Click Here to Subsribe to the 'Ask Jean about China' Feed Dear Jean,
I would like to know if there is any Filipino agency who can help Filipinos especially when they have problem regarding their papers? I have a sister in china and she wants to go home but her papers will not ‘allow her to’ because she is already overstaying. She really wants to go home, can you give me some advice? And can you please send me the namae of those agencies and there address? I hope you will answer me. THANKS A LOT!
Respectfully Yours,
May-Ann
Jean answers May-Ann’s question
Dear May-Ann,
I am sorry to hear that your friend is in such a difficult situation. I am not so sure that there is anything to stop her from returning to the Phillipines but it is very likely that she will be fined by the Chinese authorities as she is leaving the country. The amount of the fine, of course, will depend on how long she has overstayed her visa.
I do not know of any agencies that can take care of this problem. I would advise your friend to visit the Phillipine Embassy in Beijing or the consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou. She should be truthful with the officers about her visa overstay (which is a serious violation of Chinese law) and ask them what the best way is to return to the Phillipines. They should be able to help her.
I hope that your friend is able to return safely home. Let us know what happens.
Sincerely,
Jean
Ask Jean about China is a weekly feature on TeachAbroadChina.com. We welcome any questions related to living and working in China. Feel free to submit your questions by clicking here. We look forward to hearing from you.
Posted in 
Tags: 
gud day! i just want to ask what should I do,i lost my passport then i am already overstayed for about nearly 2 months. i want to go back to my country. What should I do to go back to my country? please do help me,..
[Reply]
HerE Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 1:11 am
Hello Aiko,
Loosing your passport is always a bad thing, but from what I know, the best thing to do to to report yourselve at the embassy or consulate of your country, they should be able to help you out. Hope everything will work out fine for you, all the best!!
[Reply]
alex Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 11:08 am
tHE FIRST THING that you should do is, contact ur embassy!
IF YOU HAVE A VALID VISA then it is advise to go to the nearest police police station and get / report what have /had happen then from the police station go to PSB ask for CONFIRMATION because they will give you and extension for one month to process and get a new passport but it dependent
to your embassy because some countries can issue passport so quick others soo slow.
After PSB now go to your embassy to process and get the new passport of course with a fee for the new passport.
BUT IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE VALID VISA it is better that you should go to ur embassy and make a statement and your embassy will forward it to PSB.
If you bound to go home meaning to your country then you can ask from your embassy a TRAVEL DOCUMENT after everything is settle in PSB, they will inform you that ur okey now to get a travel document.
RESIDENCE PERMIT:IS A MUST IN CHINA- IT IS A LAW TO OBTAIN UPON ARRIVING CHINA WITHIN 24HOURS OF STAY.ANYWHERE, WHETHER A FRIEND’S HOUSE OR A HOTEL.
HOTEL: A HOTEL DOESN’T GUARANTEE YOU TO OBTAIN AN AUTHORIZED RESIDENCE PERMIT.The RESIDENCE PERMIT with a STAR STAMP mostly is the secure one IF UR NOT SURE ASK THE HOTEL IF THEY ARE AUTHORIZED.
I ONCE check in a 5 STAR HOTEL and asked for RESIDENCE PERMIT, HOTEL SAID IT IS BUT WHEN I PROCESSED MY VISA I FOUND OUT THAT THE HOTEL IS NOT AUTHORIZED, SO I GO BACK AGAIN TO THE BASIC GETTING A RESIDENCE PERMIT IN A FRIEND’S HOUSE (WITH PAY OF COURSE-500rmb for RESIDENCE PERMIT).But NO HUSSLE DONE IN A NICK OF TIME!
HOTEL: DOESN’T BOTHERED YOUR VISA VALIDITY, ALL THEY CARE IS THE PROOF OF IDENTIFICATION OF YOUR FRONT PAGE PASSPORT-TO PROVE THAT YOU ARE YOU-AND NOT BIN LADEN!IF THE HOTEL IS AUTHORIZE AND YOU DON’T HAVE A VALID VISA,REMEMBER YOU HAVE A PASSPORT NUMBER SO IT WILL BE EASY FOR U TO BE TRACE BY THE CENTRAL POLICE COMPUTER. EVERY HOTEL REGISTRATION COMPUTER LINKED TO THE POLICE (IMMIGRATION).BUT I had an EXPIRED VISA BEFORE AND CHECK IT IN SHENZHEN-THE FOLLOWING DAY I WAS GIVEN A RESIDENCE PERMIT WHICH I CARRIED TO PROVED THAT I STAYED IN SHENZHEN FOR 2 YEARS WHERE IN FACT I’M FROM BEIJING. They honored it and I was processed my overstayed penalties and blah, blah, blah in Shenzhen.
IT DEPENDS:EXPERIENCE IN CHINA DOESN’T COME THE SAME WAY AROUND!YOUR STORY AND MY STORY MIGHT BE DIFFERENT. LAWS here practically dependent to the OFFICER/S in duty. MEANING WHATEVER LEGAL PROBLEM YOU WILL ENCOUNTER ABOVE ALL PRAY THAT THE FORCES OF HEAVEN WILL HELP YOU and I think heaven’s wants your PEACE!
[Reply]
janeth Reply:
August 27th, 2010 at 11:45 pm
hello may I ask the name of the hotel and it’s address?or just contact number.did you check in with a 2-year expired visa?upon checking in did you ask for a residence permit or it was automatically handed to you without asking.Thank you so much for posting your experience.I will wait for your answer Alex.
[Reply]
hello everyone..May I ask,is it mandatory for hotels with stars to issue a temporary residence permit whenever a foreigner checks in.Do they always require a valid visa or just the passport info.?Thanks a lot guys.My family and I are really worried..
[Reply]
Robert Vance Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Hotels don’t usually ‘issue’ their guests any sort of permit in China. They are required to copy your passport information which may (or may not be) given to local authorities. I don’t think they usually take a look at your visa. But the fact that they have your passport number means that local authorities can easily check to see if you are in China on a valid visa.
What are you and your family worried about?
[Reply]
janeth Reply:
August 21st, 2010 at 3:59 am
hi robert thanks for the reply.because we overstayed for 2 years and we don’t have temporary residence permit.i’m worried if we surrender(which we are going to do soon)providing airline tickets and the penalty money they are still going to ask for residence permit where we lived for the past 2 years and I don’t want anyone to get involve in our problems.
[Reply]
Hello ROb,
Just renew your passport, get a new visa and come back to china. My fiancee had a overstay of 2 years in Shanghai, someone tipped the imigration abt her, so she was caught. 10 days detention and no fine afterwards.
She was told to be blacklisted, but it seems that there is no such thing as black list. My girlfriend already got twice a new visa, both have been extended here in Shanghai, and now she’s back home for her Z-visa, it seems all to go very easy. And yes you are right abt the detention centre, also here in Shanghai its the closed thing to jail, but as the chinese say, its not even close to jail here in China. And according to my fiancee it was not that bad, only the sanatary rules should be better (1 shower a week)
[Reply]
I actually was looking here for some information to be able to get back to China after I left last year in December…I had to leave after two years overstaying my visa and was caught in a hotel with my ex. As in the province I was, officers get rewards for finding any mistresses (or prostitutes) with someone. The police came around 8pm with maybe 10 people to check if I registered in the hotel (where foreigners officially where not able to register). Things went fast and at the local police station the immigration showed up pretty fast. After investigating whether the girl with me was a prostitute or not (that was the main thing), it turned out that there was no problem and they brought us back to the hotel the night. They first sayed that my visa thing is a little thing and that the next day all would be cleared. So the next day, I waited at the police station and things later on turned different. I was brought to a detention center (Jiaoliusuo)…thats a place next to prison where chinese get in for max. 14 days for drunk driving, having no license, mistresses and clients etc. . Reminded me a bit of a mixture of army base and Guantanamo. Not every province in China has this kind of detention center…(though I guess its better than real prison facitilities) I was there for 30 days. At the end I payed 2000 RMB and had to get a ticket to Hong Kong (they didnt accept Bangkok) to leave the country. The main thing what was examined was how I could not register in these 2 years at places I lived. that was the MAIN issue. The immigration told me even to get a new passport to reenter the country. So I will try my luck the next weeks.
Just a warning. If you overstay and get caught…things can be very very disturbing if you do NOT speak chinese and do NOT have guanxi. A young russian mistress was also in that detention center crying every day (she was deported for several thousand US!! after 45 days. If you have overstayed your visa, there is ONLY agencies in Shanghai or Beijing that can handle it…even though its up to 20000 RMB (meaning, they can arrange you a 2 weeks tourist visa before you have to exit, though you dont have to show up at the PSB.
Another hint. If you get caught or turn yourself in to immigration or PSB…you must have enough money to be prepared for anything. If you do not have the financial resources, be prepared that things can take very very long as different sections of police, immigration and whatsoever let you go through uncomfortable investigation procedures (no turture…but its nearly impossible to lie because of the many different protocols they make).
A last important thing. I know that its hard to get a hotel registration card if you dont have valid visa. So what you can say is that you have seen friends (f.e. other foreigners who already left or places in Southwestchina like Yangshuo or Dali). Of course they will ask you for name of the hotels or friends, but you do NOT have to answer that or denonce anyone.
[Reply]
i overstayed for the first time
[Reply]
hi…can u give me advice im overstay in china 2years 3months i surrender before but they not give me exit visa?many times i surrender wat can i do?i want back home..im pilipina girl..thanks
[Reply]
HerE Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:30 pm
Dear Maris,
I know someone with exact the same situation, the only thing is that she is caught. Her overstay is the same as yours. She’s got 5000rmb penalty and 10days detention. the bad thing is, i’m not in China, and dont know if i can reach her somewere, the imigration officer wont or cant tell me where the detention house is, all I know is that it is in Shanghai, Puxi.
Can someone tell me where the detention centre is in Puxi, because it seems that even the Phil Embassy/consulate cant tell me, or help me. Can someone tell me if I can vissit her, call her or get in contact with her in there?
[Reply]
HerE Reply:
March 31st, 2010 at 6:35 pm
And Maris, if you want to come back to china, and if you do not want to be black listed, I think the best thing is to turn yourselve in and beg the officers to make the detention time as short as possible, and not to put u on the black list, otherwise you are not able to entre China for 5 years!!
[Reply]
Dear friend,
I am staying overstay in china for 1.5 years.I am from India.Today I was going through internet for leaving china without problem.I had contact person fron beijing and he is reliable and he needs only money and he can help me to go out of china without any problems and I can return china with the same passport.So dont panic I can help you in this situation via money .pls contact me in kalai1978@gmail.com or call me in 13544631562.
[Reply]
i also need some advice here.
i also came here to shanghai as tourist last nov. 04, 2009. i already exhausted all extensions of my tourist visa ( 2 extensions from the minsheng immigration office)which expires today.(FEb.03,2010)
Yesterday i tried to exit to hong Kong by train(because i don’t want to overstay)because i have a relative there who i may ask to help exit to the Philippines from Hong Kong. but the immigration officers at the Shanghai Railway Stations stopped me from leaving. they asked me some questions if if it is my first time in Hong Kong which i just told them no because my passport got no stamp of Hong Kong (but the truth is i been to hong kong when i was a little child and the my old passport is gone now) and they told me that the hong kong immigration may not allow me to enter hong kong nor meet my relatives there and some questions which i little bit forgot due to nervousness during those time. they told me that i can just refund my ticket which costed me 403.00yuan i keep telling the officer to allow me to leave to hong kong because i will be overstaying my visa but he refused to listen. i went back to my dormitory with my luggages tired and frustrated from what had happened.
Today i went to the Phil. consulate in Nanjing road west to try to get some help and told them what happened i even showed them my train ticket. they just told me to go to the Immigration office and apply for a 10 day extension of my visa and if given that visa i can use those ten days to make an effort to get a plane ticket back to Manila. i even told them that i don’t have enough money to buy plane ticket back to Manila. then the lady from the consulate said ‘that is your problem because you came here as tourist you should have enough cash for your travel. blah blah blah.
after going to the philippine consulate i proceeded to the immigration office in minsheng road and tried to apply for that 10 day extension but they did’nt entertained me thay just told me that your visa expires today and you must leave china today. they told me they can’t give me a ten day extension.
Due to the given circumstances i am planning to report/surrender myself to the immigration office in minsheng road tommorrow. i have a temporary residence permit. i don’t know what may happen to the following days after this plan of mine. i heard stories of fines of 500 RMB per day and to a maximum of 5,000RMB (which the phil. consulate told me when i visited their office this afternoon) and stories of detentions (voluntary surrender is 5 days detention, if caught by immigration 10 days detention)
my problem is if i get detained (if it gives me no choice) how will i get fundings for my plane ticket back home? the last time i talked to my father tru cellphone he said he has no money. i don’t want to stay in china any longer. i want to go back to the phils, as soon as possible. is there any free deportation? can some people or organisations help cases like me? do some filipinos who has cases like me got back home eventually and safely?
all good advices are really appreciated here.
Thanks a lot.
[Reply]
I have a friend who was overstayed for almost a 2 year. Can she go to Immigration or police station in Shenzhen to surrender?
Do I buy and book her ticket and confirm the date of departure?……Please send me a an e-mail ASAP. Thanks
[Reply]
alex Reply:
November 24th, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I don’t know where u are now?But IF UR PLANNING TO SURRENDER TO SHENZHEN POLICE STATION/IMMIGRATION.Consider these:
1. Have the residence permit, if u don’t have you have to book in a certain hotel so that u can get one.(some hotel will not look at ur visa but only passport copy)BUT BE CAREFUL SOME WILL CALL THE POLICE. I know a hotel in Shenzhen after that check in the following day u will get ur residence permit.)
2. IF ur outside Shenzhen uhave to depend urself, di sila nagpaprocess ng outside Shenzhen.
if u have some questions email mena lang
salamat!:salvation4638@gamil.com
[Reply]
mel Reply:
January 21st, 2010 at 12:32 am
when my overstay was 3weeks i keep looking for money now it is a month and 2weeks. i could only raise ticket money and extra 3000rmb. can they consider me? or is there anyone i can meet to help me beg for them to accept 3k? please i dont know where else to raise money from
[Reply]
mel Reply:
January 21st, 2010 at 12:35 am
i forget to indicate am in shanghai. please try and see if there is anyone that can help me. i actually did not know about this until when i was ready to go, i went to buy my ticket that is where they told me.the more i stay the more days accumulate
To all who suffers and accidentally or not they’re overstayed their Visa:
First of all, be in mind that China’s changing their policies overnight and so difficult for us FOREIGNERS to know the REAL laws unless ur in that situation. Meaning, when ur decided to work it out legally what u knows right maybe that is not the existing laws or policies anymore.SO CHECK IT FIRST BEFORE U ACT IN CHINA.
OVERSTAYED FACTS:
1.From the day that u are overstayed/OS u will be fined 500rmb per day to a MAXIMUM of 5,000RMB.
2.You need to go to the police station to ASK FOR A RESIDENCE PERMIT because it is very necessary before you surrender to PSB(Public and Security Bureau) or else when u are in PSB they will ask you to go where’s the place u stayed and the choice is TO GO BACK TO THE POLICE AREA IN THE PLACE U LIVE.Sometimes the police station will fined you to a maximim of 2,000rmb from 500rmb. But if ur in a apologizing face u will be given a sermon only that blah, blah, blah-it’s a RULE IN CHINA UPON ARRIVAL IN ANY PLACE OF STAY whether in public or private accomodation u have to secured for a residence permit.The police will not harm u honestly if u WILL BE HUMBLED as u really breaks their LAWS.Or look for a hotel will u can booked for a day and get a residence permit because the hotel/inn can give u this and u can show it to PSB when u surrender.
3.When surrendering to PSB; if ur working here-Pls. don’t mentioned it or else their will be a lot of investigations such as where are u working and how much blah, blah and even ur employer/s will be fined.If u lost ur passport just acknowledged it and TRY TO SECURED even a photocopy of it.So that they can easily inform whatever Embassy or nationality ur from easily. Or before u surrender try to secured a travel document from ur embassy (SOME EMBASSY IS SLOW TO ACT ON THIS DEPENDS ON THE POLITICS CONDITONS OF UR COUNTRY)Actually it’s the embassy’s job to secured it right away but PROTOCOLS(paper flows is annoying so watch out!)If u OS because of AGENT, AGENT’S BLAH,BLAH, BLAH never mind mentioning it-IT WILL BE MORE COMPLICATED AND INVESTAGATION WILL MAKE IT LONGER, SO BETTER ACKNOWLEDGED IT AND SAY SSSSOOOOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!(COMMON SENSE-THEY CAN’T DO ANYTHING AND BLAME U IF U SAYS U FORGOT UR VISA!) Nothing else and the MONEY FINED that will make your statement fast why u OS and they will give u now AN EXIT VISA!
4.EXIT VISA WILL BE VALID 10 DAYS FROM THE DAY OF ISSUED, however it depends upon the urgency of the person. Some will be given,3 days and some 5 days,and their will ALWAYS BE AN ASTERIES OR STAR IN UR VISA.Usually the purposed of the 10 or 3 or 5 days visa is to give u enough time to secure tickets in going OUT-CHINA!Mostly their are GOOD AGENT/COMPANIES THAT CAN HELP U even u are not GOING OUT IN CHINA, meaning u stay and JUST AS U MAKE AN EXIT OUTSIDE CHINA WITHOUT ANY EFFORTS OF REALLY FLYING OR TRAVELLING PAINFULLY AT TRAIN. But some agent’s price varies.
5.AN EXIT VISA USUALLY HAS STAR OR ASTERIES REMARKS and u can’t RENEW UR PASSPORT OR get NEW VISA’S AND GET BACK TO CHINA UNLESS U GO BACK TO UR ORIGIN COUNTRY!So having an asteries or star means HAVING A NEW PASSPORT BACK IN UR COUNTRY.
6.WHEN u applied for NEW visa in going back to China it will be difficult if U STILL USED UR OLD PASSPORT U HAVE TO SHOW THE PENALTY RECEIPTS and MORE PROOF that u will not DO IT AGAIN and there’s no guaranteed if u will be given again a VISA FROM UR ORIGIN COUNTRY because they will be ashamed AS INTERNATIONAL POLICIES CONCERNS per see so better HAVE A NEW PASSPORT.
7.It is not true THAT WHEN U OS u will be BANNED FROM RETURNING OR TO ANY COUNTRIES.However, they’re some people who have exceptional and case to case basis. But DURING THE OLYMPIC PERIOD OF 2008 mostly surrendered OS ESPECIALLY NOT PAYING THE FINED WAS FINED FOR DETENTIONED AS WELL AS BANNING THEM FOR 5 YEARS. But as of the moment only detention is possible IF U WILL NOT PAY THE OS AND U don’t have AN URGENT PROOF THAT U HAVE A BOOKED-CONFIRMED RETURN TICKET(this will REALLY HELP U make the process of getting u OUT OF THIS TROUBLE) and they will not detain u for at least 40 days.Take also the advange IF UR SICK,PREGNANT & BLAH, BLAH, BLAH that u can show to them.
8.IF U DON’T HAVE A FINED MONEY OF 5,000RMB AND RETURN TICKET U WILL BE BANNED FOR 5 YEARS AND MOSTLY BE DETAINED.DETENTION IS DIFFERENT IN JAIL.DETENTIONS IN COMMITTING OS is ENJOYABLE! U will be in an International group of people mostly 3rd world countries or poor countries. Developed and 1st world countries has a very good relationships with China and for the most they’re OUT FOR A MAXIMUM OF 72 HOURS inside the detention center.VERY GOODDDDDDDDDDDDDD ACCOMODATION, food in time, clothes, warmer in winter and Tv as well as good warm bath. Well, 1st world counties, they’re government can provide RETURN TICKET/S, FINED MONEY AND WHAT ELSE they are a RICH COUNTRIES. So IF UR FROM UNDEVELOPED COUNTRIES AND DON’T HAVE RESOURCES WHAT ELSE CAN U WAIT AND DO IS PRAY LIKE U NEVER PRAYED BEFORE TO SHORTEN UR STAY AND WILL RELEASED U WITH HEAVEN’S PROTECTIONS!
9.When u applied ur visa in COMING BACK TO CHINA TRY NOT TO SAY UR an OS, do anything to obtain visa even like a first time.
10.Try nOT TO NEGOTIATE TO AN AGENT!If u WILL EXPECT A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY or ANOTHER PROBLEM/S will and MIGHT HAPPEN DURING THE TRANSACTIONS AND IT MEANS MONEY AND MORE DELAYS TO U TO GO HOME!BUT THERE ARE GUANGXI or CONNECTIONS IN CHINA THAT U CAN SURPASSED this OS situations by using ur CONNECTIONS AND GUANGXI…so it will take time and frustrating.To my fellow FOREIGNERS whether rich or poor countries u came from; China IS WORST THAN WORST BUT FORGIVING IF U MEANT TO ASK FOR IT!Still if u don’t have anything that I mentioned;TRY GOD, HE IS JUST A RULER AWAY FROM UR HEAD TO UR HEART-it’s priceless,sure and RELIABLE, HE WILL NOT LEAVE OR LIE TO U-CERTAINLY U CAN GO HOME!
+IF U DON’T HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO TRANSACT OS MATTERS IN BEIJING(more strict than other place, this is the capital!)TRY OTHER PROVINCES mostly lenient and easy for OS matters!Good day my friend,I’ve been there!
[Reply]
im doing nothing ryt now…im a philippine girl…i came here because one philippine girl also said that i can be a teacher here or to be a singer in the band i have her passport copy just to prove that she is the one who make me possible to come here in china…i espend a thousand dollars just to get here in china and have a wonderful and good job but she cheated me..
[Reply]
Robert Vance Reply:
September 10th, 2009 at 8:37 am
Can you detail for me how she cheated you exactly? I also would like to know how long has your visa been expired for? And have you tried contacting your embassy in China?
[Reply]
i want to know if we go to gouanzhou or shanghai to surrender coz i dont have a visa and im pregnant now if they can help me..coz until now i dont have any money to pay if i give birth my baby here and thats y i overstay here the agency doesnt even extend my visa even i gave them money..i want to go back home coz i want to bring my baby back home..and i dont want to live my baby here in china..
[Reply]
Robert Vance Reply:
September 9th, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Hi Jessica,
What is your nationality? How did you get into the country in the first place and what are you doing at the moment?
[Reply]
is there still a chance that i can go back china?
[Reply]
i was overstayed in china,i fined 5000rmb and soon to go back philippines..i just want to know if what is the star means stamp in my passport..can i still use this passport to get new visa? can i go to hongkong from manila to apply new visa? is the immigration in hongkong will allow me to enter their country having this passport with a star stamped by the psb in china? thanks for replies in advance…
[Reply]
fay,
your friend have to go at the imigration (psb)office like in guangzhou,
just tell them that you like to surrender,and they will giving your friend a requirements to prepare for her exit visa,but she have fine 5000rmb,if she have temporary residence permit id good,but if dhr dont have just go to hotel and she can check in eventhough 1day only for the record after ask to the hotel she need a hotel voucher, plus her ticket to come back in phil.i was over stayed last year. and i do the same very simple just go to immigration ask them what to do ok.
[Reply]
i have a friend whho is overstay for 3 mos. can she go to the local PSB office in the city? how much will be the penalty?
[Reply]
If she overstayed she faces a RMB500 a day fine up to a maximum payable of RMB20,000. She will need to pay this, and pay for a new visa to cover the period she is illegally hear for. If not, she will not be allowed to leave. She’d better cough up some cash if she wants to go home. Lesson: DON’T OVERSTAY YOUR CHINA VISA. Incidentally – why is it always Filipinas that do this?
[Reply]
cindy Reply:
March 26th, 2010 at 9:49 am
hi i want to know about how can i help my friend she is over stay in shanghai….in she work at bar also but she want to go back in philipines….asap can u give me pls the number of police at immigration…so that i can ask 4 advise b4 she surrender coz also she dnt have enough money
thank u best regards
cindy
[Reply]