Kayarak,

My experience has been that the language schools usually cannot change a work visa (Z) to a student visa (X) and really only have experience going from a tourist visa (L) to a student visa.

With the work visa, it will expire on its own or your school will cancel it and you then have 2-4 weeks after to get out of the country or switch to a tourist visa. My friends have been able to, in the past, convince the school to extend their visa or change the visa from a Z visa to a L visa without leaving China. However, who knows what rules may apply now. The visa rules of China tend to fluctuate with the current environment (e.g., they came much stricter during the Olympics and then again with the 60th anniversary). They are set in stone, but whether they are enforced depends on what's going on in Beijing at the time.

Incidentally, in 2006 I didn't have to leave the country to switch from an X visa to a Z visa, nor in 2008 to change from one school's Z visa to another school's Z visa, but then I had to leave in China 2008 to change from a Z visa to a X visa and again had to leave in 2009 to change from an X visa to a Z visa.

Not sure if that clarifies at all, but at least can give you some examples and possibilities.

Mr Daniel S,

Thanks for the information .But can we make sure that the Chinese embassy in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) could issue what the Hanoi embassy.
Mr no way

thanks for the notice but whats the date of the indicate.\

At last with a good wishes to the people who issued these rules and with all respect we hope it will change to be easier in future because not all the foreigners live here can afford this expense to travel and come back to change the visa .

onlyone - yeah i didn't iso9000 the process - left out the critical go to the chinese embassy get a tourist/student visa step in HK part...

oh...did i mention that since the US embassy charges extortionate fees to both US citizens and ESPECIALLY to anyone wanting to visit the USA - China charges reciprocal fees - so if you have complaints about why a visa for china is more than double or quadruple other countries - go back to the source - our own gov sets the fees as guidelines for reciprocal fees.

Hi Laotou

Fees are acceptable as long as it would be beneficial to Chinese economy and national income .But the wonder what is the benefit to China from letting us go abroad to change visa type .The only benefit will be for Airlines .I think it will be Direct beneficial to China if order more fees to Change visa type rather than ask people to travel abroad to Change Visas.For me I wish to have Chinese nationality so i can stay peacefully safely without need to go out from time to time .

Yeah I agree - it's a strange visa system they employ here, although some other countries in the region are quite similar.