Regardless, I waltzed into a China mobile shop and not only did they just give me sim card, they even let me pick my phone number. Sadly there were none with 1701 in, which would have been awesome.

The lies I’ve heard about this country are just stacked one atop another. Next step is to open a Chinese bank account because apparently I’m not allowed to do that either.

    • PointAndClique [they/them]@hexbear.netEnglish
      10·
      3 months ago

      Two year visa (L) with entry requirements (e.g. 30 days maximum stay before leaving and returning)? Unless I’m mistaken, L visas cannot be converted into permits. You’d need to apply for an X (xuexi/study) or Z (gongzuo work) to be eligible for a residence permit. Other visa categories including M (maoyi/business) and F (fangwen/special visit) also limit how long you can stay at a time, same as an L visa.

      When I was there, they also had two subcategories of X visa - short study (fewer than 180 days) and long study (180+). Only the latter was converted into a residence permit.

      According to the China Daily website, you can apply for visa changes after arrival, subject to some general conditions, and specific conditions for specific visa types. https://govt.chinadaily.com.cn/s/202204/01/WS62d8bbd1498ea2749279ef2b/guide-on-visa-extension-change-and-reissuance-for-foreigners.html

      Commonly, people will hop over to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Mongolia or South Korea depending on where they are in China and what’s convenient/cheap and apply for a new visa at a China Visa Centre in that country.

      Asking at an Entry Exit Bureau can’t hurt if you wanna fully explore what your options are. It’ll be a good part of your day gone, but could be informative. Of course this is also kinda putting the cart before the horse. If all you want is a bank account and it turns out you don’t need the permit for that, then it’s moot.

      Edit: also please do report back because I’m super envious and wish you every success