Hi everyone,

I know there are lots of visa-related threads already, but my situation is a little different from those discussed previously, and I couldn't find the information I need.

I am currently on a Z visa (work visa) with a residence permit. My work will be coming to an end at the end of June, and at that time my employer is prepared to provide me with any of the required release of contract information I need to change my visa. My (also foreign) husband currently has a valid student visa. Would it be possible for me to change my Z visa into the S1 (spouse) visa while remaining in Kunming? Or would I have to travel to Chengdu, or even possibly out of the country?

If any of you readers has had to make this switch, or has any information about the process, please let me know!

Thanks!

A few random notes that may not apply. First of all, getting an S1 when your husband is on a student visa is generally possible, but you will probably only get 30 or 60 day entries at a time (which may or may not be convenient if you don't mind the travelling). As for doing it in Kunming, it's typically easier to transition from a Z into another class than vice-versa, but I have no clue what the PSB is going here lately.

A lot depends on your nationality—when I had my family apply from the US, they were told that Americans can get 60 days at a time but Canadians and some Europeans were only getting 30 days under the new system.

Given the costs involved (and how long you want to stay) it may be cheaper for you to get your own student visa locally in Kunming.

S1 converts to a residence permit, so a requirement to go out of country every 30 or 60 days doesn't make any sense. I got the S2 visa for 6 months but they gave me ZERO entries, so if I go out I have to reapply.

Thank you atwillden and AlPage48 for the info. So, as I understand it, the S1 visa converts to a residence permit and would usually allow multiple entries and a stay of longer than 180 days, whereas the S2 visa is just a visa and is usually only for single entry and fewer than 180 days. I've been researching all of that and think I have a fair grasp on that part now.

However, I'm still trying to find info on whether or not I can change from Z to S1/S2 in China or if I have to exit the country for that kind of change.

Furthermore, I have a new question- Our marriage license is a certified copy, notarized by the local circuit court from the place we were married in the States only. I have heard that for visa purposes, this may not be good enough; we may need to have it authenticated by the US State Department and the Chinese Consulate. Has anyone experienced this or know anything about it? If we have to do it, is this a process that has to be done in the States, or can it be done from China?

Thanks in advance for any help readers can offer!

For the authentication process I have heard that some embassies or consulates will stamp a wedding certificate/other Docs from their own country and the local PSB Visa office will accept that, but normally (for you as a American) you would need the US State Department in the US and then the Chinese embassy/consulate in the USA to authenticate it. There are probably agents in the USA that will get this done for you for a fee.

My latest 1 year "family reunion" (团聚) has very little information on it. There is no section that states number of entries anymore nor a visa type in the header section. I assume I am multiple entry, but I guess I won't know until I try and come back in! Which I will on a trip to HK at the end of next month...

Thanks very much, Yuantongsi, for the info. Blobbles- the family reunion visa is the Q1 visa, right? I think that is different from the S1, but I might be confused. Either way, thanks for your reply and I wish you luck with your trip to HK!!

Thanks, sorry it could be the Q1, I aren't sure which one it is because they don't tell me on the visa!

That's pretty lame. No info on the visa itself. If they are going to waste a whole passport page, at least make it useful. Luckily, HK is a safe place to end up, just in case it's not multiple.

Sorry, but maybe we have some conflicted info here. S1 does not convert to a residence permit (I am looking at the copies of the S1 visa my family had issues). Which one converts to a residence permit?