1. Q: What is student visa of study in China?
A: A visa is a permit issued by a government authorized agency of a country in accordance with the laws and regulations of the country for foreigners to apply for entry into, exit from or transit through the country.
A student visa is a permit for foreign students coming to study in China.
So, when you want to study in China, you will have to prepare a student visa. And when entering the custom, the custom officials will ask why you want to China, you answer that you coming for studies, and then, they will ask you to show passport with valid student visa.
There are 2 types of student visa: X1 visa and X2 visa.
2. Q: What is the difference between X1 visa and X2 visa?
Usually the period of degree study is over 180 days. The period of short term language study, visiting scholar programs is less than 180 days.
For students who will be studying in China for a period of over 180 days (starting from the date stated in the Admission Notice), you will be issued X1 visa. The validity of X1 visa is 30 days and students will be required to apply for a Residence Permit through the school within 30 days of arrival in the country (e.g. arriving date in China: Sep 1st, a student should apply for residence permit before Sep 30th ).
For students who will be studying in China for a period of less than 180 days, you will be issued X2 visa. The validity of the X2 visa is between 30-180 days, and is usually only for a single entry. Once you have left China, you will not be able to enter the country again with the same X2 visa.
3. Q: I got the X2 visa, can my X2 convert to a student Residence Permit like X1 visa?
A: No.
4. Q: I already got my X1 visa, can I enter China early to travel before reporting to school?
A: As a longer period of time is required for the first-time application of Residence Permit, and the validity of the X1 visa is only 30 days, we would highly recommend that students enter China 3 days before the school’s registering date, in order to avoid the hassle and extra cost for extending your visa.
5. Q: Can one study at China universities without having a student visa?
A: No.
If foreigners are found to have engaged in activities that differ from the type of visa, he/she may face penalties such as Letter of Warning, fine, detention or deportation.
6. Q: A person who has a China Mainland Travel Permit, and at the same time is holder of a German passport (or any other country’s passport, i.e. dual nationality). If he/she enters China using the Mainland Travel Permit and hence does not have an entrance stamp in his/her Canadian passport, will he/she be allowed to study at China universities as a foreign student?
A: No, the university only recognizes the passport he/she uses for application into the school as well as in the country. So, take care if you have several passports.
7. Q: I entered China via visa-free entry/travel visa/family visitor visa, can I apply for the student Residence Permit?
A: No.
8. Q: If a student finds his study visa expired when he plans to come back to China after staying out of China for a period (for example, suspending from school), can he continue his study in China with a visa other than X1 or X2?
A: No. He has to apply for an X1 or X2 visa before he comes back. The documents he needs when applying for the study visa: JW202 form (from International Students Office, usually available 1 week after application), Certificate of Study (from Academic Affairs Division or Graduate School, Certificate of Suspension is also needed if he suspends from school). He needs to get all those documents from school before he leaves China.
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