Article 5 The scope and measures for issuance of diplomatic, courtesy and official visas shall be specified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Article 6 Ordinary visas are divided into the following categories and shall be marked with corresponding letters in the Chinese phonetic alphabet:
(1) The C visa is issued to crewmembers performing duties on board an international train, aircraft or vessel, and the accompanying family members of vessel crewmembers, and vehicle drivers engaged in international transportation services;
(2) The D visa is issued to persons who come to China for permanent residence;
(3) The F visa is issued to persons who come to China for exchanges, visits, study tours or other relevant activities;
(4) The G visa is issued to persons who transit through China;
(5) The J1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists of permanent offices of foreign news agencies in China; the J2 visa is for foreign journalists who come to China for short-term news coverage;
(6) The L visa is issued to persons who come to China for travel; persons who come to China for group travel can be issued Group L visas;
(7) The M visa is issued to persons who come to China for commercial trade activities;
(8) The Q1 visa is issued to family members of Chinese citizens and family members of foreigners with permanent residence status in China who apply for residence in China for family reunion, as well as for persons who apply for residence in China for fosterage or other purposes; the Q2 visa is for relatives of Chinese citizens living in China, or relatives of foreigners with permanent residence status in China, who apply for a short-term visit;
(9) The R visa is issued to foreigners of high talent who are needed, or specialists who are urgently needed, by the State;
(10) The S1 visa is issued to the spouses, parents, children under the age of 18 or parents-in-law of foreigners residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a long-term visit to China, as well as for persons who need to reside in China for other personal matters; the S2 visa is for family members of foreigners staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes who apply for a short-term visit to China, as well as for persons who need to stay in China for other personal matters;
(11) The X1 visa is issued to persons who apply for long-term study in China; the X2 visa is for persons who apply for short-term study in China; and
(12) The Z visa is issued to persons who apply for work in China.
Article 7 A foreigner applying for a visa shall fill out the application form, and submit his or her passport or other international travel documents, qualified photos, and material relating to the purpose of application.
(1) To apply for the C visa, the applicant shall submit the letter of guarantee provided by a foreign transportation company or the letter of invitation provided by the entity concerned in China;
(2) To apply for the D visa, the applicant shall submit the form issued by the Ministry of Public Security confirming his or her permanent residence status;
(3) To apply for the F visa, the applicant shall submit the invitation letter provided by the inviting party in China;
(4) To apply for the G visa, the applicant shall submit a through ticket (air, road, rail or sea) to another country or region with the date and seat number on it;
(5) To apply for the J1 or J2 visa, the applicant shall go through the formalities of examination and approval in accordance with the Chinese provisions on news coverage by permanent offices of foreign news agencies in China and by foreign journalists, and submit the relevant application material;
(6) To apply for the L visa, the applicant shall, as required, submit travel plans and itinerary and other material; in the case of a group tour, the applicant shall also submit the letter of invitation provided by the travel agency;
(7) To apply for the M visa, the applicant shall, as required, submit the letter of invitation provided by the commercial or trade partner in China;
(8) To apply for the Q1 visa, in the case of applying for residence in China for family reunion, the applicant shall submit the invitation letter provided by the Chinese citizen living in China or by the foreigner with permanent residence status in China and proof of family relationship; and in the case of applying for entry for fosterage or other purposes, the applicant shall submit such certification documents as a power of attorney; to apply for the Q2 visa, the applicant shall submit such certification documents as the letter of invitation provided by the Chinese citizen living in China or by the foreigner with permanent residence status in China;
(9) To apply for the R visa, the applicant shall meet the qualifications and requirements set by the competent authorities of the Chinese government for inviting persons of high talent or urgently needed specialists, and the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit the relevant certification documents;
(10) To apply for the S1 or S2 visa, the applicant shall, as required, submit the invitation letter provided by the foreigner staying or residing in China for work, study or other purposes and proof of family relationship, or the certification documents required for dealing with personal matters in China;
(11) To apply for the X1 visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit the admission notice issued by the admission institution and the certification documents provided by the competent authority; to apply for the X2 visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit such certification documents as the admission notice issued by the admission institution; and
(12) To apply for the Z visa, the applicant shall, in accordance with relevant provisions, submit the work permit and other certification documents.
The visa authority may, in light of specific cases, require a foreigner to submit additional application material.
Article 8 In one of the following circumstances, a foreigner shall be interviewed as required by the visa authority abroad:
(1) The applicant applies for entry into China for residence;
(2) Information about the applicant’s personal identity or his or her purpose of entry requires further verification;
(3) The applicant has a record of being denied entry into China or ordered to exit China within the prescribed time limit; or
(4) Other circumstances where an interview is necessary.
Where the visa authority abroad requires relevant departments or entities in China to help with the verification of relevant information, the latter shall cooperate.
Article 9 Where the visa authority, upon examination, deems the applicant to be eligible for being issued a visa, it shall issue to the applicant the appropriate category of visa. Where the applicant needs to obtain a residence permit after entry, the visa authority shall specify on the visa the time limit for applying for such permit after entry.
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