As the visa policy changes in the recent years, many students have encountered trouble in getting a new visa or changing a visa. Some students who learn Chinese in China in Kunming do not know how to apply and how to prepare their visa application materials. Some students who want to study Chinese after working in China for a few years do not know how to change their working visa into a student visa. Some students who miss the best time to change a visa have to leave China and re-enter with a new visa.
Now Keats School has prepared a complete visa guide for all current Keats students and prospective students.
Step 1: Registration at Keats School
1) Choose one Chinese course that you plan to take at Keats here
2) Fill out the application form
3) Complete the registration
4) Pay the full tuition fee
- Please Note:Keats School does not charge any registration fee.
Step 2: Visa Application
1. Apply for a Chinese visa from abroad
After you have fully completed the Step 1, we will send you visa application supporting materials through express mail. You can go to the nearest Chinese embassy to apply for an X1 student visa. Please note that the X1 student visa is only valid for 30 days after you arrive in China. You need to notify us within 30 days after you arrive in China, so that we can help you get a resident permit that allows you to complete your study in China.
- What is a resident permit?
If a foreigner wants to live in China for working or studying for a long term, he/she can apply for a resident permit which is valid for a long time with multiple entries.
2. Apply for a Chinese student visa within China
After you complete the Step 1, please prepare different kinds of materials according to the visa type you are applying for.
(a) If you hold the L/M/F visa, please prepare:
1) The Latest Registration Voucher of Residence for Visitors from Overseas (can be obtained in the police station).
2) Picture Collection Statement
3) Tuition Fee Receipt or Invoice showing you have paid the tuition fee in full
4) One Dayicun (大一寸) Picture
5) RMB 450 for resident permit fee charged by the government
(b) If you hold a “Working Resident Permit”, please prepare:
1) An official statement from your employer which helped you get the “Working Resident Permit” showing that you have completed a job there. Please consult us for how to write the statement before you get it.
2) The latest Registration Voucher of Residence for Visitors from Overseas (can be obtained in the police station).
3) Picture Collection Statement
4) Tuition Fee Receipt or Invoice showing you have paid the tuition fee in full
5) One Dayicun (大一寸) Picture
6) RMB 450 for resident permit fee charged by the government
(c) If you hold a “Study Resident Permit”, please prepare:
1) An official statement from your previous school/university which helped you get the “Study Resident Permit” showing that you have completed the study program there. Please consult us for how to write the statement before you get it.
2) The latest Registration Voucher of Residence for Visitors from Overseas (can be obtained in the police station).
3) Picture Collection Statement
4) Tuition Fee Receipt or Invoice showing you have paid the tuition fee in full
5) One Dayicun (大一寸) Picture
6) RMB 450 for resident permit fee charged by the government
(d) If your immediate family needs to apply dependent visas/resident permit, please prepare:
1) The latest Registration Voucher of Residence for Visitors from Overseas (can be obtained in the police station).
2) Picture Collection Statement
3) Service Fee (depending on countries, needs to consult)
4) A relationship certificate proved by the Chinese embassy (see the picture).
5) A valid translation of the relationship certificate (can be obtained from a licensed translation company)
Step 3: Wait for our notice. We will contact you for an interview at the police station.
Step 4: Once after the police station accepted the application, please keep staying in Kunming for at least 15 days.
Step 5: After we get back your passport and your new visa, we will contact you to come to the school to collect them. Please be sure to go to the police station for a new Registration Voucher of Residence for Visitors from Overseas within 24 hours. A new visa always needs a new Registration Voucher of Residence for Visitors from Overseas.
After these, your visa to stay in China will be hassle free. If there is anything you don’t understand, please feel free to contact us anytime.
Reminders:
1. Consult Us Before You Apply for a Visa
We are very happy to answers all of your questions about visa. Please contact us three months in advance before your visa expires, so that we will have enough time to help you plan your application schedule.
2. Submit All Required Items in Time
We will handle the entire student visa application, so please feel relaxed. The student visa application process is much more complicated than you think, so please kindly give us sufficient time to prepare. We suggest: submit all required items at least 15 days before your visa expires, so that we can avoid many possible problems. A real example: a former student submitted the required items only one week before his visa expired. However, because the officer was out of town, he could not come back in time before the visa expired. This student finally had to go out of China and re-entered with a tourist visa. The whole process brought him a financial loss of more than RMB 3000.
If anything stated above is not clear or cannot answer your questions, please contact us and we will answer your questions personally.