Huzzah, more good news for expats working in Shanghai! The local authorities are currently working on new policies to grant longer valid visas for foreign nationals working for multinational corporations. more ›

The Shanghai police has sent out a reminder of its warning to foreigners without work visas not to look for employment in the city. If found out, you'll be fined and deported, they said. more ›

"We don't have a reaction. He's cancelled his trip and that's it. We have not said no. We've not refused him a visa; the visa was still being processed. It's only on 20 September that he submitted his full paperwork. In some countries a visa can take two months. I don't know why people are criticizing the government." more ›

ChinaHush has translated a post by a writer named Su Gengsheng detailing her frustration at having her Hong Kong visa rejected even though she had been there before:

In July, me and my husband visited HK for the book fair. And recently I needed to go on a trip to Hong Kong again. Knowing that the second time to apply for HK entry permit, you can just fill a form online and mail the permit certificate to your registered police department for approval. So I mailed both of our certificates to respective departments since my husband’s from Chenzhou City Hunan Province, and me Changde City Hunan Province. more ›

• After six hours of surgery, a pair of 4-month-old conjoined twins were successfully separated yesterday at the Shanghai Children's Medical Center. The twins shared a liver and pericardium, but thankfully each had their own heart.
• Supposedly somebody somewhere is thinking about extending the 48-hour transit visa length in Shanghai. They wont tell us when or for who or how long, but hey, here's hoping!
• And hey, did you guys know we have a 48-hour transit visa on arrival in Shanghai?

Apparently, landing visas for non-Chinese nationals who can't get their papers in order are available, albeit under certain special circumstances. Shanghai Daily provides a useful listing of the conditions whereby a visitor might qualify for a special Shanghai-specific landing visa. more ›

"FOREIGNERS working in the city need to update their information at local police stations if they change jobs, the Shanghai Exit-Entrance Administration Bureau said. A foreigner, whose name was not revealed, was found with out of date information when he applied to extend his residence permit as he failed to renew his work information within 10 days after taking a new job last October. The violation meant he had to apply for new residence and working permits. According to the bureau, foreigners have to get permits from the labor and public security authorities. If they change jobs, they have to update their information within 10 days to avoid more complicated procedures in the future." [Shanghai Daily] more ›

Almost 1,000 foreign kids were found to be living illegally in Shanghai last year, which made up 20% of all illegal foreigners in the city! Interestingly enough, about 70% of those are from Chinese parents but hold foreign passports. So mom and dad move abroad, have kid, get foreign passport, then ship the kid back home to live with the grandparents. According to Shanghai daily, the illegal overstays are due to the fact that Besta and Pops don't really understand things like visas. Methinks somebody's feigning ignorance? It's no laughing matter though, as serious violations can result in a permanent record that could impede visa applications in the future. Need to get your visa renewed? Check out the Shanghai Exit and Entry Bureau's new handy English website! more ›

We all love to hate on Chinese tour groups. You know, the ones that move in great big huddles, a sea of neon caps behind a flag-touting guide. But actually, there is a good reason why they're so ubiquitous and it may be issue of practicality more than a travel mode of choice. Strict regulations on the issuance of foreign visas for the Chinese populace prohibit many Chinese nationals from traveling abroad freely. Meaning? Those large groups of Chinese tourists aren't going to be disappearing anytime soon. more ›

Attention to all China-based Brits, your UK passport dealings will never be handled in the mainland again. Shanghai Eye has it that from now on all administrative matters regarding UK passports will be dealt with in and from Hong Kong as part of a new “streamlining process” within China. more ›

Uh oh, seems like the National People's Congress is planning on tightening visa regulations for foreigners and it seems like they're specifically targeting expatriates who "come to China on tourist or business visas, but work here after entering the country," as one delegate put it. While nothing specific's put down in writing, the delegate said that the restrictions would encourage foreigners to enter certain industries and steer clear of others (what?), and maybe apply for work permits before getting visas. Sounds like a headache just waiting to happen. Magic save us. more ›

So visas might have been tough to get for the 60th anniversary and the Olympics, but officials swear that The Expo won't be the same. The Foreign MInistry has said that it already has "an established policy" for providing quick visas to Expo visitors. Unfortunately, he didn't specify what that "established policy" was or what kind of visas would be easy to get and they most probably aren't business visas - so all you English teachers are still kind of screwed. Sorry. more ›

The 60th Anniversary of the founding of Communist China isn't going to be a headache just because of the raucous celebrations (complete with fireworks that we're pretty sure would rival the Spring Festival) - it's also going to make getting F business visas a giant pain in the ass. more ›

A Shanghai man who had helped hundreds of Chinese travel abroad with visas based on falsified information has been given a 14-year prison sentence. 30-year-old Jiang Yi is accused of running one of the country's biggest human smuggling rings so far discovered. more ›

If you can prove to China that you're a "qualified expert" on something, you might soon be in luck with regards to your visa situation. According to the Shanghai government, high-level professionals who meet several standards could convert their temporary stay permit to a permanent residency in 2009. more ›

In fact, all cities hosting Olympic events will do the same. The Shanghai Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Commission said it will postpone approval of notification letters needed for business visas until mid-September for all but essential travel, ruling out visits for market research, training or to carry out inspections. Some, albeit limited leeway exists. Foreigners can apply for business visas for "urgent" matters but the Chinese counterpart inviting them will need to give detailed supporting documentation. more ›

Someone once said 'an unjust law is no law at all,' but perhaps a more accurate rephrasing would read 'an unenforced law is no law at all.' This has largely been our experience, at least, when it comes to navigating our way through the complicated legal terrain of the PRC. No approved foreign media outlets, but a hundred (illegal) satellite dishes on every apartment complex (and hotel for that matter). Only a handful of state-sanctioned (and censored) foreign films released in theaters each year, but literally thousands more (pirated and uncut) are available on almost every urban street corner. And it is also technically undocumented migrants to reside and work in Shanghai, never mind that they've literally built the place. You get the picture. more ›

A few weeks ago, Richard Brubaker of All Roads Lead to China reported:

I just received an email from a friend who said that they were being told they could not renew their F visa fro within China anymore. A quick Skype to another confirmed that F visas cannot be extended past the Olympics.