Can You Leave And Return On Stay Visa?

In today’s episode, I will explain to you what stay visas are and whether or not you can enter and leave on the stay visa, as well as the possibility of getting multiple stay visas.

A stay permit, also known as a stay visa, allows you to stay in China for up to 30 days. Some people refer to it as the “T” visa or humanitarian visa, but they all refer to the same thing. The correct term is actually stay permit, but I use stay visa in the title to help readers understand because most people use that term.

The reason why some people refer to it as a humanitarian visa is mainly because when Covid first broke out, the Exit-Entry Administration handed these out frequently for humanitarian reasons. At that time, Covid was spreading rapidly all over the globe, and it was either too expensive to get a flight out or just too dangerous to travel to other countries.

The word “humanitarian” can also be seen on the visa, which helps to explain why it has this name. Nowadays, the most common reason for obtaining a stay permit is when expats switch jobs within China. To switch employers, you have to cancel your work permit and residence permit. China allows 30 days for you to process a new work permit; therefore, you will be granted a stay permit for this period.

If you are unable to find a new job within these 30 days, you will have to leave the country first because usually only one of these visas is granted. Under special circumstances, if you show them a flight ticket that is already booked, they might give you an extension until the day of your flight, but this is rather risky and not recommended.

The second scenario where you could obtain a stay permit is if you have broken administrative or criminal law in China. Following the punishment served, authorities may decide to deport you, cancel your residence permit, and provide you with a stay permit. In this case, you will see the word “deportation” on the permit. Do not overstay your permit and book a plane ticket out as soon as possible to avoid additional fines for overstaying.

Therefore, we have established that stay permits are a type of visa that allow you to finish your business or make up your mind about whether or not to stay in China. Hence, the answer to our question of the day is that you cannot leave and re-enter on this stay permit. Once you leave China, you will need to apply for a proper visa, such as a business, tourist, student, work, or reunion visa, to re-enter.

Another question that I would like to address is whether or not you can obtain multiple stay permits. Multiple stay permits are usually not granted unless you have a valid reason. A valid reason does not include “I want more time to look for a new job” because the system is designed to have foreigners enter China, complete a specific job, and then leave afterward. It is not meant for foreigners to stay in China and search for job after job after job on an endless streak.

A valid reason would be an ongoing lawsuit. As long as you can prove that you have legal proceedings underway, such as labor arbitration or a civil lawsuit, you have a much higher chance of obtaining an additional stay permit from the Exit-Entry Administration. You must explain to them that you wish to attend the trial, and if they kick you out of China, it would effectively take this right away from you. Typically, they will let you stay until the lawsuit ends.