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Plan B · Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 266 Location: Shenzhen

I have another visa question to add to the many others which are on the boards right now.

I have just received my documentation back from my new school. They have issued me with a work permit / FEC (i.e. the dark brown book), and have returned my passport. I have not received a seperate residence permit (the green book). Instead, in my passport, I have a new page entitled "Residence Permit for Foreigner in the Peoples Republic of China". There is no mention of a visa type or the number of entries.

My school tell me that this is a new "two-in-one" system to replace the seperate Z visa and residence permit. I am somewhat skeptical.

I have never heard of anyone being issued with this type of documentation. Has anybody seen it? Most importantly, will I be able to leave and reenter China with my passport?

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

it's the new way of doing things. And yes, it is multiple entries now. They finally understand that if you live and work here, you should be able to go in and out when you need to.

jeffinflorida · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 7:24 am Post subject:

I just got my Z visa ( see other thread) and it only gives me 1 reentry and i did get 2 seperate books. I asked the FAO to get my multiple entres but they only got me one. The rational is that if I need more they will have it extended each time i wish to go out of the country. I didn't agree with that rational by the way.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Jeff, the visa/residence permit in your passport is the NEW China. I'm not sure if all provinces have adopted this as of yet (and why not, I might ask), but it is the way of the future. And to repeat, yes, you can come and go easily (?) with this new thing . . . until it expires, that is.

Volodiya · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 8:47 am Post subject:

What the OP, plan B, gives is a rather good description of the new system of permits and documents for FTs, now in place in China. The seperate "green book" (residence permit) has been eliminated; the "brown book" (FEC), has not. The new system does allow for multiple entry, as nolefan pointed out.

jeffinflorida, what you have described in your posts sounds very much like the old system, with three documents- a Z visa sticker in your passport, a brown book, and a green book- eventhough it was issued to you, recently. I have to believe Kevin (previous post) simply hadn't noticed that when he made his comments about your visa.

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/job/viewtopic.php?t=22270

jeffinflorida · Posted: Thu Mar 31, 2005 1:45 pm Post subject:

You are correct Z visa sticker says only 1 reentry and the 2 seperate books, it is the old system. we'll see what happens in the future.

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

Yeah, I should have said "ones" instead of "your" - - I was making a general reference meaning most anyone's passport these days (in China). Sorry about the confusing word usage.

Plan B · Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 266 Location: Shenzhen

Thanks everyone. You saved me a trip down to the PSB! (I have learnt to take anything school administrators say with a pinch of salt these days)

As nolefan suggests, the new system makes a lot of sense, and allows the teachers previously legally employed on single-entry Z visas a little more independance from less-than-scrupuless employers, should things all go pear-shaped. Additionally, it is surely better to have everything all in one document.