Hi - I've got a 1yr multi entry F visa from the UK which requires me to leave and re-enter China every 30 days. I've heard it's possible to extend the first stay for up to 60 days - Does anyone know whether this is possible, and if so how I can do this? I heard something about a 'yellow bit of paper' being needed - Can someone please let me know what this is, and whether I would need this? I stayed in a hotel for the first week, and have since rented some accomodation here in China.

Many thanks in advance for any help

Best regards
Joe

view other postings under visa in the forum to get answers to your questions. in short yes you can get a different F visa. any one of the number of agents can help you with this or since you are having to do a trip out every 30days, on your next trip make it to HK, as the visas there are much more flixible and easier to apply for there. just take your passport to anyone of a number of agents, with some passport sized photos and they handle all the rest. no need to fill in forms or have an invitation letter at all. and you can get 6mth-3yr F visa with multientry and forgo the exit every 30days. the most common is a requirment that the visa holder is required to exit once every 6mths.
the yellow piece of paper is actually done via the local PSB (police) be aware that this done mean any or all PSB stations handle this as that is not the case. anyway its basically a registration document and serves a number of internal purposes for the PSB. see other posts surrounding this. the thing is that when one stays at a hotel (that is approved to have foreign guests staying) the hotel actually registers you, but you dont get the yellow paper. so you have been registered already. there is a flip side though, and that theoritically you are meant to re-restister each and every time you move, but if you dont tell them, they will never know which really depends on how "by the book" you wanna be?
anyway see all the posts under visa issues... more than enough info there for ya.