Hey guys,

I would like to know what does it happen when a Z visa ends? I heard that it is needed a cancellation that costs 1000 kuai (even if the contract is finished and so) but I'm still puzzled.

My plan is when my visa is over I am flying out of the country so I am not interested in the tourist visa extension that comes after the cancellation or so.

What I understand about visas is that you get one and when the expiration date comes you have to leave so I am not understanding why does anybody has to cancel something that is automatically cancelled. On the top of that, you have to pay for and it costs more than a new tourist visa.

Anyway. I would love some info from you, experienced people, about that.

When you leave you should handover your expert Permit/Working Permit to your employee so they can cancel your files with the government, they also need to cancel your tax file account.

No need to cancel your Residence Permit,just leave the country before it expires,unless your employee needs to get one for a new foreign staff and they don't have quota for any more foreign staff, in that case they need to cancel your residence permit and give you a bridging visa.

Just hand in to your company your expert Permit/Working Permit (most likely your company has it anyway) and leave China while the Residence Permit is valid.

When your company is cancelling your tax file they should also get you a certificate from the tax office that shows your tax is all paid.

out of curiosity, how long does one have to leave china after the end of a year-long z visa? what about for student visas? if a contract or enrollment in the university is extended beyond a year, or a new job is procured, is it necessary to leave china nonetheless or can the papers be taken care of locally?

i am asking because i am about to sign a year-long contract and get my z visa and my wife is about to enroll in a university for ongoing studies with no exact end date in mind...

thanks! =)

You would need to leave China while your Residence Permit or visa is still valid.

In your situation I would put your wife first on your Residence Permit application as your spouse,, then after your work is over if you still want to stay in China then your wife applies for a student visa and you as her spouse.

You can't change to a working Residence Permit in China if you are on another visa class, but it seems the student Residence Permit is more flexible.

To clarify the Z visa issue:

The Z visa is valid for a single one time entry to China in the period of 30 days after issue, for the purposes of employment. It does not allow you to remain in China for more than 30 days. It does not allow you to work or live in China.

It is normally issued outside of China and getting a Z visa may require a trip to your home country.

After entry to China, the Z visa allows a 30 day period to obtain a residence permit or leave China.

There no need to cancel a Z visa. It is used to enter China for employment but has a very short life.

Your Residence Permit is in your passport. I would not suggest you return it to anyone. It has an expiry date.

Your Foreign Experts Certificate, FEC, is, or was, a red covered book. Usually it is returned to your employer. In Beijing, I retained the same FEC as the employers arranged it. I think this, if all parties are willing, this is, or was, possible within the same jurisdiction.

In the olden days, the Residence Permit was a green book. They have not been issued since 2006 or before.

Warning: If you show up at a government office talking about extending, renewing, or modifying a Z Visa, you have just identified yourself as a visa idiot. You are then eligible for what ever the official's sense of humor has in mind at the moment.

Learn the vocabulary, definitions and jargon of visas and then ask the right questions. Search GoK and the internet. It is all there, free.

Personal experience: I had a Z-visa-obtained one-year residence permit for teaching, and I taught for a year. I left to Hong Kong when the residence visa expired. In Hong Kong I applied, through an experienced travel agent, for a tourist visa to China mainland and was told I could have a single-entry non-renewable tourist visa for 15 days only. However, I was told that I could leave China-mainland after the 15 days were up and could then get another tourist visa, which would be single-entry non-renewable for 7 days. In the end I fixed my problem by another method, which involved Macau and an F visa - but this was before all the visa changes that began on July 1 this year.

I have no idea what the story will be when my present visa expires, but I try very hard not to think about it yet, as whatever I may learn now may not be applicable by the time it does expire, and may be variably applicable depending on where I apply for my next visa anyway.

I find it's best to remain calm as long as possible when dealing with these matters.

Hello there!

@yopopo, just to answer your question: papers can be taken care locally. I got my residence permit (work visa related) renewed - almost - painlessly while I was in China. I did not have to leave or to do much extra than a new health check and a get a couple of pictures. In my understanding, once you renew the contract with your employer they should be able to renew it all for you. Just be aware that the process should start at least 5 weeks before your residence permit expires because the process takes a while.

@Alien, did what happen to you have anything to do with the country you are originated or this is a rule for anybody that once held a z visa?

@yuantongsi and @geezer, tks a bunch for the wise advises.

Adding knowledge acquired in the past couple of days: it is not necessary to do anything - or pay anything - if you are going to leave the country before the residence permit expiration date.

@Ocean posted an excellent link in a comment. The link takes you to a good source for visa information. Educate yourself!

lawandborder.com/faq-new-china-visa-law/