Chinese Foreign Ministry, Qin Gang has announced that visa process and procedures will be stricter and more serious for foreigners entering China this year. However, there are currently no changes to permanent residency visa (Z visa) or single entry work visa procedures.
Despite the rumors, the Chinese government has not stopped issuing business visa (F visa) to foreigners. New visa applicants who do not hold Hong Kong work permits or Hong Kong IDs cannot apply in Hong Kong and are advised to apply in their home countries. Those who wish to apply for a Chinese visa must prepare to apply in advance due to the longer waiting period for visa processing. Moreover, visitors who plan to travel to China as tourists (L visas) must provide proof of a round-trip ticket as well as a copy of their hotel reservations.
In addition, for those who plan on traveling for business reasons (F visa) they must provide hotel reservation information, proof of round trip ticket and a letter from the Chinese government ministry which must be submitted in the country of their residence. The letter from the Chinese government ministry must be applied by a locally registered company or by a domestic Chinese company. F visa or business visa can only be extended inside China for a period of 30 to 60 days for single or double-entry. Representative offices also cannot apply for Z visa directly and must apply for F or L visa first then can later be converted to Z visa as well as they must apply through an agent to get the letter from the Chinese ministry in order to apply for their Chinese visas.
The strict visa regulations are most likely to last until after the Olympics in Beijing this year. In order to avoid deportation of foreign employees, all foreign companies with capital over $3 million are allowed to convert their employees’ F or L visas to permanent residency permits.
Strict Regulations on Chinese Visas
