One cop in my neighborhood used to go around knocking on foreigners' doors once a month, except he was doing it in the middle of the night. All of the foreigners were getting very annoyed about this guy. A few complaints definitely made their way up to the foreign office at the Kunming PSB. I'm not sure if he's still doing that now, because I'm not in the neighborhood anymore. His visits kind of dropped off for me after a while.

That was at the Hongshan Nanlu Paichusuo, by the way.

Moondog, it might help to know what neighborhood you're in. In my experience, every Paichusuo (local police office) handles things differently. While people on the other side of town may not be having your problem (I never had to go in once a month), maybe others in the same jurisdiction are. Do you have any foreign neighbors you can ask?

Your visa status (tourist) explains their sublime monthly interest - although it is nevertheless unusual. They're probably dying to know how you can afford to live here on a tourist visa...and no local employment...

I'm living here on a tourist visa with no employment status plus supporting my wife and daughter! Of course my pension income from Canada is way higher than most local incomes.

It's a little bit complicated .Since you got married to a Chinese lady and reside in l visa for reason join family you have no right to work unless you will have working visa and drop the visa of your marriage .In Japan if you married to a local lady you have the right to work and stay as you like or how you can support your life and your wife .The only improvement in this case that the visa for marriage reason can be valid as long as two years.

Xiefei i live behind the carrefour on the south side of town next to the second ring i dont know any other laowai,s that live there.

I had a similar experience once when I lived in Jin Xing area (northish). The police were overzealous... they would even call to remind me when my visa was about to expire. They were friendly about it... just doing their job. Still...it annoys me. Strength in numbers... if possible live somewhere where there are tons of other foreigners and they won't give a shit.

I am on a "L" visa and never had to check-in every month. To check-in after an entry, I bring my passport and my apartment rental agreement (lease). I always take along my boarding pass just in case, and saved all entry date boarding passes and each entry registration receipt just in case as well.

I don't recall having to sign any papers every time I check-in after an entry. Each time they give me a printed "receipt" with the red stamp to show that I have registered and asked me to review the information to make sure the name, address and passport number are all correctly indicated. The only thing they asked me to do is to call them when I make an exit form China. However, the same police officer often engages me in "casual" small talks as a mean to gather information during the check-in. No one from the police office ever calls me or knocks on my door during my stays. When I am at the airport before my flight, I just call the police office and give my passport number confirming my identity to inform them of my exit and that it.

I think getting a call from the police to be reminded of the visa or stay is about to expire is not police over-zealousness but a useful service because it saves one the trouble & fines of an over-stay. I guess it's a matter of personal preference & interpretation.

I wonder if you ever had bad record of over-staying in China before. I know an American who over staied once, instead of going local police station every month, he had to leave the country every single month. and he also has a Chinese wife.