In August 2012, the government changed many of the rules for certain visa types available to foreigners living, studying and working in China. Not surprisingly—given the country's shared reaction to a certain incident—the biggest changes were made to the rules regarding the tourist (L) visa, meaning that the technical loophole of running to Hong Kong every 60 days was officially shut down by the government. However, whenever visa regulations change here, no one, not even the authorities it seems, are entirely clear on the exact guidelines of those changes for at least a few months. Now that the dust has settled, I recently went on visa fact-checking mission to my local Public Security Bureau, so the following information should be as up-to-date as possible (Nov 2012). Nevertheless, keep in mind that different rules and prices may apply to different countries; so be sure to double-check your country's current arrangement with China. For example, a basic tourist  (L) visa in the US costs 130 USD, in Canada they range from 50-150 CND depending on the type and in the UK a multiple entry visa is £180.

Tourist (L) visa

1) Back in the home country
For tourists looking to visit China, the government has expanded on the already laborious process of securing an L visa: in addition to all of the normally requested information, the government now also requires that applications include an invitation letter from a "Duly Authorized Tourism Unit" (正式授权的旅游单位) or an invitation letter issued by "companies, various institutions, or individuals in China". The "tourism" invitation letter is pretty self-explanatory—if you're going to be part of a tour group in China, they'll take care of everything for you. 

The second type of invitation letter is a bit more complicated, depending on the scenario. If you don't know anybody in China, you can obtain this letter from various companies; the PSB officer mentioned domestic travel agencies being the most common source. If instead you plan on using a Chinese friend as the inviter, they'll need their Chinese ID (and a photocopy) to fill out the forms needed to submit to the government. Once they receive approval (the officer said it would take about 10 days) they will then need to fax or email the necessary paperwork (more on that below) to you in your home country to be presented at the time of application submission. If you have friends or family that are planning to pay you a visit in the near future, and you plan on being the inviter, you'll need to send them (1) a photocopy of your passport's information page, (2) a photocopy of your passport's current residence permit (only those on an X or Z visas can send an invitation letter) and (3) a photocopy of a signed and dated invitation letter.

The invitation letter for all of the above scenarios must provide the following information: "(1) Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc. (2) Information concerning the applicant's visit to China: purpose of the visit, date of arrival and departure, places to visit, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, and who will bear the cost of the applicant's accommodations in China. (3) Information of the inviter: name of the unit or individual, phone number, address, and if applicable, seal and signature of the legal representative" (http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/adr/). The easiest way to get these documents to the applicant is for the inviter to scan them into their computer, save them as PDF files and emailing these materials to the applicant to print, to be included with their visa application. In addition to these materials, the applicant must also supply a photocopy of their round-trip airline ticket, and, if they are staying at a hotel anywhere in China, a photocopy of the hotel reservation. Failure to supply any of these materials will cause the application to be declined. Lastly, and perhaps the most important issue I should note, is that all these materials (including flight and hotel bookings) are required before you know whether or not you're actually approved for the visa. So there is a chance that you'll go through all this trouble and still be denied a visa.

2) Extending an L visa in Mainland China
From what the officer at the PSB told me, it is still possible to extend your tourist visa in China twice. Each time, it can only be extended for one month and it is "0-entry", meaning once you leave China it is no longer valid no matter how many days you have left. This is provided that you haven't extended the visa twice already in the same year period.

3) L visa in Hong Kong
Last but not least, is the notorious last-minute "Hong Kong visa run" to renew your L visa. Unfortunately, in what is likely an official response to the tide of foreigners working illegally in China on multiple-entry L visas, these visas are no longer available in Hong Kong for (most) expats. According to the Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong website: "Applicants without HK resident status can not apply for multi-entry-visa at our office, and they are required to provide their Chinese visa records during the submission" (http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/hzsyjbtk/). What this means is that if you are not a Hong Kong resident, you may still be able to apply for a single-entry L visa in Hong Kong…provided your passport isn't littered with Chinese/Hong Kong entry/exit stamps.

Business (F) visas

In short, many of the rules that govern the L visa also apply to the F visa. If you apply for one in your home country, you're going to need the same boatload of documents, plus the "authorized Chinese unit" and invitation letter from the Chinese host company, meeting or exhibition organizers in China or an introduction letter from the applicant's current company. You are still able to get your F visa extended or renewed. Like the L visa, if you get your F visa extended, that gives you a 0-entry visa for 30 days and cancels out your previous visa. According the PSB I talked to in Shanghai, you are still able to renew your F visa in China as well, but you will need to provide renewed versions of the necessary documents. Also, the officer mentioned that the number of entries allowed on your F visa depends on your company's capital, which is determined through the documents submitted. Finally, you can still apply for an F visa renewal in Hong Kong provided that your visa history checks out under review at the Hong Kong embassy. The documents are the same but according to the Hong Kong embassy site "Under some circumstances, the applicants may be required to provide financial proof, a copy of Chinese hotel booking and return flight ticket booking" (http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/qzlb/), similar to the L visa application process.

Student (X) visas

The process of applying for a student visa has (thankfully) remained the same as before. You're still required to get the mandatory health check, and must still submit your school's invitation letter along with your application documents. Also, the same rules still apply when you apply for your residence permit 30 days after entry into China. In addition, changing to an X visa remains a relatively hassle-free process. You can change over from an L, F or Z visa within China or from a foreign country, provided you have the necessary documents from your university.

Work (Z) visas

1) In your home country
As with the other visas, you're going to need a bevy of documents to apply for a Z visa, the most important of which are your invitation letter and a Foreign Expert Certificate (外国专家证申请表 ) and/or Foreign Employment License. According to the Rule for the Administration of Foreigners in China, the Foreign Employment License is granted by the Chinese government provided you have all the necessary documents and meet five criteria: "(1) 18 years of age or older and in good health; (2) with professional skills and job experience required for the work of intended employment; (3) with no criminal record; (4) a clearly-defined employer; (5) with valid passport or other international travel document in lieu of the passport" (http://www.china.org.cn/english/LivinginChina/185194.htm).

The Foreign Expert Certificate is essentially an upgraded version of the Foreign Employment License. According to the same website, the Foreign Expert Certificate is given to "foreign professional technical and managerial personnel employed directly by the Chinese government or those with senior technical titles or credentials of special skills recognized by their home or international technical authorities or professional associations to be employed by Chinese government organs and institutions and foreigners holding Foreign Expert Certificate issued by China's State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs."

Also, don't forget about the health check, same as for the X visa. And depending on your line of work, in certain special cases, you may also need additional materials, such as a commercial performance document. And if you have family coming with you to China, they'll also need to provide an invitation letter from a "Duly Authorized Unit" or a "Confirmation Letter" as well as proof of kinship (i.e., marriage certificate and birth certificates). Also, like the X visa, you'll have to apply for your residence permit within 30 days of your arrival in China.

2) Currently living in Mainland China and applying for a Z visa in Hong Kong?
Last but not least, if you're looking to get your Z visa in Hong Kong, it's still possible to do, however the process is now significantly more difficult. In addition to the previous application processes and requirements, currently, the only way to get a Z visa in Hong Kong is if you have a Foreign Expert Certificate document (外国专家证申请表 ) issued by the State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs (国家外国专家局) that says "Hong Kong" (香港) on it. The good news is that your employer is the one to apply for this certificate for you; the bad news is the government only issues a limited number of these certificates for Hong Kong each year. More bad news, expats with certain jobs (a chef for example) are unable to apply for a Foreign Expert Certificate (they apply for a Foreign Employment Permit). Consequently, these expats are currently unable to apply for a Z visa in Hong Kong and must instead do so back in their home country.

We will try our best to keep you up to date on any new regulations that arise. In the meantime, if you'd like to add to/or clarify on any of the information listed above, please do so in the comments!

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Keywords: China visa guidelines updated Chinese visa guidelines 2012 China work visa Hong Kong china visa application China tourist visa Hong Kong