Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term Spouse/Visiting Family Visa?
- Joined: Jun 14th, 2010
- Posts: 5
I've been living in China (Shenyang) for over 2 years with my fiance and we're getting ready to do our marriage registration. For the past 2 years I was on a business visa but after my last return home (United States/December) I came back to China on a 3 month tourist visa. Is it possible to convert/extend this L visa without having to go back to the US? My fiance called the local PSB and they made it seem like I needed to go home and reapply after marriage. I really want to avoid flying back if at all possible. If necessary, traveling to Beijing or HK is fine.
Also I'm not totally aware of the different kinds of visas available to me in this situation. I've searched a bit and read about different Spouse and Visiting Family visas but I don't understand how they actually differ.
Winnie Yu
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
hi, daxiong:
don't worry about the visa things.
I think to do the L visa extension or conversion is not hard. but the condition is you have to provide the temporary resiedence permit issued in beijing if you want me to help you.
there are several solutions for you:
1,usually, the L visa can be extended for twice and you will get 30 days each time.
2,If you want convert your L visa to L-family visa, you have to do the marriage registration first.
3,the L visa can be converted to F visa after the spring festival, you can convert it to F 3months or 6 months.
4,the L visa can be converted to working visa (residence permit for one year), but it is based on there is a company in beijing can be a sponsor for you.
hope these info can help you, any questions, pls email or call me.
good luck!
Winnie Yu
Office No.:58156222-122
Mobile: 15811386720
Email: wdxyj2005@163.com
Msn: wdxyj2005@live.cn
QQ:524848614
wonderful life in Beijing~~~~~
daxiong
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Referring to option 2...
Yes, we're planning on doing the registration first. Will it be possible to convert/extend to the L family visa after that without traveling back to the United States?
Frankvinus
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Hi,
Apply family visa in Shenyang,if your fiance's HuKou is in Shenyang.
You don't go back to the USA apply family visa.
Frank
Visa solutions in China
E-mail:Frank.0601@yahoo.com
Winnie Yu
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
if you have the registration certificate, you can convert it to L family visa without leaving China. and you will be get a one year or half a year L family visa.
regards
Winnie Yu
Office No.:58156222-122
Mobile: 15811386720
Email: wdxyj2005@163.com
Msn: wdxyj2005@live.cn
QQ:524848614
wonderful life in Beijing~~~~~
daxiong
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Okay so ask specifically for the visiting family visa? I'll do that within the next day or so and reply back with the results.
mreiting
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Hi Daxiong,
I married 2 years ago and just today re- applied for my visa.
If you are on an L visa, you just need to apply for a visiting family visa. No need to leave the country. Just don't tell them that you work in China (haha). You must have your little red book that proves that you were married. You will also need your wife/ husband's id card, her/his hukou, your temporary residence permit, and your passport to apply for the visiting family visa. You will also need photocopies of all of those. And you need one passport picture. It costs 800 rmb for 1 year and 400 for 6 months.
After you get this visiting family visa, you will never have to leave China to re-apply for this visa.
Best,
Michelle
mreiting
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Also when you register to get married, you will need your passport and a document proving that you are single (which you can get at your embassy). You will also need it translated into Chinese, since your embassy will provide you with an English document.
daxiong
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Talked to the PSB today and they said we have to go back to her hometown to get the visa extended/converted to visiting family. I guess Shenyang is much more limited/restrictive in what they can do for foreigners (which is to be expected since the foreigner population here is a fraction of what it is in Beijing). This wouldn't be too bad if we were certain that her hometown actually has the facilities for such things. They have like zero foreigners living there and I wouldn't be surprised if they've never married a foreign/Chinese couple. Anyway we'll be going there soon for Spring Festival so I'll stop by and see what's up even though they'll be closed.
I might end up just going with the biz visa again even though the fees are rape nowadays.
mreiting
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Da Xiong,
My husband is from this tiny place in Shan Dong. We had to go to a bigger "city" in Shan Dong to get our marriage registration. After that, we came back to Beijing (where we live) to get the visa. I think, as long as you have your marriage registration you can get your visa anywhere.
ashley_fei
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
Hi there
it is true that if your fiance's hukou is not in shenyang, you have to go back to her hometown to get marriage registration.
when you get back to shenyang, you can get family(L)visa for one year.
The satisfaction we get from a lifetime depend on how high we choose our difficulties.
Tel: 86-10-58156222,ext 111
mobile phone: 13911639570
E-mail:katyfei61@gmail.com
MSN:fei_bfsu@sina.com
katy
daxiong
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
You live in Beijing though so it's no stretch that you can get it done there, especially since Beijing is fairly progressive in Chinese/foreigner relationships. Anyway thanks for your help, I will give the PSB in Beijing a call and see if we can indeed get the visa done there instead since Shenyang seems to be restricted. By the way, in my last call they said that the longest family visa they could do was 3 months, not ideal obviously.
ashley_fei
Re: Possible to convert Tourist Visa (L) to long term ...
woo!3 months...it's too short.you can call beijing's PSB to confirm everything,acctually there is another porblem, if you want to do visa in beijing, you have to provide temporary residence permit which shows that you live in Beijing,you can rent an apartment or live in a friend's house,and then get registration paper in local police station.
The needed docuemtns for getting family L are as follows:
Your passport
1 two-inch photo(with blue or white background)
The temporary residence permit
Marriage certificate
your wife's ID
It takes 5working days to get visa done.
The whole procedure seems to be time-consuming,anyway,if you get all the documents. having one year family L is not a problem.
The satisfaction we get from a lifetime depend on how high we choose our difficulties.
Tel: 86-10-58156222,ext 111
mobile phone: 13911639570
E-mail:katyfei61@gmail.com
MSN:fei_bfsu@sina.com
katy