From Tourist to Work/live

Posted by Oliver_1S (840 days ago)

I am a US citizen traveling to Shanghai in October on an "L" tourist visa. I would like to live/work there. How difficult is it to switch visas in order that I may live and work in China?
Thanks!

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Posted by Panpanjungle (839 days ago)

The company should take care of this. If not you have to meet certain conditions. www.shanghai.gov.cn. Also check www.meshing.com

Posted by dl573 (818 days ago)

this is actually pretty straightforward, you can get a business F visa, but it has certain limitations you need to be aware of. see www.emoo.net

Posted by krobert999 (817 days ago)

You can get an F visa and use that to stay, but tyechnically, uyou cannot ork here using one. You can have sales meetings, buy things to export, etc., but as far as I know, technically you cannot be a paid employee living in China without a work permit. For that, you need an employer with a local presence of some sort (a sponser). There is also a requirement now that if you are not a general manager here, you need to leave China the first time you apply for a work visa.

Good luck ( I just went through this) I got a company in the US to sponsor me here for the Z (work) visa using FESC services in Shanghai. In the mean time, when my tourist visa expired last February, I went through a local agency to get my L visa converted to an F visa (six months double entry for around 2200 RMB and one entry gets used immediately so actually it allows you to leave and return once). If you want specific information, let me know.

Posted by andie75 (779 days ago)

i got my F visa multiple entry for 400rmb. so can i just not apply for working visa and just extend the f visa. then leave china first then came here in L visa then F visa again?