Job Discussion Forums

[chinamike]

Hey guys quick question,

My Z visa is about to expire and I'm looking to switch my visa to a tourist visa so I can go travel for 2-3 weeks, my boss rang the immigration office of my city (Dongying) and asked for information they said that I needed to provide evidence that I had 100USD for every day on my visa, can anyone confirm, deny, or clarify the issue of switching visa types and requirements, as my boss doesn't really have a clue, and my local immigration office doesn't either.

Thanks,

Mike

PS If I'm in the wrong forum can anyone tell me where to post?

[Roger]

I for one can confirm nothing; this stipulation you mentioned sounds familiar to me - from western countries but not from China!

What's mystifying is your mention of a work visa; for one year now, people have been working no longer on visas but on residence permits!

If yours hasn't expired yet what's the point of asking for a tourist visa?

You can use it up and then leave; if you need an extension at a later date (but before it actually expires) you should have no problem of getting it from any PSB - under the condition that you are legally resident, i.e. as a registered guest in some hotel).

[chinamike]

Ah sorry I wasn't exactly clear, I had a Z visa about a year and a half ago, I'm on the 400RMB Residency Permit, the multientry standard one have been for over a year now, just used Z because I haven't looked in my passport in forever.

Basically my residency permit expires on the 15th of January and I'm off to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in about the first week of February just wanted to go to Xian and chill out on a beach in Hainan for a couple of weeks before I did that, plus I'm working up until the 14th so I'd need a holiday visa anyway just to get out without paying a fine.

Just curious as to if anyone knows the legislation behind switching a residency permit into a holiday visa so I can go relax in the sun, I think I've earned it after 19 months in an oilfield in Shandong

[kev7161]

Are you coming back to China after Vietnam, et al? Are you working for the same school? If so, then why haven't they renewed your residence permit? IMO, this is one problem of changing schools/jobs every few months - - you have to go through all this BS time and again just for a little R&R.

But, as I've never had to do so, I'm afraid I can't advise you on how to go about doing what you are asking, sorry.

[Roger]

Chinamike,
you might be a pioneer - the first to find out whether your intended status change is feasible. I would guess that, yes, you should be able to obtain a visa in lieu of a VISA EXTENSION - but I am not sure since those residence' permits are a new thing.

SO keep us posted, will you?

[chinamike]

Will do, now I can switch my Residency Permit to a Holiday Visa - I'm not coming back to China after Vietnam - Time for me to go to University took two years out when I was 18 (20 now) to come out here and do the whole experience the world/gapyear/find yourself thing, worked out really well sad to be leaving China, I like it here.

Just trying to get all the information I can, when I find out everything I'll post with all the information on changing your Residency Permit into a holiday visa.

Mike

[therock]

Every city will have different requirements for changing residence permit to tourist visa. Although, I have never heard of them asking to prove you have $100 for each additional day you want to stay. That seems steep considering the salaries that are offered here. Surely getting a 30 day L visa would not be a big problem. Tell them that you are interesting in doing some additional travelling before you head home. If you find it difficult to get tourist visa in the city you are in, then just go to one of the main cities and it should be a easier process from there.