How to Renew your Visa while in Chengdu, China?

Note: this post is from 2015, a lot might have been changed in meanwhile

Renewing your Visa: A worrisome problem that most of us will face sooner or later. Below is a simple guide explaining how to renew different Visa categories.

See below clear guidelines to Chinese Visa Application in Chengdu:

L Visa Renewal
L Visa = Tourist Visa

*Valid for 30 days to several years

*Can be renewed once for 30 days

* Only individually (without any company to support)

*Required documents:
1) Passport + photocopy of profile page, visa page, and the page with the latest China entry stamp
2) 1 Passport picture (white background, size: 30mm x 40mm)
3) Police registration form of your residential address if live in an apartment, or temporary registration form/ certificate if live in a hotel
*30 days valid from the date of application
*Submit the application any working day before the visa expires
*Collect passport in 7 working days since the date of application

X Visa = Student Visa

*Duration: 6 months, 1 year, or longer duration

*Issued by the schools which has the qualification to recruit international students

M/F Visa Renewal

M Visa = Business Visa

F Visa = issued for short-term academic exchange programs

*Application must be supported and done by a Chengdu-registered inviting company (Individually not possible to get renewals).
*Renewal possible from 30 days to maximum 1 year but the decision is up to the visa authority
*Required documents ?:The same as for L visa renewal by foreigner + inviting company’s legal licenses

L/F upgrade to Visa

*Application must be supported and done by a Chengdu-registered inviting company (Individually not possible).

*Renewal possible from 30 days to maximum 1 year but it’s totally up to the visa authority

*Required documents: The same as for L visa renewal by foreigner plus inviting company’s legal licenses

*Note: Residence Permit of any category cannot be changed into M visa

Work Visa (Residence Permit):

Note: Here we focus on the Work Visa, Residence Permit can also be issued for study, marriage, and family reunion etc.

Work Visa initial/ transfer Application:

Before apply for the Residence Permit of work category, the employer company needs to get the work permit (Foreign Expert Certificate for teachers, or Alien Employment for non-teachers )

Prior to the application, foreigner must provide the employer:
*Passport profile page (Photocopy)
*Criminal Record Certificate from passport country (original)-Not required for teachers
*Diploma (Original, Bachelor’s degree level at least)
*Employment Verification Letter/Recommendation Letter from previous employer (Original)

Z Visa

*Issued by Chinese consular offices out of mainland China

*Normally valid only for 30 days since the entry date

*Within 30 days, the employer must help the employee to proceed 就业证 or 外专证 and residence permit

Time taken by relevant authorities:
*12 working days for Alien Employment License (non-teachers), by Chengdu HR & Social Security Bureau (or 15 working days for teachers to have the foreign expert permit by Chengdu Foreign Expert Affair Administration Bureau)
*5 working days: Invitation Letter by the foreign affair office of Sichuan or Chengdu
*2-7 working days to apply for Z visa in a Chinese consulate office out of China
*3 working days: Medical Checkup Record from Tongzilin North Road 1#
*5 working days to have Alien Employment Permit (non-teachers) or Foreign Expert Certificate for teachers
*15 working days: Residence Permit by Chengdu PSB

Important notice:

1. To apply for any visa for dependent family members, an original China Consular Authentication of marriage certificate/birth certificate of the child aged below 18 years old/applicant’s birth certificate if to proceed her/his parent aged over 60 years old a dependent family visa.

2. Within 10 days after passport changed/renewed, application of visa removal to new passport must be submitted to Chengdu PSB. Otherwise, could be fined from 500 to 2,000RMB.

3. Basic qualification to apply for work permit (non-teachers):
*At least 2 year professional experience since the diploma issuance date
*No criminal record
*Professional experience related to the position on application
4. Basic qualification to apply for Foreign expert permit (teachers)
*Native English speaker for English teaching position
*2 years teaching/educational professional experience since the diploma issuance date
*TESOL certificate for non-native English speaker to apply for English teaching position
*No criminal record

Public Security Bureau (PSB) Address:
Public Security Bureau (PSB) Foreign Affairs & Visa, 3F

成都市公安局出入境管理局

Northside of Tianfu Square (left behind the Mao statue) 天府广场北侧原市政府第一办公区

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