X2 Visa Experiences

[jonathan563]

Hello everyone,

 

I have some questions regarding the X2 visa, since I plan to apply for some short term courses in China next year.

 

First of all, I would like to travel a bit through China before the courses at the University start. Would it be possible to get a visa for that? For Example if the courses go from March to September. Could I get a visa from Februar to September?

 

How far in advance should I apply for the visa? I read that it is recommended to apply for it only one month in advance. I would like to travel to other countries (like Vietnam) in advance. Hence, it would be convienent for me, If I could apply two months in advance. Does someone have any experience with that?

 

I would be thankful, If you have some useful advice to share.

[TheBigZaboon]

I know very little about applying for Chinese visas other than tourist visas. And I live in a country that is not the country from which I hold a passport. But I can say from experience, that most countries, especially China, can be very inflexible about visa application procedures.

 

Be very careful, and confirm with the Chinese embassy in your home country whether or not you will be allowed to make certain types of visa applications from third countries, for example, Vietnam, as you mention in your explanation. You may not be able to apply for certain types of visas while in other countries, and even if it is allowed, it may take more time and cost a lot more money to apply that way. Time and money may be the least of your problems if you do things that are out of the ordinary.

 

This is the only advice I can give you, but unhappy experience in the past prompted me to speak out of turn. I hope that more knowledgeable and experienced forum members will be forthcoming with better news.

 

TBZ 

[matteo]

I'm in the process of applying for a X2 visa as well, and I've been strongly recommended to apply for my visa within 45-90 days of my departure to China. In other words, do not apply for your visa more than 90 days prior to — or within 45 days of — your departure to China.

Not sure why that is tbh but not sure I want to test it either.

 

Other useful information:

1) Get the invitation documents from the university (invitation letter, admission letter, school license -not sure this one applies for uni) as soon as possible, they have to be sent phisically by post (or courier) so they might take a wee while

2) Use this online portal to start your application https://cova.mfa.gov.cn/qzCoCommonController.do?show&pageId=index&locale=en_US

3) once that's done, book as soon as possible an appointment with the Chinese embassy of wherever you are from. Here they had a 1 month+ waiting list for context. You will have to bring the application you filled in in point (2) above, all the school documents (original +copies), your passport (original+copy)

 

On 6/30/2023 at 11:38 PM, jonathan563 said:

First of all, I would like to travel a bit through China before the courses at the University start. Would it be possible to get a visa for that? For Example if the courses go from March to September. Could I get a visa from Februar to September?

I asked the same question and have been told that the visa length, beyond the time strictly needed for studying, is at the complete discretion of the officer who approves your application. So you can't really count on it.

 

Hope that some of this is helpful to you, good luck!

[7800]

On 6/30/2023 at 9:01 PM, matteo said:

do not apply for your visa more than 90 days prior to — or within 45 days of — your departure to China.

Not sure why that is tbh but not sure I want to test it either.

The visa comes with a "Enter Before" line, you must enter China at most 3 months after the visa issue date. When I got the X2 visa back in 2019, it had July 16 as its issue date, and October 16 as the Enter Before limit.

 

On 6/30/2023 at 8:38 AM, jonathan563 said:

Could I get a visa from February to September?

Not the X2 one; it lasts for exactly 180 days after entry.

[jonathan563]

 

Thank you all, for your advice

 

Quote

The visa comes with a "Enter Before" line, you must enter China at most 3 months after the visa issue date. When I got the X2 visa back in 2019, it had July 16 as its issue date, and October 16 as the Enter Before limit.

 

So basically the X2 Visa works like a tourist visa, just with an extended duration of stay ?

[7800]

On 7/2/2023 at 7:49 AM, jonathan563 said:

So basically the X2 Visa works like a tourist visa, just with an extended duration of stay ?

Yeah, kinda. The documents you need for each visa are different, and you probably can't enroll in most courses with the L visa. But yeah, you can't take too long to go, you need to leave after a certain amount of time, and it's single-entry.

[zhouhaochen]

We have loads of students at LTL applying for X2 visas for our courses so I have quite a bit of experience with it

 

1) X2 visas are valid for entry within 3 months of it being issued (not applied for, but issued). If you do not enter within 3 months, the visa is cancelled. So apply early, but not too early.

2) How long the processing time takes depends on the consulate. Right after COVID restrictions ended this was up to 2 months in San Francisco (it is much less now). In Berlin they have a 24h express service. So depending on where you are from and where you apply (and are allowed to apply) the duration will vary. In general I definitely agree with the posters above, apply early as you never know. Stuff can happen and you need a time buffer. Getting an appointment can take several weeks to just one day. Again depends on the consulate you are applying at.

3) An X2 visa is for studying in China. You are not supposed to be traveling around on it. The school is supposed to only issue an invitation for the duration of the course. Ask your school what they will issue. You might be able to get them to issue the invitation for a bit earlier arrival.

4) X2 visas are not always exactly 180 days. They are issued for different durations, depending on the dates on your invitation documents. They are not issued for exact dates though. A visa is always for a number of days you are allowed to stay in China and will start counting the day you enter.

5) At most embassies you will need to give fingerprints in person by now (not all, but most).

6) X2 are almost always single entry. We have had some students who managed to get multiple entry, but that would need a multiple entry invitation from your school, plus supporting documents. There is no guarantee that you will get more than one entry. The decision is with the visa officer.

 

If you are going to a government university you might miss quite a few classes due to national holidays, school events etc. Or maybe find that traveling in an immersed environment gets you ahead as much or even more than classes. So you might be able to get quite a bit of travel in during your studies. Many of my class mates back then did.