Student Visas: multi or single entry?

[Jive Turkey]

My wife and I live in HK, but I'm thinking about studying full-time in Guangzhou next year. The reason I prefer Guangzhou is because I hope to return to HK to see my wife on most weekends. I currently use a multi-entry "F" visa to cross the border for business every week. I would prefer to continue to use this type of visa since it can be renewed quite easily in HK every year. However, the information I read on the websites of most universities is that those studying for a year or more must get a student visa. Are student visas in China multi-entry? I remember a classmate of mine in the states complaining about having a problem with this years ago. For those of you on student visas, did you enter on a tourist visa and then "convert" it or did you get your student visa overseas? How much time does it take the government or embassy/consulate to issue a student visa? Are there any HK residents here who've gotten a mainland student visa in HK?

[doumeizhen]

You can get your student visa locally, but you have to get the paper work from your university, get a health exam, then get the visa, THEN (the part I haven't finished) pay your tuition, get a certificate of temporary residence (think you need a paper from the school) go to the police and file it, go back to the school, get verification of enrollment, take that (and health exam results) to Public Security bureau, and get a residence permit.

The residence permit, from what I understand, allows for multiple entries, whereas you can only enter the country once with the actual X visa.

I think you can get around all of this by just enrolling per semester, which I was also offered as an option, but I enjoy torturing myself with red sticky tape.

[Jive Turkey]

Yeah, I was worried that the whole process would be full of red tape. How long do you think it takes to get everything done? Has your school given you much help to get all of it done? I would prefer to just use an F visa, but I will apply for a scholarship at the university where I want to study in GZ. If they give me a year long scholarship, I guess I might be obliged to get a residence permit.

[doumeizhen]

It took me about a week to get it all done, with some waiting to go pick up forms, etc. If you have had a 6 month permit before, I think you can get a one year tourist, but if you are in the south it would be so easy to hop to hong kong for a weekend and get it renewed.

I just got mine, and I don't think that it is multiple entry. I asked my professor, adn he said I would have to get some paper work to renew it, but I am not sure if he meant at the end of my term, or if I leave the country. YOu should really ask your school. In my permit ti says, that "this permit will be revoked by frontier inspeaction station when the bearer leaves china." That's what makes me think it is single entry. *grunt*

Hmm, but you do have a good point with the one year scholarship. I have none of those questions to face. And how did you get that by the way? I want one!

Let me know how things go for you, and if you reply to this, just send me a quick ppm, because I hardly ever check this section of the forum.

Outline of my Visa:

Enroll at Universiyt -Get visa form, health exam form

Apply for visa (LA)

Back in China:

Health exam

pay tutition

get certof enrollment, plus a note that tells police something I could not read (might not be necessary)

register with normal police with landlordget certificate of residence

give this form to the school,

Get PSB paper, which you then take to the PSB with 2 photos, health exam, and residence papers (maybe, or that might be for school)

wait for a couple days

Pay 200 and get your residence permit

Unless you need it, I haven't really found any use for the residence permit, aside from small talk, but it's also not as terrible as it could be.

The health exam, although needles are involed (AIDS and Syphillis) goes by fast,a dn you get your results the same day.

[Smoothie]

hey u are talking about a residence permit and stuff. does it apply to u even if u are only there for several weeks? i'm confused b/c don't u need a visa before getting out of the airport? i know the school gives u the paper, but how long will it be approve? does that mean u have to go back and forth b/c i have never been to china and was planning to go straight to school when i arrive there? but now it doesn't seem like that.

if u're just visiting, where do u get a visa?