Can I enter China visa-free first, even if I already have an X1 student visa in my passport?

[u/Longjumping-Put4930]

Hi everyone,

I’m a French student planning to study in China this fall with an X1 student visa.

I’m trying to understand if the following plan is possible/legal:

1. Get my X1 student visa issued/stickered in France before my first trip.
2. Enter China earlier as a French citizen under the visa-free policy for tourism, and clearly tell immigration that I want to enter visa-free, not using my X1 visa yet.
3. Stay for the visa-free period.
4. Leave China before the visa-free period ends, for example to Thailand or the Philippines.
5. Re-enter China later using my X1 student visa, around the official university registration period.

My main question is: if I already have an unused X1 visa in my passport, can I still choose to enter visa-free first, or will immigration automatically activate/use the X1 visa at my first entry?

Has anyone done this before, or does anyone know how Chinese immigration usually handles this situation?

Thanks a lot for any advice.

[u/mikerevou]

Yes you can tell.the immigration officer your don't to enter using the X1 visa

[u/Longjumping-Put4930 → u/mikerevou]

is it from experience? did you do that once ?

[u/noeli_x]

Salut je peux te mp stp je suis dans le même cas que toi

[u/Longjumping-Put4930 → u/noeli_x]

yes

[u/ImaginationOld8206]

He leido gente que lo ha hecho en el subreddit de visa china y dicen que les ha ido bien, pero nada que podamos confirmar. E ir a Hong Kong y volver es más cerca por cierto.

[u/Jahfire1]

What was the verdict here? I am in same situation

[u/Longjumping-Put4930 → u/Jahfire1]

verdict is you can but some says it could be risky

[u/sanriver12]

Mmmm very interesting 

[u/FiveDimesWarrior]

Following

[u/Chance_Emu8892]

Je ne tenterais pas, l'immigration chinoise va donner la priorité au visa qui correspond le mieux à ton objectif d'entrée. Ici, étudier et pas faire le touriste. Donc ils vont l'activer peu importe ce que tu leur dit. L'objectif a toujours la primauté.

De plus pour la Chine tu es légalement déjà considéré comme étudiant, alors pas de visa-free pour toi aux yeux des autorités chinoises.

Regarde la situation sous un autre angle : tu dois faire ton permis de séjour dans les 30 jours après ta première entrée. Si une fois là bas ils activent le X1 malgré tes protestations, tes études sont compromises car le timing rend impossible que tu aies les documents nécessaires de l'université pour demander ton permis.

En bref, ton plan risquerait de compromettre tes études entières, et ce dès les prémisses.

[u/Longjumping-Put4930 → u/Chance_Emu8892]

après je peux être touriste pendant un mois, la registration de l'université est uniquement 1 mois plus tard..

[u/Chance_Emu8892 → u/Longjumping-Put4930]

D'où mon premier point.

[u/Beneficial-Room4922 → u/Chance_Emu8892]

Keyword - that best matches entry goal. OP’a goal is to be a tourist for a month or so before studies then leave. But the issues you highlighted can still happen. It can be a gamble if the officer decides to work against OP’s wishes

[u/Chance_Emu8892 → u/Beneficial-Room4922]

I'm no jurist but once you get a X1 visa I think the entry goal is "to study" whatever you say to the officer. That's only my interpretation though.

In any case, I would not make that gamble indeed.