Want to travel/visit before beginning my student visa

[avanv]

Hello,

I have all the necessary documents to obtain my F or X Visa for September 2011. My question is: I want to travel, visit friends, and get settled in Shanghai for the prior 3 months. If I get a tourist visa for this time how can I convert to a study visa? Or could I use my student visa early? Thank you for any insights!!

[Hugh]

I'm in the same situation, would also like to know!

[avanv]

Where are all the China Visa pros to answe my question? Does any one know the best way to contact the Vancouver China Embassy? I even emailed the consul himself and he directed me there. The phone seems to ring endlessly. Ughh!

[m000gle]

X visas, for studying longer than six months, must be converted to a Residence Permit within 30 days of arrival and I would expect F visas to be valid for up to six months (generally, up to one academic term +/- a week or two). So, if your travels were short (i.e. 1-2 weeks) you could just enter early. However, since you're wanting to travel for longer, this option won't work for you.

The simplest way around this would be to apply for two separate visas: one F/X (short-term/long-term), for your studies; and one L (tourist) for your travels. The catch for this is you must enter once for your travels, making sure they check the correct visa, leave and re-enter the country using your student visa. By far, the most common way of doing this is a quick trip to Hong Kong.

[avanv]

A visa processing company told me that I am not allowed to hold two different visas in my passport at once. This makes me think that the only way to get around this is to apply for the travel visa, then fly back to Canada mid august, apply for the student visa and back to China before school starts. Unless I could just send my passport to the Canadian Beijing embassy... Oh I don't know but I will be hitting the phone hard on Monday to see is the embassy people can give me any ideas. Thanks for your help!

[imron]

This makes me think that the only way to get around this is to apply for the travel visa, then fly back to Canada mid august, apply for the student visa and back to China before school starts

Like m00gle said, by far the most common way to do this is a quick trip to Hong Kong.

[m000gle]

hmmm.... I've never heard of it being an issue to have two visas in your passport, provided: only one is ever being used at a time (i.e. no studying while on tourist visa); and you enter/exit on the correct one each time (i.e. make sure they don't scan/check the student one when entering, the first time, as a tourist). Maybe someone else here has first hand experience with simultaneously having multiple valid visas, but that's the impression I've taken from many posts on here. This is also why a trip to HK is usually sufficient, even if you're only gone long enough for a quick snack and a washroom break ...You already have the next visa in hand.

Assuming cash is no object, though... Yes, traveling first, and returning to Canada about six weeks before your studies would alleviate all of this and, since the consulates in Canada recommend visa applications 4-6 weeks prior to travel (usually only taking 3 days to process), you would have plenty of time to receive your student visa.

[fanglu]

You can't have two valid Chinese visas at once. Actually I'm pretty sure most countries have this rule.

You will need a tourist visa for the first three months. Once your three months is almost up you could try a visa agent in china to see if they can get you a study visa (and cancel your tourist visa) without you having to leave China. Mostly likely though the easiest and most cost-effective way will be a run to hong kong.

[m000gle]

I stand corrected lol... Either way, if you're doing the F/X visa processing in Hong Kong, their processing times may vary from what I quoted at the Canadian consulates.

[abcdefg]

My question is: I want to travel, visit friends, and get settled in Shanghai for the prior 3 months. If I get a tourist visa for this time how can I convert to a study visa?

This is actually the usual way most private schools recommend you handle things, namely enter on a tourist visa and let them convert it to a study visa for you. I've done it myself several times. It's easy to enter on a tourist visa and later convert it to a study visa. You may have to do the physical exam (health check) again. If so, that's not a big deal, usually costing 300 to 400 Yuan. No leaving the Chinese mainland is required.

Disclaimers: Sounds like you are Canadian and my passport is from USA. Also I've done this only with private schools, not universities. Doubt either of those factors is significant, but I don't know for sure.

[avanv]

Wow thank you for your help!! I just sent away my visa application to cover me on a tourist visa for the next 3 months, then from what you say should not be too hard to convert to a student visa. Head over June 3rd can't wait!!

[abcdefg]

...should not be too hard to convert to a student visa

Should be easy.

[izomax]

Hi avanv,

Are you in China now? I have the exact same problem.

Did you get into China with Tourist visa only?

How do you plan to convert tourist visa to student visa while you are in China?

Please let me know the process. Thanks!

[Vanners]

In the end I came on a tourist Visa. I called Fudan many times asking them about the protocol for switching, they just said they can handle everything. It went smooth and i was getting everything processed upon arrival and then when I was meeting with the PSB which came to our school to handle everything he sternly looked at my Tourist Visa page pointed at the fact it only had one entry stamp and not an exit stamp and he said 'THIS, you never do again." The end. Not sure what I did but I think I should have left and come back..

[Matty]

In the end I came on a tourist Visa. I called Fudan many times asking them about the protocol for switching, they just said they can handle everything. It went smooth and i was getting everything processed upon arrival and then when I was meeting with the PSB which came to our school to handle everything he sternly looked at my Tourist Visa page pointed at the fact it only had one entry stamp and not an exit stamp and he said 'THIS, you never do again." The end. Not sure what I did but I think I should have left and come back..

It's possible your visa was a multi-entry with a 30 day stay and you overstayed? If in such a case you're lucky they didn't do more, but they do have the option of selecting to ignore a problem, maybe you were very lucky. Otherwise, I have no idea...