Foreigners, 1 Child Policy, Passports and Kids

[gougou]

but legally can't even Chinese people have as many children as they want now?

Absolutely not. It is still very much in effect, and top leadership regularly affirms that they want to keep to it.

[aroberts42]

Absolutely not. It is still very much in effect, and top leadership regularly affirms that they want to keep to it.

that is unfortunate

[imron]

but it does go through adjustments from time to time. For example, if both husband and wife are themselves only children, they are allowed to have 2 children.

[Meng Lelan]

And if the first child has a severe disability they are allowed a second child.

[Hero Doug]

I hope that was a just a typo and not a Freudian slip at how feel about this whole pregnancy thing!

You can chalk that up to my fantastic spelling skills.

This beats any suspense story I've ever read, I'm going to follow your story with keen interest. When is she due?

In a matter of months; I'll be posting an update once something noteworthy comes along.

Actually, I did push the consulate for more info telling them that my child runs the risk of being stateless if I can't obtain this certification and they told me that they can't provide such a certification, just a declaration. I'd have to go back to my home province to get that. So I may pick the declaration up next week and see what happens with that route.

And as a side note' date=' I thought that by law the one child act had been repealed as it was only supposed to last for one generation. It is still in effect in the minds of some and in the culture, but legally can't even Chinese people have as many children as they want now?[/quote']

but it does go through adjustments from time to time. For example, if both husband and wife are themselves only children, they are allowed to have 2 children.

I believe the law is more lax in the countryside as well; not too sure how exactly.

I really don't know how the one child policy will work for you though since the Child will literally have no claim to Chinese citizenship once you adopt him.

And if the first child has a severe disability they are allowed a second child.

I haven't heard of this one before. I kind of feel bad about it really.

[xianhua]

For example, if both husband and wife are themselves only children, they are allowed to have 2 children

And if the first child has a severe disability they are allowed a second child.

Or you can afford to pay the fine; or you live in Shanghai; or your first is a girl and you wait five years; or you get re-married; or you live abroad for a few years; or you just have another one regardless and hide away in someone else's house coming out only at night - a-hem.

[Meng Lelan]

I haven't heard of this one before. I kind of feel bad about it really.

It has something to do with economic necessity in that a disabled child may not be able to be fully employed and be able to attend to the parents in their old age. That's why a second child is allowed.

So get proper prenatal care for your wife and a proper birthing hospital for your child and you lessen the chances of the baby having problems.

[gougou]

proper prenatal care for your wife and a proper birthing hospital

Of course, if you have the money to afford all that, you'll be much less reliant on your child as a breadwinner anyway...

[kdavid]

I'll be registering my son as an American soon. We'll then go get his Chinese passport. Having two passports makes travel much easier. I'll report back on this in a few months.

You can't have both.

BrandeX, can you please cite a source? If you don't have a citation, could you please share your personal experience?

The American Embassy told me that the Chinese government will not recognize my son's American citizenship as his mother is Chinese. The embassy said that even if we show the government his American passport the Chinese government will still consider him Chinese and issue him a Chinese passport.

There is a lot of speculation and misinformation floating around out there that isn't helping anyone. If you can back up your comment above with cited facts, I'm sure myself and the others out there in a similar situation would largely benefit from learning more about your comments and the facts that support them.

Edit:

I just found this link which supports BrandeX's citation. It also contradicts what the American embassy told me, which is worrying.

Knowing what I know about Chinese culture, we could probably get both, and there are probably plenty of custom's officials who may just let us pass without a problem, but I'm not willing to take the chance on getting anyone detained. Will research further.

[Meng Lelan]

Of course, if you have the money to afford all that, you'll be much less reliant on your child as a breadwinner anyway...

Well, gougou, even the best quality prenatal care anywhere cannot absolutely guarantee a healthy child. A good number of my blind students are from very wealthy families who got the best prenatal care available.

[BrandeX]

Hi, I'm back. When my wife contacted whatever local agency in charge of this, she was informed upon our daughter leaving we will officially be renouncing and claim to citizenship and will need to surrender and documents/passports etc.

edit: Oh and the "passport" they give you for the baby to exit the country isn't a real one either. It's like the book Chinese have to get to go to HK, which looks like a passport, but isn't a real passport either.

[kdavid]

When my wife contacted whatever local agency in charge of this, she was informed upon our daughter leaving we will officially be renouncing and claim to citizenship and will need to surrender and documents/passports etc.

What nationality are you? How did you handle the situation? Where are you living now?

[BrandeX]

I am American, living in Guangzhou, my wife is Cantonese. The current documents we hold are only a Chinese birth cert., American Birth Abroad Cert, and "real" American Passport. China will give us that fake passport I mentioned above when we try to leave the country with her the first time. Our daughter has no Hukou.

[kdavid]

Will you be returning to China? Do you know how you'd arrange a visa for your daughter once you return to China?

What good is the fake passport?

[gato]

What's the Chinese name of the "fake passport"?

[BrandeX]

I am sorry I do not know the name right now, I am just colloquially referring to it as a "fake passport". It looks nearly identical to a regular Chinese passport, but can only be used by mainlanders to get visa's to Hong Kong and Macau. After we leave China, when we return it will be the same as any other foriegner, with an "L" tourist visa.

[kdavid]

After we leave China, when we return it will be the same as any other foriegner, with an "L" tourist visa.

So, you're only visiting China and not living here? Don't tourist visas have a limit to the amount of times that they can be extended? How could you daughter stay here in China with you indefinitely on a tourist visa?

Also, if the "fake passport" is only good for going in and out of China to get a visa in Hong Kong and Macau, how does it benefit you traveling to the States?

Sorry for all of the questions, but you seem to be in a similar situation to me and others, so I'd like to tap your brain for all of the information you have on this topic.

[fanglu]

What's the Chinese name of the "fake passport"?

I can't remember the formal name off the top of my head, but people just call it a 通行证. It is a travel document good for one trip only. They are issued to all (?) non-Chinese children born in China so as to avoid the problem of people leaving China without a valid entry stamp in their passport or a valid visa.

I promise it really does exist. We're required to sight them before issuing Chinese visas in certain circumstances.

[BrandeX]

That sounds about right Fanlu. As for your question kdavid, I am and always will be a foreigner to the Chinese so there is no difference between visting or living here as far as anything is concerned. I have an L visa with unlimited entries that I need to renew once a year same as any tourist, along with the standard pink paper "temp resident permit". My daughter does not require a visa until she leaves the country for the first time, she is in effect a quasi-citizen w/o a Hukou until she crosses that border. Similarly she can never attend Chinese school here w/o one. We were informed that her initial visa back to China (when/if we come back) will need to be issued from the "home country only". Much like China was doing with Z visa's for everyone last year.

[DrWatson]

Entering mainland China with a Chinese passport and exiting with a US passport might be a problem because you don't have a Chinese visa nor an entering stamp on the US passport.

Exiting with a Chinese passport might be a problem, too, because you don't have a visa to go to your destination.

Hmmm, I thought you enter and exit China with a Chinese passport, and enter and exit the US with a US passport. If the airline asks, give them the passport for the country in which you are heading too. With a valid passport, a visa should not even part of the conversation.

I can't speak for China, but this has never been an issue for my son who holds dual citizenship. In fact, just to make sure the first time we traveled with our son, I laid out both of his passports in front of immigration officials in both countries. Each official grabbed the passport from their respective country and said they didn't need the other.

Then again, I have not visited China and I don't know the Chinese rules...