I am getting a lot of mixed messages. What is the deal.

My wife and stepson are Chinese nationals. We have been married for a while and can get a foreign residence permit abroad easily. I want to move back to my native, major, English speaking country for work purposes.

I hear a lot that Chinese need "Exit Permits" to leave China. Other people say my family don't need them. I do not know.

We went to the PSB and they were really busy and told my wife they knew nothing.

I am thinking of going back to the county where her residence is registered and finding out about this Exit Permit but I would like to know first if such things exist, how to get them and what we need to bring.

When you refer to money do you mean having the money to cover the foreign visas, plane tickets, move etc... or do you mean another story I hear about the Chinese government requiring you to have "x" amount of money before a Chinese national can leave?

There is a lot of rubbish and misunderstanding out there.

As over has said you do not need a exit permit. It is normally very easy to leave this place, but the problem arises when you apply for a visa to enter another country. (for your wife, and stepson)
Have you been to your country with wife and stepson before? If so no problem.
In some cases, for a Chinese Citizen to get the visa approved, they MAY have to have "x" amount of money frozen in a bank account. This is kinda to guarantee their return. (whenever).

You are right, there is a lot of rubbish and misunderstanding out there, and to make it more interesting, the rules are changed, almost daily.

But "over" is the expert man, and keeps up to date on this stuff.

It's strange and inconsistent. Before we were married, my fiancee and I travelled to Japan and Korea. She had to post a bond to get the visa to guarantee her return. But 6 months later, after we married, she applied for an immigrant visa to Canada as well as tourist visas to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, and no bond was required. I don't understand the reason for the difference so I can't tell you why.

Some people seem to imply we are just going to travel. I want my wife and stepson to get residency overseas. They will stay Chinese citizens but will have a permanent visa in their passports and not plan on coming back much.

Do we then need emigration papers - especially for stepson? Another forum here talks about "emigration" papers instead of an exit permit. So still a little confused. Remember this is going to be a fairly permanent move.

River Raven: You said:
" We have been married for a while and can get a foreign residence permit abroad easily"

You did not specify your country, but for my country, the requirements are: (as a minimum)

You would need to be your wife's sponsor.
Proof of a stable relationship.
Police check filled in for each applicant.
Health examination, and chest Xray for each.
Evidence of joint income being received.
Furnish any passports and documents as required.
Include passport photos.
Application fee.
Filled in application form of up to 20 pages, then wait, wait, wait.

Maybe your country is easier, but then again.....maybe not.

overh20 wrote:But nobody in China gives a rat's ass about when and why the Chinese nationals in your family leave China and if they ever intend to come back. I'm not sure just how much simpler I can make this, but all you need for them to leave China is a valid visa in their passport for their destination and money. Anything else, given what you have described, is just a figment of your imagination.

There are exceptions: if your wife happens to work in an organisation that is deemed to be critical to national security, or if she holds an office in government above a certain level, then she will have to obtain permission before travelling overseas. Otherwise she'll be stopped at the border unless she travels under a false name.

I was watching a BBC TV show last week. It's the new Sherlock Holmes series called "Sherlock" set in modern day. In episode two, part of the plot line was related to Chinese gangs smuggling artifacts to England. I remember a line where Sherlock says something about it being very hard for Chinese nationals to obtain exit visas to leave the country.

I think this is the sort of crap that makes people in the west think China is some kind of police state where citizens are severely restricted. I don't think there is even such a thing as an exit visa for people travelling to England. The only hard part is getting the ENTRY visa from the British government.