Free Pick-up Service
We provide Free Pick-up Service to fresh students. To enjoy this service, you need to:
* Inform us of your detailed arrival information including flight/train/coach number, expected arrival date/time, luggage quantity, etc;
* Try to keep in contacting with us, if possible, informing us of any change to the original arrival information.

 

Visa Affairs

General Information of Chinese Visas and Residence Permit
In accordance with their status and the types of passports they hold, different aliens coming to China shall be issued diplomatic, courtesy, service or ordinary visas respectively.

Ordinary visas have the following types:
(1) Visa D: issued to aliens who are to reside permanently in China;
(2) Visa Z: issued to aliens who come to China to take up posts or employment and to their accompanying family members;
(3) Visa X: issued to aliens who come to China for study, advanced studies or job-training for a period of more than six months (included);
(4) Visa F: issued to aliens who are invited to China on a visit or on a study, lecture or business tour, for scientific, technological or cultural exchanges, for short-term refresher course or for job-training, for a period within six months;
(5) Visa L: issued to aliens who come to China for sight-seeing, visiting relatives or other private purposes (a group visa may be issued to a group of nine or more aliens on a sight-seeing trip to China);
(6) Visa G: issued to aliens passing through China;
(7) Visa C: issued to train attendants, air crew members and seamen operating international services, and to their accompanying family members;
(8) Visa J-1: issued to resident foreign correspondents in China; Visa J-2: issued to foreign correspondents who make short trip to China on reporting tasks.

Residence permit:
Aliens holding D, Z, X or J-1 visas shall, within 30 days of entry into China, apply for residence permits. Aliens holding F, L, G, C or J-2 visas may stay in China for the period prescribed in their visas without applying residence permits. Residence permit have Study, Work, Other, etc types.
In Chengdu, SWUFE deals with the application/extension/termination/alteration of residence permit (Study) and L visa (family members) for our students.

Tips & Important Notices:
* X and F visas are one-time-entry. L visa can be one-time-entry or multiple-entry.
* X Visa is an "Entry Visa", which needs to be changed to a residence permit (Study) before expiry (within 30 days after entry).
* L or F visa of longer duration can be "Stay Visa".
* Residence permit is automatically multiple-entry. It is the most commonly used "Stay Visa".
* NEW From Sept. 2008 on, SWUFE will issue student visa/residence permit whose validation is according to student's payment of tuition. Student must pay full tuition before he/she can be granted a visa/residence permit accordingly.
* NEW Please note that an L visa can NOT be changed to a student residence permit in Chengdu! An L visa can only be extended twice in China, with 30 days extension each time.
* NEW Please carefully plan your study schedule! If student ends his/her study earlier than expected (and will NOT continue study in another Chinese university/school), SWUFE will terminate (cancel) the student's visa/residence permit which will still be valid for more than 60 days from the student leaving day. This will cost extra time and fee.

Visa Application from Abroad
Students coming to SWUFE can apply for X (if study duration is more than six months) or F (if study duration is less than six months) visa. A JW202 Form Student Page and an Admission Notice (which will be posted to students) are needed in the application for X or F visa from abroad.

Importance Notices:
1. Students from the following countries can ONLY enter China with X visa: Bengal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Nigeria, Congo, Angola, Gambia, Egypt, Libya, Ghana, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Afghanistan.
2. Students’ accompanying family members who are coming to China with the students or will be coming afterwards, please make sure, before leaving your home country, to prepare related certificates with which you can prove your relationship with the students. For example: marriage certificate, birth certificate, family residence certificate, etc. The certificates MUST be notarized by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate abroad.
3. Any alien child under the age of 16 who uses the same passport with his/her parent or guardian need not, while visiting China with his/her parent or guardian, go through the entry, transit, residence or travel procedures separately.

Passport, Visa and Residence Permit Application/Extension in Chengdu

A. For students who need to apply for passport/passport extension:

There are US, German, French, Thai, Korean and Singapore Consulates in Chengdu, and there are also UK, Danish, Canadian and Japanese Consulates in Chongqing (a neighbor city of Chengdu, 3.5 hours by bus/train).
Students from above countries can apply for passport extension at respective Consulate. Students from countries other than listed above can apply for passport extension at respective Embassy in Beijing.
Please note that different countries may have different passport policies.

B. General Information of Some Preparation Works for Visa/Residence Permit Application/Extension:

1. "JW202 Form" is a special form for foreign students who apply for study in China. A standard JW202 Form has four pages: Student Page, Educational Department Page, PSB Page and Provincial Foreign Affairs Office Page. SWUFE will fill in the forms according to the information we get from successful candidates, and then send them to the approval of both the Educational Department and the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office. This process usually takes one week or even longer. Completed JW202 Form Student Pages (as well as our Admission Notices) will be sent to students abroad for visa-application use (and will have to be returned to us upon your registration at SWUFE), and SWUFE will keep the PSB Pages for future visa/residence permit application in Chengdu. Please note your visa/residence permit's duration can NOT exceed the duration of your current JW202 Form.
2. "Extension Form" is the form for students who will continue study in China after the expiry of current JW202 Form or Extension Form. A standard Extension Form has three pages: Host University Page, Educational Department Page and PSB Page, amongst which the Host University Page will be kept by SWUFE and the PSB Page is for visa/residence permit extension. The Extension Form needs the approval of the Educational Department and this procedure usually takes five days or even longer. Please note your visa/residence permit's duration can NOT exceed the duration of your current Extension Form.
3. "Registration Form of Accommodation" is a form issued by local police station of students' living place in China. Any alien should register at local police station within 24 hours if he/she moves to a (new) living place in China. Students should register at local police station with your passport and necessary information (detailed living address, telephone number and landlord's name) and get the Registration Form of Accommodation. The registration process is easy. This Registration Form of Accommodation is needed in visa/residence permit application/extension every time.
4. "Medical Test" is the health examination for students who, over 18 years old and have no Chinese medical record before, apply for visa/residence permits which will be valid for more than one year from the latest entry date. A Medical can only be taken in the morning, from Monday to Friday. 3 photos (2 inches) are needed for a medical and students are not allowed to have breakfast. It usually takes 0.5-1 hour to complete a medical, and the Medical Certificate will be issued on the 3rd working day. SWUFE helps all students with the whole Medical process.

C. For X or F visa holders applying for residence permit and for residence permit holders applying for residence permit extension:

X visa is valid for one month from the entry date and can not be extended. An X visa has to be changed to a residence permit within its valid period;
L visa is normally valid for one to six month(s) (no more than one year) and can be extended twice (with 30 days extension each time). But an L visa can NOT be changed to a residence permit;
F visa is normally valid for six months (no more than six month) and can not be extended. An F visa can be changed to a residence permit anytime within its valid period.

Students need the following materials when apply for residence permits /extension:
1. JW202 Form PSB Page/Extension Form PSB Page (will be prepared by SWUFE)
2. Application Form PSB (will be prepared by SWUFE)
3. One photo (will be prepared by SWUFE if you have given us the photo)
4. Letter of Introduction (will be prepared by SWUFE)
5. Valid passport
6. Photocopies of valid passport, visa/residence permit and the latest entry date (will be prepared by SWUFE)
7. Registration Form of Accommodation (will be prepared by applicants)
Students who, over 18 years old and have no Chinese medical record before, when apply for residence permits which will be valid for more than one year from the latest entry date also need:
8. Medical Certificate (will be prepared by SWUFE)
Students who transferred from another Chinese university/school or finished/suspended/aborted study in another Chinese university/school also need:
9. Diploma/Certificate of Study orLetter of Finishing Study

Importance Notices:
1. Residence permit's duration can NOT exceed that of your passport. Please extend your passport first if you're to apply for a longer residence permit.
2. Foreigner who is currently holding a residence permit (work) can NOT apply for a residence permit (study) directly. He/she must re-enter China with an X or F visa.
3. The PSB requires to see, and may interview, the first-time applicants in Chengdu.
4. SWUFE helps the first-time applicants during the whole process of the application. SWUFE may or may not help non-first-time students with whole/partial application procedures (documents will be prepared by us).
5. For students whose passports/visas/residence permits information are recorded in our database, we'll monitor their passports/visas/residence permits' statusand will inform students in advance if their passports/visas/residences permit are expiring and do preparation works.
6. Students whose passports/visas/residence permits information are NOT recorded in our database (for example, fresh students who, already in China, apply for SWUFE's programs), please make sure to apply for/register at SWUFE AT LEAST TWO WEEKS before visa/residence permit's expiry date so we'll have enough time to do preparation works. SWUFE will NOT take the consequences caused by students' delay of application/registration.

D. For students' accompanying family members who apply for L visa or L visa extension:

An L visa (family members) can be valid for no more than one year (and validation can NOT exceed the visa/residence permit's validation of the student) and can be extended upon its expiry. An L visa (family members) can be one-time-entry, two-times-entry or multiple-entry.

Students' accompanying family members who're coming to China with the students or will be coming afterwards, please make sure, before leaving your home country, to prepare related certificates with which you can prove your relationship with the students. For example: marriage certificate, birth certificate, family residence certificate, etc. The certificates MUST be notarized by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate abroad.

Applicants need the following materials when apply for L visa:
1. Application Form PSB (will be prepared by SWUFE)
2. One photo (will be prepared by SWUFE if you have given us the photo)
3. Letter of Introduction (will be prepared by SWUFE)
4. Valid passport
5. Photocopies of both the family members and the student's valid passport, visa/residence permit and the latest entry date (will be prepared by SWUFE)
6. Registration Form of Accommodation (will be prepared by applicants)
7. Related certificates with which you can prove your relationship with the students
Applicants who, over 18 years old and have no Chinese medical record before, when apply for L visa which will be valid for more than one year from the latest entry date also need:
8. Medical Certificate (will be prepared by SWUFE)

Important Notice:
1. L visa's duration can NOT exceed that of your passport. Please extend your passport first if you're to apply for a longer L visa.
2. L visa (family member)'s duration can NOT exceed that of the student's visa/residence permit.
3. The PSB requires to see, and may interview, the first-time applicants in Chengdu.
4. SWUFE helps the first-time applicants during the whole process of the application. SWUFE may or may not help non-first-time students with whole/partial application procedures (documents will be prepared by us).

E. Termination, alteration and abolishment of visa/residence permit:
In China, a university/school is responsible for the students whose visas/residence permits are applied by the university/school.
1. SWUFE will terminate a student's visa/residence permit which will still be valid for more than 60 days from the finishing/ suspending/ aborting day, if he/she finishes/ suspends/ aborts study at SWUFE and will NOT continue study in another Chinese university/school. Upon the termination of current visa/residence permit, the student will be issued an L visa which will be valid for no more than one month.

2. SWUFE will alternate a student's residence permit which will still be valid for more than 60 days from the finishing/ suspending/ aborting day, if he/she finishes/ suspends/ aborts study at SWUFE and will continue study in another Chinese university/school. Student must bring forth the Admission Notice/Letter of Acceptance of other university/school. SWUFE will issue the student a Diploma/Certificate of Finishing Study/Letter of Acceptance for Transferring which is needed for the alteration of current residence permit at the PSB of the destination city.
3. SWUFE will accept students from other Chinese university/school, and will help them with residence permit alternation with previous university/school's Diploma/Certificate of Finishing Study/Letter of Acceptance for Transferring.
4. SWUFE will abolish a student's visa/residence permit if:
(1) the student leaves school without informing anyone and fails to send messages back within 15 days;
(2) the student severely violates laws and regulations;
(3) other fatal incidents happen.
Passport is not needed for an abolishment. Anyone whose visa/residence permit is abolished will be illegal staying and expelled from China immediately.