shipped personal goods - in a quandry - a little urgent!

[Pengyou]

I arranged to have some personal goods shipped from the U.S. to China. I left things packed and asked my friend to send them as soon as I gave him word. Since that time, some well meaning friends have added some books and movies to my stash so that now I am over what would be acceptable for a short term visa. In the past, my schools have always given me a z visa with a long expiration date. My new school has not. The bottom line: i have stuff in storage at the port and am trying to get it out without loosing my shirt. My school is sympathetic but cannot extend a visa until it is a month from the expiration date. i am checking with the shipping company to see if I can change the name of the person receiving the goods, then find another expat here who has a visa that expires more than a year from now. Are there any other alternatives? If I pay to get a one year F visa will that do the trick?

Edited January 5, 2010 at 01:33 PM by Pengyou

[BrandeX]

Since that time, some well meaning friends have added some books and movies to my stash so that now I am over what would be acceptable for a short term visa.

I have never heard of such a thing, perhaps other members here are more familiar with what you mean though. Care to elaborate? No one has ever cared about the size of my "mail" received here, although it has been "normal package" sized.

In the past, my schools have always given me a z visa with a long expiration date.

X visa, Z visas are 0 day duration and exchanged for work permits after entry. I have always been using an "L" visa here myself. When I want to pick something up I have only had to flash my ID page with my pic, no one has ever inspected the visa page.

[abcdefg]

The bottom line: i have stuff in storage at the port and am trying to get it out without loosing my shirt.

How will a different visa help with that? I don't really understand your problem. Do the port authorities think you have brought in a commercial quantity of goods instead of goods for personal use?

[roddy]

If you have a long-term residence permit you can import a certain amount of goods (not sure if there are actually limits, or if it's at the discretion of whoever) as personal possessions, and hence you don't pay import taxes on them. If you can't prove you are here long term you could end up with a tax bill. What actually qualifies as long-term and what actual visa types / purposes of stay allow I don't know.

At least I think that's what the issue is.

Can't really see any surefire way round this. You could maybe see if the school will do you a stamped letter saying 'XXX will be working for us whatever period, we would appreciate it if you can offer any assistance in his importing of personal possessions' and that might be enough of an excuse for the customs folk to let you off. Similarly, turning up with another foreigner who does have the residence permit might work, but you're going to need a friendly customs guy.

[abcdefg]

At least I think that's what the issue is.

Ah! I see.

[Pengyou]

Yes! First of all, I have 2 cubic meters of goods, not a small amount. If I had a "long term visa" i.e. more than 1 year, there are very few restrictions on what I can bring in as personal goods, aside from no weapons, explosives, etc. With a short term visa there are a number of limitations. One set is no more than 50 books and no more than 100 movies. My friends' generous gift has caused me to be in violation of that rule. No, a note from the school saying that I am a long term employee will not work. It has to be on the visa.