Job Discussion Forums

jaj · Joined: 15 May 2011 Posts: 28

Has anyone had any experience sending passport from China to family member in U.S. to handle the process of getting authentications and new work permit stamp at embassy? This is my new strategy. Anybody out there been through this? How long did it take? Don't want to live in China without passport.

Simon in Suzhou · Joined: 09 Aug 2011 Posts: 404 Location: GZ

In your home country you would get a Z-visa to ENTER China. The residence permit in your passport comes later (the first 30 days after you have entered China) at the local authorities you'll be working in. So I question if this will work showing up with a Z-visa and no entry stamps. But maybe....

wawaguagua · Joined: 10 Feb 2013 Posts: 190 Location: China

Like the other Simon said, the entry stamp is important. I did my first Z visa by sending my passport from South Korea back home and waiting it out there. It helps that I had a relative I could stay with. There are plenty of other neighboring countries you could try it from.

Pekingtom · Joined: 06 Apr 2015 Posts: 14

I asked about this in July of 2017 (I was already in China at the time teaching a summer class) and got "no" from 3 different sources: immigration office in Beijing, the Chinese consulate in San Francisco and my school. There was no reason given why, but when I went through the process, the last step was to fingerprint me in the SF consulate. I am guessing that all or part of the reason was that they cannot collect your fingerprints if you only send your passport home....I don't remember now, even though it was only 10 months ago...I think they also took fingerprints when I got final visa in Beijing, so they need something to compare, to make sure you are not switching people.

nimadecaomei · Joined: 22 Sep 2016 Posts: 605

Weird though, cause if you use an agent in your home country and are also in your home country, there is no fingerprint either. I think it is the stamp in the passport (the entry stamp) that they need. If doing it from a third country it should be fine in theory.

teenoso · Joined: 18 Sep 2013 Posts: 365 Location: south china

Don't do it!
If you showed up at a Entry-Exit Bureau or PSB with a z visa and no entry stamp, because you had sent home your passport , then you would be in China illegally , with no valid visa.