1.What should I do about the visa application procedures after getting a new passport?
Those who obtain a new passport in China should apply for a visa within 10 days of receiving the new passport; those who obtain a new passport in their home country should enter with both the new and old passports and apply for a visa extension at the International Students Administration Office before the visa expires.
2.What should I do for visa-free entry?
After entering China with a visa-free policy, you cannot apply for or change to other visas or residence permits; you can only leave the country within the validity period. You can apply for a residence permit only after entering with another type of visa.
3.What should I do about my visa after arriving in China?
Within 30 days of arriving in China, an X1 visa needs to be converted into a residence permit; an X2 visa does not need to be converted into a residence permit.
4.After being admitted to Sichuan University, how can I obtain a visa to go to China?
Please bring the admission notice issued by Sichuan University and the Chinese Study Visa Application Form (JW201/202) to the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in your country to apply for a Chinese study visa. If the duration of study in China does not exceed 6 months, please apply for an X2 visa. If the duration of study in China exceeds 6 months, you must apply for an X1 visa.
5.How do I cancel a visa/residence permit?
When you experience academic changes such as suspension, leave of absence, maintaining student status, transfer, or withdrawal, you must cancel the visa or residence permit issued by Sichuan University and change it to a 0-entry short-term visa valid for 1 month, otherwise the school cannot approve the academic status change.
Note: Do not ignore an expired residence permit, as it will become illegal residence! An expired visa or residence permit, lack of accommodation registration, or expired accommodation registration is considered a violation of Chinese law, resulting in illegal residence. The public security authorities may impose severe penalties depending on the seriousness of the situation, including warnings, fines ranging from 500 to 10,000 yuan, detention, or even deportation. Therefore, all students must always pay attention to the status of their visa and accommodation registration to avoid unnecessary troubles.
6.How do I replace a lost passport?
After you discover and confirm that your passport is lost, you must immediately follow the procedures below to minimize the loss.
The international student must personally go to the local police station in the area where the passport was lost with valid identification to report the loss and obtain a loss report certificate.
Obtain the relevant certification letter from the International Student Administration Office.
Bring the passport loss report issued by the police station and the certification letter issued by the International Student Administration Office to the public security bureau in your residential area to issue a passport loss certificate.
With the passport loss certificate, go to your country's embassy in China to apply for a new passport.
After receiving the new passport, the international student must, within 10 days, first handle the accommodation certificate, then apply for a visa at the International Student Administration Office, and afterward go to the Chengdu Public Security Bureau's Immigration Office to handle visa or residence permit replacement procedures, and complete the update of accommodation registration in a timely manner.
Note: If you need to replace your passport:
After replacing your passport in China, you must apply at the Overseas Students Office within 10 days of receiving your passport, and then go to the Chengdu Public Security Bureau's Immigration Office to handle the passport number change procedures, otherwise you may be penalized for illegal residence.
7.After international students change their passport, phone number, residential address, email, and other information, do they need to inform the relevant teachers?
After changing important information such as their passport, phone number, residential address, and email, international students must immediately (recommended within 24 hours) report and register the changes with their college counselor and the International Student Administration Office.
8.What's the difference between X1 and X2 visas?
X1 visa: Applicable to students whose study period exceeds 180 days. After entry, they can only stay for 30 days. They must complete registration within the validity period and apply for a study - type residence permit.
X2 visa: Applicable to students whose study period does not exceed 180 days. The length of stay after entry is the same as indicated on the visa, and there is no need to apply for an additional residence permit.
9.What materials are required to apply for a study - type residence permit?
The core materials include: the original passport and copies of the passport's first page and visa page; an application letter for the permit issued by the university; one 2 - inch passport - size photo; the Temporary Accommodation Registration Form for Foreigners; the admission notice and the yellow copy of the JW201/202 form; a valid physical examination report (required for first - time applicants or those whose residence permits have expired for more than three months).
10.If I need to leave China after entering with an X2 visa, can I return to China with the same visa?
No. An X2 visa is usually valid for a single entry. Once you leave China, the original visa automatically becomes invalid, and you cannot enter China again with that visa. If you really need to leave China during your study period, you need to apply to the International Student Office in advance and apply for a new study visa of the appropriate type based on the remaining study period to avoid visa - related problems affecting your return to campus.
11.Do I need to make copies of my passport and residence permit for archiving? What are the precautions for archiving?
It is highly recommended to make 2 - 3 copies of the first page of your passport (including the personal information page), the visa page, and the residence permit page respectively. Also, save clear electronic copies (you can encrypt them or send them to your personal email). Precautions for archiving: Store the copies and electronic versions separately from the original documents to avoid losing them all at once. Do not disclose the copies or electronic versions of your documents to irrelevant people. Only provide them to official institutions as required when handling formal business (such as renting a house or applying for a scholarship). If your documents are updated (such as getting a new passport or renewing your residence permit), update the archived copies and electronic versions in a timely manner to ensure that the information is consistent with your current documents.