Is going from X1/Residence Permit to L/Tourist Visa possible?

[Simon D]

Hi all,

 

I'm currently in my second semester on a Chinese language 1 year course, holding a residence permit. I have a flight booked back to the UK on the 21st of December, so less than 2 months away.

 

I'm really tired, bored and unmotivated at the university and find my learning and motivation when I self study is just so much greater. I barely show up to class and therefore I'm worried about my residence permit being cancelled which would be a big pain as I'd likely need to book a new flight home early, and I'm assuming that may also have some repercussions on future visa applications.

 

I would like to stay in China until my flight home, so is there anyway I can officially quit the school and get myself a 60 day tourist visa without having to do a round trip back to the UK? I can go to HK if needed but the information on mainland China visas in Hong Kong is pretty patchy since they changed the rules in 2013.

 

Hope someone could help out with this, always a weight on my mind that I'd like to resolve if it's possible.

[ChTTay]

If the school is going to cancel your residence permit, wouldn't they call you in and give you some warnings?

 

Couldn't you just go to class anyway, sit at the back and, if it's boring/easy just do your own thing... with half an ear on the class.

 

At Tsinghua they had clear rules about how low your attendance had to be before they'd either not give you a certificate or would kick you out. I never heard of anyone getting kicked out though.

[Simon D]

Yeah in general they seem quite relaxed, last semester my attendance was awful and I didn't get any warnings as such, probably helped that I easily passed the end of semester exams (which according to the rules I shouldn't have been able to take due to my poor attendance).

 

This semester so far my attendance has been even lower however, and today a teacher talked to me and I heard something about the residence permit and that I have missed too many classes, so that's where the concern came from.

 

If there's any possibility of getting myself a 60 day tourist visa in HK that would be ideal.

 

Going into class is the least favorable option for me because I feel too bad for the teachers to show up and not give them my attention. I thought I was getting away with it because when I do show up from time to time I'm hardworking and focused, but if I have to do it everyday with these unbearably boring textbooks I can't keep it up. 

 

Lesson learned here is to not pay for a full year in advance until you know what the classes are like!

[roddy]

The problem is that while the university may be relaxed about it, you just need one student from another university in a similar situation to get caught teaching and the police are going to come round to your university and check up on people. But running around trying to get tourist visas is a pain in the neck too. 

 

That said - if it's only two months, I'd just keep doing roughly what you're doing. Keep on good terms with the teachers and the school if you can so you'll hear of any possible problems, promise to go to more classes, make it clear that you're putting the hours in on your own, if not in class, and do try and turn up for an hour here or there. Oh, and try and find out what that teacher actually said ;-)