The visa issue is one of the thorniest and most talked-about in the expat community. The luckier laowai are those whose companies complete the visa process for them. Freelancers and consultants who have enough cash can use agencies to help them out, but is it possible to get a Z or an F visa by your own means? The answer is, simply, no. You need to have the backing of a company to issue you an invitation letter (in the case of the F) and sponsorship (in the case of the Z). However, if your company doesn’t want to do the actual application for you, here is our guide to going to the embassy or consulate yourself.

F or Z visas – What’s the difference?
According to the website of the UK’s Chinese Embassy, the F (Business) visa is “issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology, education, culture and sports, or attending various kinds of trade fairs or exhibitions, or short-term study, intern practice for a period of less than 6 months.” The F visa comes in single-entry, double-entry, and multiple-entry forms, with each stay lasting from 30 to 90 days (meaning that you have to leave the country before that time is up – but then you can come straight back). The F visa is popular among consultants, freelancers, and jacks-of-all-trades who don’t have contracted employment. It’s important to remember that accepting payment for services on an F visa is illegal. Only the Z validates you to work in China.
The Z (Work) visa is issued to foreigners who come to China to take up employment, and to their accompanying family members. Certain companies only offer single-entry Z visas, so make sure you check what you’re validated for. Likewise, duration of each stay varies from company to company.
If you come into China on an L (Tourist) or X (Student) visa, there is a very high chance that you will have to leave the country to convert it to a Z. Before 2008 it was possible to swap without exiting China, but regulations changed after the Olympics. Going through an agency to secure an F visa does not always require a trip out of China, but since one-year F visas start from your last entry, it’s a good idea to leave and come back to maximise the length of your visa (for example, if your last entry was on October 12th and it’s now December 23rd, your one-year F visa will run until October 12th next year, even if the agent processes it tomorrow).

How to apply
Applying for an F visa is a simpler process than a Z. At the time of writing this article, 12-month F visas were available in Hong Kong, but since regulations change so frequently and seemingly randomly, it’s best to check before you start the process. It may be necessary to go back to your home country (but don’t panic – this can often be cheaper than using an agency). Here is what you’ll need:
1. A valid passport with at least six months validity remaining and at least one blank visa page in it, plus a photocopy of the photo page.
2. A completed application form, available to download from the Chinese Embassy website of your home country.
3. One recent passport photo.
4. An invitation letter from your host company on headed notepaper.
Once you’ve gotten all that together, submit your passport and papers to your nearest embassy or consulate, pay the fee, and your new visa will be ready in around four working days. Express services are available, and costs vary from country to country.
For a Z visa, the process is a little more time consuming. First you’ll need to get a work licence. For this you’ll need:
1. Your C.V. in Chinese and English stamped with the company seal.
2. A copy of your passport’s photo page.
3. A copy of your employer’s business license with the company seal.
4. A copy of your employer’s code certificate, also with the company seal.
5. If the company you’re working for is a WFOE, you’ll need a copy of their permit for foreign investment enterprise.
6. A copy of your degree certificate or college diploma.
Your company will provide you with the documents for points 3, 4 and 5, and will make the application to the government at the Shanghai Administrative Center for Employment of Foreigners (4/F, 77 Meiyuan Lu, Metro Line 1 Hanzhong Lu).
After five days you will be issued with a laminated green booklet, which is your work permit. Once that’s all sorted, you’ll need to apply for an official invitation letter. This requires
1. Your work licence plus a copy of each side.
2. A copy of your employer’s business license with the company seal.
3. A copy of your passport’s photo page.
4. A completed application form stamped with your company’s seal.
Different types of jobs require different sorts of invitation letters, but your company ought to know which is the relevant department to apply to.
Within three days, you will be issued with an invitation notice that you will submit to the Chinese Embassy or Consulate where you apply for your visa. The process costs 20 RMB.
When it comes to applying for your actual Z visa, you’ll need:
1. A valid passport with at least six months validity remaining, and at least one blank visa page in it, plus a photocopy of the photo page.
2. Your invitation letter plus a copy.
3. Three passport photos.
4. A completed visa application form (available to download on your embassy or consulate’s website)
5. Your work license.
6. Your health certificate.
Although a health certificate isn’t always required unless you are applying for a resident’s permit, it’s a good idea to get it done before you leave China to apply for your visa, just in case the embassy asks you for it. The government-approved clinic is at 15 Jingbang Lu, near Hami Lu, Changning District and is open between 9:00 and 16:00 from Monday to Friday). Call 62686171 or 62688851 to make an appointment. When you go, make sure you have:
1. Your passport and a copy of the photo page.
2. A copy of your employer’s business license stamped with the company seal.
3. Three passport photos.
4. A completed application form, which is available at the clinic.
The medical costs 702 RMB (plus an extra 25 RMB to have the report delivered by courier) and takes about an hour. It covers X-rays, blood tests, blood pressure tests and ultrasounds. Your report and health certificate will be complete in around four working days.
While the visa process may seem time-consuming and tedious, it’s actually relatively straightforward if you get everything done in time and have the support of your employers. If all else fails, you can always use an agency, but it’s almost always cheaper to apply yourself.

 

Related links
Beijing Imposes Age and Educational Requirements for Work Visas
China Visa Fact vs. Fiction
How (Not) To Get Deported from China

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