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Q: Question regarding F to M visa.
My Korean girlfriend's visa is about to expire, its an 1 year F visa made a year ago in Shenzhen.
Is it possible to make it into an M visa? What is the best way to do this?
10 years 7 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
Yes, she has to exit, there are no more visa renewals within China, only a one time 30 day gig.. She'll have to get a new visa in Korea, not Hong Kong. Sorry new the law really 差劲。
The M visa is a replacement for the F visa.
Under the new visa system, an M visa is supposed to be easier to get in your home country. The M visa is for business people coming here to do business. That means they are supposed to be based in their home country to be eligible. And they need to show they spend a reasonable amount of time in their home country to get one easily.
She will have to go back to Korea to renew her visa. But this time she will be given an M instead of an F. If she goes to HK she will probably get a 2 week L visa.
The whole system has been redesigned to make it too expensive for the low paid illegals to be here.
But it's not all bad news. If you are a you are a foreigner here on a Z, your GF can get an S visa. But she can't work. If you are Chinese, she can apply for a Q.
And of course, if she is North Korean, and has "for public affairs" endorsed in her passport, she does not need a visa at all.
It's all here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_China
Crillsner:
Thanks for the answer! I got an Z visa, but doesn't we have to be married for an S visa to be valid fo her? Or is it enough if she is my girlfriend?
ScotsAlan:
I know a European guy who got a 6 month S visa to come visit his Chinese GF. he had to go back to Europe to get it though. He had previously tried to get a new F visa in HK, but he was offered a 2 week L visa instead. And he was told it would be his last. If you have a mixture of visa types and have spent years in China, then HK is closed visa wise.
You should be ok with your Z. But I suspect she will have to go back to Korea to get it, provide Korean address etc.
Plenty of people have done Korean visa runs in the past, your GF has the advantage she if from there 
. just be thankful she is not Finnish.... that would be expensive...
ScotsAlan:
Sorry, I need to mention. On my friend's S visa application, under purpose of visit he put " To get married". And he did, get married I mean. She is a Chinese national.
Silly bugger 
.
