find out how much time you will need to spend in China each year. You will probably need to renew at the PSB each time.

 

A Q2 is a visitor's visa, which will allow up to 180 day stays for up to 10 years for visitation of family members, and is awarded at the Chinese Consulate in the U.S. Ask at the PSB to find out if they will allow you to extend your stay beyond the 180 days. I was told at the Consulate in Houston that I could NOT use the Q2 to convert to a resident permit, so I went with the Q1.

 

Prior to this year, the PSB had given me unlimited stay L-visas or resident permits (their choice), which I had to renew every 1 or 2 years. My previous resident permit expired while I was in the U.S., which is why I had to get the Q1 to return.

 

Welcome to CFL.

Edited October 6, 2015 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Mick]

Alien, welcome to Candle and best wishes for your visa endeavors. I lived in China for a bit over five years, in Anhui the first year and in Guangdong the remaining four-plus years. We returned to the States in 2003 due to some major health issues on my part. Glad to have you aboard and you will find a wealth of information, support, and friendship here. Where have you been living in China all these years?

[alien]

Hi and thanks for quick replies! so cool.

 

oh yea i was in Beijing forever. Then moved to Fuzhou because the wife got pregnant.

 

About the visas, I have read various documents and I already told her that we'll call and see which they think I should apply for.

Basically the consulant office charges the same fee for most visas.

 

PSB will tell which theyll need and which docs i'll need to return.

 

Fuzhou is a very small city which reminds me a lot of my hometown so I think that staying here isn't so bad.

I would recommend anyone to come here to visit but be warned, its hot in summer.

 

So I will be going to visit home alone next week. Family issues have pulled me back to the states to watch over my mom.

My older sister has watched over her for years and she's not a spring chicken either.

 

 

so im going back after a long time to set it all up and bring the family home.

 

wow. agonizing isn't it?

 

And thus far its only myself going back first.

 

I'll be returning after some things are finalized at home. then return to china.

 

life in china is too easy for us foreigners. But i have to admit, i have had a hard time assimulating to life here on many levels.

 

so a time out stateside would be really great for me in many ways.

 

Thanks again

 

CFL - I have recommended this to a few friends. Hope they'll check it out too

 

good night

[dnoblett]

Sounds like a good plan, re-establish domicile in the states and then return overseas and regain residency which would ultimately allow you to file visa petition(s) for spouse and any stepchildren under age 18 at time of marriage, residency in China will allow filing the petition in Guangzhou or Beijing, saving a lot of processing time.

 

Another detail, have you been filing IRS returns while there, filing as married?

[dan1984]

Should be no problem, as the others have said.

 

I too was on a work visa for a long time, and after getting married, am now on a family based residence permit. Got everything done here right in Beijing, super easy. I believe all I needed was the visa form, passport photos, and our little red marriage books, but I could be wrong. As you said though, after you get back, the people there at your PSB will tell you what you need.

 

Best of luck with it all!