Chinese "green card"

[RuiXue]

Does anyone have some information on it? I'm planning to apply when I know more about it as I will fall neatly into the category "To be with husband or wife" (my husband is a Chinese citizen) It would just be handy to have green card instead of having to apply visa everytime we wish to go to China to visit my husband's family:) And be able to live and work in China without additional paperwork:roll:

Is it easy to get "green card"? How much does it cost to apply?

I have been unable to find much information about it on the internet, so just thought I'd ask here in case someone here has the green card or know someone who has, or just have more information on it:)

Thanks

[xianhua]

I asked this same question to the Chinese Embassy a few years ago. We try to visit China annually to see my wife’s family, and applying for a visa each time is burdensome. However, the response I got from the Embassy was that unless I was visiting for business then it would not be possible to get a longer term multi-entry visa, and short term visas each time would be the only way.

Since then our daughter has arrived and she now needs a visa. She has a British passport, and since China doesn’t permit dual nationality, she requires a visa each time too.

[RuiXue]

My husband and I have plans about moving to China for a period of time in the future. And if we do so it would be highly inconvenient having to apply a 1 year residence and working visa and then maybe have to re-apply if staying for longer. I could even well imagine leaving Europe and move to China on a long term basis because I love the country. When my husband and I have children in the future I'd like that child (we're only planning to have one) to go to school in China at least for a semester or two, just to learn Chinese properly at an early age.

As for living in China, my husband and I have no less than 2 apartments in China, out of which one of them is fully decorated and liveable now. So it would be quite nice to be there for longer than just a few weeks every year:wink:

There just has to be a way:-?

[fanglu]

There just has to be a way

There are some threads on the forum about this.

Glancing over them it sounds like it is possible, but you need to have been a resident of China for five years before you apply. In particular, it seems they don't give green cards to non-residents who just want to avoid the hassle of frequent visa applications.

[RuiXue]

If I can just find something to do in China, like teaching english or something. Then it won't be a problem living there for five years:) My husband is just about to begin with a master degree in the IT area so he can probably find a job pretty easily in China later on. If I don't teach english it's probably not impossible to work for my father-in-law who runs his own company:) But that does require me to speak more or less fluent Chinese because my father-in-law doesn't speak english, and only read characters:roll:

[Allenz]

Hi

If you're spouse is Chinese they are now giving a 2 year multi entry visa.

As far as a green card is concerned, we checked on this in 2002 or was it 2005. Anyway My wife is Chinese and we were planning to retire to China. Their 'green card' isn't like the US green card.

Basically what they told me was get my normal visa. When I arrived in China to go to the 'Immigration office' and they would give me the necessary papers. It is a 5 or 7 year process but the rules are about the same as in the US. You have to live there more than you're gone. then you go back in 6 months and again to get your permanent 'green card' in the 5 or 7 year period. Sorry but I don't remember what it was.

I believe if your 70+ the rules are a bit different and not as complicated.

You most likely won't be able to get a multi year, multi entry visa.

Allen

[RuiXue]

Ooo maybe could be worth looking into the 2 year multi entry visa then:D I'm at least planning to apply something longer than 3month tourist visa next time my husband and I go to China, which will likely be in june/july. We're only staying for about 4 weeks, but we can't know if it will be our only trip within a 12 month period or not so I'm thinking about at least covering a year at a time to not overfill my passport completely:lol:

[liuzhou]

In theory the green card is available. In practice...

Invest a few million dollars (US) and you might be in with a chance. Otherwise, forget it.

[Allenz]

Hi RuiXue

My Wife (Chinese) got the 2yr multi automatically when she applied for the visa. We did have a problem because they wanted her old Chinese passport. We left it at home. ;-( Brought it the next day and they invalidated it and gave it back to us. (Chicago Consulate visa office).

They told me the next time I apply to bring a copy of our marriage certificate and I would get the 2 yr multi as well.

Make sure you bring your marriage papers proving your spouse is Chinese.

Allen

[RuiXue]

I will provide the embassy with a copy of the marriage papers, though they are in Swedish:oops: But I hope a 2 year visa will be possible. That would save both me, my husband AND the embassy workers so much time! And enable my husband and I to travel to China more:D The hassle with visa for me (not difficult, just takes time to go to embassy etc.) and still having 5 years left of my passport (just imagine how full it could get with more than one visa per year!) is keeping us from going more than once per year. If I have a longer visa we could go maybe twice per year without much problem.

[Allenz]

You'll probably need to get a certified English translation. There's translation companies all over who will do a certified translation for you. I believe mine originally cost about $us 75. I had my marriage papers translated to Chinese and for a while we carried them with us in China in case a hotel wanted proof that we were married. Never needed it though. But if you're in the USA, you'll definitely need a English translation.

Who's Chinese, you or your husband? If should be automatic getting the 2 yr visa for the Chinese family member. The non-Chinese spouse is the one who needs to prove marriage. If you're in Sweden, the consulate people should speak/read the language I would think.

Allen

[fanglu]

If should be automatic getting the 2 yr visa for the Chinese family member.

Not necessarily. It depends on the passport the formerly chinese person holds and the practise of the particular consulate. In sydney for example they presently only give two year visas when people have previously had a few one year visas and made several trips to china each year.

[RuiXue]

My husband has his original Chinese passport and remains a Chinese citizen, he just has green card in Denmark and residence permit in Sweden. When getting married, both my husband and I kept our names, at least for now.

I think it should be enough if we have the certificate translated to English. There are at least some consulate workers in Copenhagen who reads English although most of them only knows Chinese:lol:

We are however planning to register in China too (the Chinese version of getting married) That way we'll have a Chinese marriage certificate too:D Just going to have them write October 17th 2009 on it of course:) But for that too, they might want to see our certificate in English to register us properly.

[Allenz]

Hi Fanglu

Ohhh I stand corrected then. I mistakenly assumed it covered everyone. Maybe the procedure varies in different countries. Sorry.

RuiXie

Everytime we go to China we plan to have one of those Ancient style ceremonies but for some reason we never get it done. ;-) Oh well, some day.

Allen

[doraemon]

A Chinese visa is pretty hard to get, but is there anyone out there who wants to become a Chinese citizen? Is it nearly impossible to try and become one?

[eatfastnoodle]

The rumor on the street is unless you're rich, famous scientist or have made "significant" contribution to China, you can forget about the "green card" thing. From what I heard, those who actually got "green card" from China include Nobel-laureate scientist, Charlotte MacInnis (female Dashan, I'm sure Dashan himself has one too, or would get his in days if he decides to apply.), all of them no average joes or janes. I'm sure you've heard of the saying "China doesn't need more people, the resources in least short-supply in China.". Chinese government has been tacitly encouraging emigration for quite some time. It's unlikely that the policy would change any time soon.

[fanglu]

The rumor on the street is unless you're rich, famous scientist or have made "significant" contribution to China, you can forget about the "green card" thing.

Although of limited relevance to most people on this forum, the most common group of people granted D visas are elderly people who were formerly chinese citizens but who have emigrated to other countries and want to retire in China. I guess giving them that visa is to make up for the fact that they have to give up their chinese citizenship when they acquire foreign citizenship

[heidi w]

i guess keep yourself up to date with the current visa policy, play with it and live with it will be more practical then dreaming abt chinese green card ~