Notice of Visa Application Procedures for Foreigners
(provided by Suzhou Public Security Bureau)
I. Applicants:
Foreigners who apply for extension, change or reissuance of a visa, or for a stay permit not owing to diplomatic or public affairs
II. Authorities:
The Exit and entry Administration Authority of the Public Security organ of the local people's government at or above the county level
III. Approaches:
To apply for extension, change or reissuance of a visa, or for a stay permit, a foreigner shall submit relevant materials to the Exit and Entry Administration Authority of the Public Security organ personally. In one of the following circumstances, the inviting entity or individual, the relative of the applicant or the specialized service agency concerned may apply for extension, change or reissuance of a visa or residence permit, or apply for a stay permit on behalf of the applicant:
i. The applicant is under the age of 16 or over the age of 60 or it would unduly inconvenience the applicant due to illness or other reasons;
ii. The applicant's current entry is not his or her first entry into China and the applicant has a good record of stay or residence in China;
iii. The inviting entity or individual has guaranteed to cover the necessary expenses of the applicant incurred in China.
If the applicant is a person of high talent who is needed, or a specialist who is urgently needed, by the State, or is in the circumstance prescribed by subparagraph i of the preceding paragraph, the inviting entity or individual, the relative of the applicant or the specialized service agency concerned may apply for a residence permit on his or her behalf.
IV. Entity Registration
The entities that has provided the letter of invitation and receive foreigners shall apply for registration to the local Exit and entry Administration Authority of the Public Security organ.
V. Application procedure
Foreigners shall accept exit and entry administration of public security organs for interrogation when applying for a visa. Exit and entry administration of public security organs shall turn to host organizations or individuals to verify the information and the relevant entities/individuals shall provide cooperation. But if applicants or relevant persons and organizations are notified to be interviewed by the exit and entry administration authority of public security organs, the one who fail to be interviewed at an appointed time without valid causes may result in rejection of the application.
VI. Acceptance Receipts
Exit and entry administration of public security organs shall accept and issue acceptance receipts if they consider the conditions for acceptance have been fulfilled and make a final decision within valid period of acceptance receipts. Validity period of acceptance receipts of application of visa and stay permit shall not exceed 7 working days since acceptance; validity period of acceptance receipts of residence permit shall not exceed 15 working days since acceptance.
Applicants whose passports or other international travel documents are held by the exit/entry administration authorities for the purpose of application processing can legally stay in China on the strength of acceptance receipts; those with valid causes can apply to exit and entry administration of public security organs for a temporary reservation of passport or other international travel documents, but shall return those materials within the valid period of the acceptance receipt so as not to affect exit/entry administration authorities to issue relative visas.
VII. The Proof Documents for the Application of Visa Extension
Foreigners shall apply for extending the visa at least 7 days prior to the expiry of the duration specified in the visa in the exit and entry administration of public security organs and submit relevant proof documents for the application according to the requirements.
i. Foreigners with C visa shall submit the relevant letter of proof issued by the departments concerned of the people’s government at and above the county level or by the transportation companies running civil aviation, the railway, the highway or the port. Applicants can apply for the duration of stay within 30 days.
ii. Foreigners with F visa shall submit the relevant proof letter issued by the host organization. Host organizations not filed shall submit legal proof of registration. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 180 days.
iii. Foreigners with G visa shall submit the relevant letter of proof issued by the host organization as well as the flight ticket (bus ticket or ship ticket) with specified date and seat to the country (region) he or she wants. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 30 days.
iv. Foreigners with J2 visa shall submit the relevant letter of proof issued by the foreign affairs department of the provincial people’s government. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 30 days.
v. Foreigners with L visa shall submit the travel schedule. Those, if in travel groups shall submit relevant letter of proof issued by the travel agency. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 30 days.
vi. Foreigners with M visa shall submit the relevant letter of proof offered by the local host organization or individual. Host organizations not filed shall submit legal proof of registration. The letter of proof offered by the host individual shall be signed by the individual and be submitted together with the long-term household registration document or the proof of his or her actual residence. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 180 days.
vii. Foreigners with Q2 visa shall submit the correspondence, identity certificates and documents for family members’ relationship offered by the persons visited. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 180 days.
viii. Foreigners with R visa shall submit the relevant letter of proof issued by the host organization. Host organizations not filed shall submit legal proof of registration. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 180 days.
ix. Foreigners with S2 visa shall submit correspondence provided by visited relatives, residence permits of foreigners and kinship certificate of family members. Ordinary applicants shall submit relevant certificate of personal matters or humanitarian reasons. Applicants who visit relatives may apply for duration of stay within 180 days; while ordinary applicants may apply for duration of stay within 90 days.
x. Foreigners with X2 visa shall submit the proof letter offered by education and training institutions in China. Applicants may apply for duration of stay within 180 days.
The accumulated length of extension shall not exceed the original duration of stay specified in the visa.
VIII. Certification Documents for a Change of Visa
(I)Where, after entry with a visa, a foreigner changes his or her purpose of stay or is granted entry conveniences in accordance with relevant provisions of the State, or where a foreigner starts using a new passport or needs to stay separately from his or her tour group after entering China with a group visa due to objective reasons, the applicant may apply for a change of visa with submitting following certification documents:
i. To apply for a change of F visa, the applicant shall submit the invitation letter provided by the inviting party in China to reissue a visa which validity period of entry less than 1 year and duration of stay less than 180 days with zero, single or multiple entries. For a person of high talent who is needed by the State, can they reissue a multiple entry visa with validity period of entry less than 5 years and duration of stay less than 180 days.
ii. To apply for a change of J2 visa, applicant shall submit the certification documents provided by the foreign affairs organ of the people’s government at the provincial level, to reissue a visa which duration of stay less than 30 days with zero entry.
iii. To apply for a change of M visa, the applicant shall submit the invitation letter of the inviting party, to reissue a visa which validity period of entry less than 1 year and duration of stay less than 180 days with zero, single or multiple entries.
iv. To apply for a change of Q2 visa, the applicant shall submit the invitation letter provided by the Chinese citizen living in China or by the foreigner with permanent residence status in China, identity certificates and proof of family relationship, to reissue a visa which validity period of entry less than 1 year and duration of stay less than 180 days with zero, single or multiple entries.
v. To apply for a change of R visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit the relevant certification documents which meet the qualifications and requirements set by the competent authorities of the Chinese government for inviting persons of high talent or urgently needed specialists, invitation letter and certification documents provided by the reception unit, to reissue a visa which validity period of entry less than 5 years and duration of stay less than 180 days with zero, single or multiple entries.
vi. To apply for a change of S2 visa, the applicant who apply for long-term visit to China shall, as required, submit the invitation letter provided by the foreigner staying or residing in China, residence permit and proof of family relationship. Other persons who need to reside in China shall submit the certification documents required for dealing with personal matters in China, to reissue a single entry visa
vii. To apply for a change of X2 visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit such certification documents as the admission notice issued by the admission institution, to reissue a visa which validity period of entry less than 1 year and duration of stay less than 180 days with zero, single or multiple entries.
(II)Applicants, who hold a new passport for the last one is about to expire or visa pages have run out, shall submit the passport used for entry into China or certificate issued by embassy or consulate of applicant’s country in China, certifying that the passport used for entry has been collected; Applicant can get a reissued visa in accordance with validity period of entry, duration of stay and the left valid entry as those on the last visa.
(III)For newly added accompanying persons in passports, applicants shall produce the passport used for entry into China and birth certificates of the newly added accompanying persons, to reissue a visa according to regulations mentioned above.
(IV)Foreigner needs to stay separately from his or her tour group after entering China with a group visa, shall submit the proof letter provided by travel agency, to reissue a visa according to regulations mentioned above.
The accumulated duration of stay on the reissued visa shall not exceed 1 year from the last entry into China.
IX. Certification Documents for Reissuing Visa
The applicant whose visa is lost, damaged, destroyed, stolen or robbed, shall apply for a reissued visa with submitting following certification documents:
(I)Applicant whose visa is lost, stolen or robbed, shall submit a police report for his or her lost passport, the note from embassies and consulates of his or her own state, the new valid passport or other international travel documents.
(II)Applicant whose visa is damaged and destroyed, shall submit a picture certifying the damage, the note from embassies and consulates of his or her own state, the new valid passport or other international travel documents.
(III)Applicant whose group visa is lost, damaged, destroyed, stolen or robbed, shall submit certification documents provided by local travel agency in China and copy of group visa.
Applicant can get a reissued visa in accordance with validity period of entry, duration of stay and the left valid entry as those on the last visa.
X. Certification Documents for Stay Permit
(I)Where visa-exempt foreigners need to stay in China longer than the visa-free period, in accordance with the provisions of Article VII of this notice, shall apply for a stay permit with submitting relevant certification documents.
(II)Foreign seamen and their accompanying family members who need to leave cities where the ports are located shall provide seamen’s certificates or other international travel documents and kinship certificate provided by shipping agency and tickets (airplane, train, or steamer) with settled date and seats or other relevant supporting material as wells, to issue a stay permit with duration less than 30 days.
(III)Those who renounced Chinese nationality upon approval of their applications and need to stay in China shall provide Certificate of Renunciation of Chinese Nationality, foreign passport or other international travel documents and other relevant supporting materials as well, to issue a stay permit with duration less than 30 days.
(IV)For foreigner who has finished his or her original business in China but still need to stay in China with humanitarian reasons, shall submit residence permit and relevant certification documents, to issue a stay permit with duration less than 30 days.
(V)For foreign infants born in China, their parents or agents shall submit the birth certificates, passports of the infants as well as passports of the parents, to issue a stay permit accordance with the due time of their parents’ stay or residence.
(VI)For foreigner with a stay permit who is not able to exit in valid duration for some objective reasons, shall reissue a stay permit. The documents and regulations are required as above.
(VII)Applicant whose stay permit is lost, damaged, destroyed, stolen or robbed, shall submit a police report for his or her lost passport, the note from embassies and consulates of his or her own state, the new valid passport or other international travel documents, to reissue the appropriate types of foreigners’ stay permits with the duration.
XI. Certification Documents for Residence Permit
Where visas held by foreigners specify that foreigners need to apply for residence permits after entry, such foreigners shall, within 30 days from the date of their entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of public security organs under local people’s governments at or above the county level in the proposed places of residence for foreigners’ residence permits.
When applying for a residence permit valid for more than 1 year, a foreigner shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit his or her health certificate provided by local health quarantine organ or health care department at or above the county level, to verify the applicant is not suffering from serious mental disorders, infectious tuberculosis or other infectious diseases that may severely jeopardize the public health. Following certification documents are required:
(I)To apply for a residence permit for work with Z visa, the applicant shall submit such certification documents as a work permit provided by the local competent department of human resources and social security, the competent department in charge of foreign experts affairs, as well as the invitation letter provided by the place his or her works; applicant with other visa, in accordance with relevant provisions, shall submit relevant certification documents indicating that he or she is a person of high talent who is needed or, a specialist or an investor who is urgently needed, by the State. For a high talent or urgently needed specialists, by the State, can they issue a residence permit with duration less than 5 years; For personnel with sound reputation in rile recorded institutions, can they issue a residence permit with duration less than 2 years; as to other, can they issue a residence permit with duration less than 1 year.
(II)To apply for a residence permit for study with X1 visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit such certification documents as a letter indicating the duration of study provided by the admission institution; applicant with other visa shall submit certification documents provided by the competent department. Such applicants can issue a residence permit in accordance with the specified duration of study.
Where a foreigner holding a residence permit for study intends to engage in off-campus work-study or internship, he or she shall, upon the approval of the school, submit the certification documents provided by school and internship company, as well as apply to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ to have such information as the location and duration of the work-study program or internship placement specified in his or her residence permit.
(III)To apply for a residence permit for journalists with J1 visa, the applicant shall submit the letter provided and the Press Card issued by the foreign affairs organ of the people’s government at the provincial level, to issue a residence permit with duration less than 1 year.
(IV)To apply for a residence permit for journalists with Q1 visa, the applicant shall submit identity certificates of the people staying in China and the information of family relationship. Applicant with other visa, shall submit the certification documents of family relationship as well. For applicants under 18 years of age or have reached the age of 60, can they issue a residence permit with duration less than 3 years. The dead line of duration for applicants under 18 years of age is forbidden of exceeding their 18-year-old birth date. Others can issue a residence permit with duration less than 2 years.
For children of foreign Chinese and overseas Chinese under 18 years of age needs to reside in China for fosterage, the appointed trustee may apply for a residence permit from the registered permanent residence and their local exit/entry administrations of public security organs on their behalf. Besides, the trustee shall submit the birth certificates of the applicants, copies of foreign parents’ passports; a photocopy of the certificate indicating the permanent residence status abroad of the parent(s) when the child was born, provided that either or both parents of the child are Chinese citizens; the foster entrustment notarization, a letter of consent on foster care issued by the trustee living in China which indicating the identity of trustee and the time period of fostering; the household register or residence certificate (proof of living in specific area for more than 6 months) and ID card. Applicants above may issue a residence permit with duration less than 3 years. The dead line of duration is forbidden of exceeding their 18-year-old birth date.
(V)To apply for a residence permit for personal matters with S1 visa, in the case of a long-term visit, the applicant shall, as required, submit such certification documents as proof of family relationship (spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 or parents-in-law of foreigners) and the residence permit of the foreigner to be visited, to issue a residence permit in accordance with the duration of people residing in China. Other people shall submit the documents certifying the need to deal with personal matters in China, to issue a residence permit with duration less than 1 year.
To apply for residence permit for personal matters with other visa, in the case of a long-term visit, the applicant shall, as required, submit such certification documents as proof of family relationship (spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 or parents-in-law of foreigners) and the residence permit of the foreigner to be visited, to issue a residence permit with duration in accordance with people residing in China. Applicants for humanitarian reasons shall submit relevant certification documents, to issue a residence permit with duration less than 1 year:
For overseas Chinese over 60 with other nationality purchasing house in China, shall they submit the certification documents of purchasing house or flat which belongs to themselves, the notarized Property Sale and Purchase Contract, and the financial income; for foreigners receiving medical service in China, shall they submit the certification documents as follow, proof of being hospitalized in medical institution at or above national secondary-level, or at or above county level for more than 6 months, or the proof of receiving medical service.
XII. Applying for Residence Permit Extension
Foreigners residing in China who apply for the extension of the duration of residence shall, within 30 days prior to the expiry of the validity period on their residence permits, file applications with the exit/entry administrations of public security organs, and submit relevant information of specific application matters in accordance with relevant requirements. If upon examination, the reasons for extension are appropriate and sufficient, an extension shall be granted; if an extension is denied, the foreigner concerned shall leave China on the expiry of the validity period specified in their residence permits.
XIII. Applying for Change Residence Permit
The registered items of a foreign residence permit shall include name, sex, date of birth, reason for residence and duration of residence of the holder, date and place of issuance, passport number or other international travel documents number.
Where the registered item (including name, reason for residence, passport and other international travel documents number) in a foreigner’s residence permit has changed, the holder shall, within 10 days from the date of change, apply to the exit/entry administration of public security organ for going through the formalities for alteration. Furthermore, the applicant shall submit relevant certification documents of new reason of residence, as well as personal information according to the regulations above, to apply for a reissuance of residence permit.
XIV. Applying for Reissue Residence Permit
Applicant whose residence permit is lost, destroyed or damaged, stolen or robbed, shall submit a police report for his or her lost passport or just the damaged documents, the note from embassies and consulates of his or her own state, the new valid passport or other international travel documents, to reissue a residence permit.
XV. Applying for Exit/Entry Documents
For foreigner who is failed to reissue passport or other documents in embassies and consulates of his or her country with a lost, destroyed or damaged, stolen or robbed, invalid passport or other international travel documents, shall they submit a police report for passport or the note from embassies and consulates of his or her own state, or just the damaged or invalid documents, as well as temporary identity certificates in place of passport, to issue an exit/entry document with duration less than 30 days.
XVI. Definitions of the following terms mentioned in this notice
(I)Family members: refers to spouses, parents, parents-in-law, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, granddaughters and spouses of sons or daughters.
(II)Kinship certificates include marriage license, birth certificate, adoption certificate, or other kinship certificate and relevant notarization. Marriage license, birth certificate, kinship certificate, and alteration certificate of name and other information issued by foreign responsible administrative or notarization departments should be authenticated by Chinese embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country.
(III)Marriage license, birth certificate, kinship certificate, and alteration certificate of name and other information issued by the embassy or consulate of applicant’s own country in China is valid as well.
(IV)Identity Certificates: Identity certificates of mainland Chinese citizen refer to local household registration certificate or proof of actual place of residence for over 6 months; identity certificates of overseas Chinese refer to Chinese passport, certificates of overseas residence; identity certificates of Hong Kong and Macao residents refer to the Mainland China Entry Permit for Hong Kong/Macao Residents; identity certificates of Taiwan residents refer to the Mainland China Entry Permit for Taiwan Residents; identity certificates of foreign citizens refer to the Permanent Residence Permit. Residents in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan shall further submit Accommodation Registration Form of actual place of residence for over 6 months.
All relevant documents issued by overseas organizations shall have Chinese translation.
XVII. Processing Time
Where a foreigner’s application for a visa or a stay permit, meets the acceptance provisions, the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ shall issue a receipt of acceptance valid for a period of time not exceeding 7 days, and make a decision on whether to issue the visa within the validity period of the receipt of acceptance. Where a foreigner’s application for a residence permit, meets the acceptance provisions, the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ shall issue a receipt of acceptance valid for a period of time not exceeding 15 days, and make a decision on whether to issue the visa within the validity period of the receipt of acceptance.
Applicants can apply for a shorter processing time with valid reasons to exit/entry administrations of public security organs.
XVIII. Examination and Approval Effectiveness
Under any of the circumstances mentioned in Article 21 and Article 31 of Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China, visas shall not be issued to foreigners with exit/entry administrations of public security organs.
Decisions made by the exit/entry administration of public security organ on rejecting applications for visa extension or reissuance, or on not issuing foreigners’ stay or residence permits or not extending the duration of residence shall be final.
XIX. Accommodation Registration
Where foreigners stay in hotels in China, they shall register their accommodation in accordance with the regulations on Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People’s Republic of China, and submit foreigners’ accommodation registration information to the public security organs in the places where the hotels are located.
XX. Payment
Foreigners should pay the due of applying for visa.