So my company has finished all the paperwork for me at immigration, and I am finally done. I never really knew what all the steps were while they were happening, but here is what I think went on:

1. I applied for a Z Visa in Houston with the documents the company sent me.
2. I got the Z Visa in Houston and showed up in Shanghai. My company then applied for a temporary residence permit at my local police station. I went and got my health check too. When that was approved, they applied for a work permit. When that was approved, they took all that stuff plus some additional documentation to the immigration office, and applied for my permanent residence permit, which was approved. I got my passport back yesterday.

Here is the strange part: What I have now is a maroon colored book called an Alien Employment Permit, and I also have a sticker in my passport called a Residence Permit for Foreigner in The People's Republic of China. Nowhere in either of these documents does the word "Visa" get mentioned. I did enter on a Z Visa, but that expired after 3 months.

I have the work permit and I have the residence permit, but I cannot find anything about a visa or multiple entries (they asked that on the application form) or anything like that.

So after all this, I was never really applying for a work visa? I guess I got that to enter the country, but it expired and I am living here on a Residence Permit + Employment Permit instead.

Oh well, I am just happy to be done with it all. Now we'll see what happens if I go out of the country on vacation, if these two items will get me back in the country.


Andy

That sticker in your passport is also your visa, i believe. it's the size of a full page, yes? My passport has one sticker which is a Z Visa and residence permit at the same time, anyway. I would imagine yours is the same, though someone else may be able to confirm for you.

Really? My residence permit is a whole page, but it does not mention a visa on there anywhere at all. It just says Residence Permit. But then I have the separate document, the maroon book that looks like a passport, which maybe is doing what a Z Visa should be doing. But I thought it was strange that after all this, I have nothing that says Visa or Z on it (except what I entered the country with, that has already expired.)

Andy

No, it doesn't mention it. They changed the system last year. It is no longer called a Z visa when issued in Shanghai but you will notice that it has an expiration date like a traditional visa.

You are OK, and don't need the work permit to get back in the country. Have they scheduled the body cavity search for you yet?

Oh, thanks. It's odd because a residence permit and a Z visa seem to be separate things, but I guess if I have the work permit I am covered.

And yes Mr. Coffee, someone inspected all my body cavities in the mens room at Pudong airport. I've never had a welcome quite like that! Come to think of it, he wasn't even wearing a uniform or anything... and I'm still sore from it.

Think of the residence permit as an year long visa, once you have a residence permit you no longer need a visa, which is why they cancel the visa in your passport.