Converting L (tourist) visa to a student visa

[onebir]

Further this thread, the embassy official told me that to convert an L (tourist) visa to a student visa, you have to leave China and come back in.

I seem to recall someone in Beijing having the conversion done without going in and out. Is that correct? And can this be done through normal channels, or do you have to use dodgy visa agents?

[PollyWaffle]

are u enrolled in a school?

they will help u do this!!!

[snarfer]

Actually this seems to be standard procedure. At my school numerous students had their tourist visas converted to student. The school converted mine to a business visa because I was staying less than six months. The school had no problem with students studying while on tourist visas, however, and would extend the registration of the touris visas until the second thirty days had run out.

[onebir]

At my school numerous students had their tourist visas converted to student. The school converted mine to a business visa because I was staying less than six months.

I'm guessing this didn't involve a trip out of china?

Sounds like the officials in london don't have a clue what's going on in china... or what goes on in china has nothing to do with the regulations... (no surprises there i guess)

[malinuo]

I converted my tourist visa, obtained in Hongkong, to a student visa in Nanjing without leaving the mainland.

The only problem was partly my fault. This particular visa was valid only 30 days from the date it was issued, and some people had assured me it was valid 30 days from my entry to China. I applied for the student visa 25 days after my entry to China and 32 days after the visa was issued. I got a fairly severe warning, but as it was just a matter of a few days, and I solemnly promised never to do the same mistake again, they let me off. I did have to buy an "interim" visa for three to four days though.

[onebir]

I just tried to convert my 60 day L visa to an F visa by going to the PSB office with a letter from my wushu school. My teacher also had the form stamped by the beijing wushu society (involving an RMB 150 service fee and significant hassle for him, compensated by my upfront payment of a big chunk of tuition fees).

And the PSB WOULDN'T DO IT. So it's off to the dodgy visa agent i go. (if not hongkong )

[malinuo]

It is interesting that you couldn't do it, but there are several possible explanations. Wushu is not really part of the official educational system, I guess, and they may have no means to verify at your PSB that martial arts is good enough a reason to get an F visa. However, they may have a standard procedure for students at official universities.

[onebir]

they may have no means to verify at your PSB that martial arts is good enough a reason to get an F visa.

They had my teacher's chop, his number, and the chop of the beijing wushu society. And it's definitely a better reason than no reason - and you don't need a reason if you apply via visa agents....

[onebir]

So i went to the visa agent... He'd asked at a staff member the yonghegong PSB if he could convert my L to an F visa. She'd said yes - come back with me the day the L visa expires. So we went back. And she'd only give me an L extension.....

[mrtoga]

The universities enjoy, how shall I put this..... a "cosy relationship" with the PSB. If you want to change your L visa into a F or X it is best to hand over your money and passport to the university.

In our experience, trying to get it changed without going through the university is just not going to work. Even going direct to the PSB to enquire about the exact process is met with shrugs and the typical Chinese bureaucratic smile that seems to say "You haven't been in China very long have you buddy".

"Dodgy" agents are not recommended - once you get onto that slippery slope it is difficult to get off.

As for Wushu, probably not considered "study". Dunno, can't really help you there, sorry.

[onebir]

"Dodgy" agents are not recommended - once you get onto that slippery slope it is difficult to get off.

Why's that then? Do you just mean the agents on the mainland, or the ones in hong kong as well? And if it's just the mainland ones, why are problems more likely to arise with them? :-s

[mrtoga]

Agents can get you visas, but they are issued "through the back door". No supporting documentation is provided like the JW-202 for study visas. This can cause problems when renewing. The phenomenon is known as 调毛病 (tiao maobing) in Chinese. Officials will look for technicalities upon which they can cause you problems (imposing fines and so on). "Dodgy" previous applications can lead to bigger problems down the line.

[onebir]

Hmm - but can 调毛病 (tiao maobing) cause problems for future applications, or only for renewals? And what about agents in HK vs the mainland? Why are HK agents less likely to cause these problems?

[mrtoga]

separate applications should not be a problem - they do not know the history of how you got previous visas. Renewals, by their nature, require the supporting evidence in the original application, which effectively ties you to the "dodgy" agent.

As for HK sorry I do not have any experience there.

[roddy]

I'm on my third Hong Kong F visa currently. It's always been very quick and easy, I've used the same company (Japan Travel) each time. I've had no problems either entering or leaving the country.

Never used a Beijing agent. My impression of the market is that there are lots of agents at differing levels of dodginess - there is at least one (don't have details, sorry) which has an office near the PSB and runs down directly with your passport to sort the visa out. There are others which will meet you in a bar or cafe, take your cash and passport and send it off to some mate in a provincial PSB office somewhere.

If you are taking this route, my advice is the same as with property agents. Look for a personal recommendation, or if you can't get one, a credible one from the internet. Look for a history - how long have they been established. Look for a fixed office, not a mobile phone number. That's about as much as you can do.

[mrtoga]

Quite Roddy the good old 哥们 "Germer" network can be useful at times in China, but this "Germer" relationship can be rather tenuous and unstable. Just because an agent has "arranged" visas for foreigners in the past this is not a guarantee that they will be able to indefinitely. Changes in relationships between agents and PSB staff as well as changes in PSB staff authority levels can frustrate the lucrative business operations of an agent.

Sounds like HK is quite legit though, or does anyone have bad experiences of agents there?

[roddy]

Agreed, and I wouldn't suggest anyone uses an agent without being fully aware of what they are doing and having considered all other options. Even then I wouldn't recommend it as anything other than an extra option to consider. Having said that, there are surely thousands of people doing it.

I don't think HK is actually more legit, but my impression is that it is bigger business there (due to the proximity of all the foreigners in Shenzhen / Guangzhou) and that, along with a more regulated business environment, has given rise to a number of well-established, reliable agents who don't disappear just because their PSB contacts do (my visas have come from three different places, despite being from the same agent). Just my impression though. Never heard of anyone having problems in HK (and only twice I think in Beijing).

[onebir]

Thanks - this has been very informative....

[Xander]

Hi,

I am in a little bit of a hurry. I am going to Harbin next month, not enrolling at a regular university, but taking private classes. I need to get a six month visa. I was thinking of flying through Hong Kong, and getting the visa there or I could go through an agency in Harbin and let them take care of my visa. How many hours at the airport in Hong Kong should I plan so that they turn my 30 day tourist visa, into a six month visa?

What would you do? Is this possible?

Thank you guys for helping me out here.

[doumeizhen]

When I came through HK three years ago I arrived at 10 am and had a visa in hand by 3pm. I Don't know if this is still doable (do you need a visa to get into HK as a Norwegian?), but I would recommend getting there as early as you can in the morning, and leaving late afternoon. I think I had mine done at STAR travel or something, which is downstairs and at the very end of the international terminal.

Please double check this with others before taking my advice though.