Recently, VisaInChina received several similar questions from our audience: 

“I received a phone call from Entry & Exit officer, they request an extra interview to verify my visa application. Why is that? What should I do?”

Ok, Following Q&A is some experience we would like to share with you, the foreign employee or the company HR, who might face the same problem in the future, and hope it helps you.

Entry & Exit bureau verify your application or reject your visa under which laws/regulations?

A: <Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners> 

Source (copy&paste following link into your browser to check): 

http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/flfg/201307/t20130722_961411.shtml

Article 20 - The exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ may verify the purpose of application through such means as interview, telephone inquiry and on-the-spot investigation, and the applicant as well as the entity or individual that has provided the letter of invitation or certification documents shall cooperate.

Article 21 - In one of the following circumstances, the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ shall not approve the application for extension, change or reissuance of a visa or residence permit, or the application for a stay permit, submitted by a foreigner:

1. The applicant fails to provide material supporting his or her application in accordance with relevant provisions;

2. The applicant has knowingly falsified information in the application process;

3. The applicant is not eligible for staying or residing in China due to violation of relevant Chinese laws or administrative regulations; or

4. Other circumstances where it is not appropriate to approve the applicant’s application for extension, change or reissuance of a visa or residence permit, or for issuance of a stay permit.

Why it's not happen before? Are these laws/regulations changed or updated recently?

A: No, above regulations take effective since 1st September, 2013. It’s no changes or update since then. We can only say, the Entry & Exit bureau enforce those regulations much stricter than before.

What should I do if I receive the phone call from immigration officer to verify my visa application?

A: Based on above Article 20, you or your employer shall cooperate, and provide the documents upon immigration officer request. Please take this verification seriously and provide document in detail as much as possible.

Which documents might immigration officer ask for during the verification?

A: Based on VisaInChina’s experience, including parts or all of following documents:

1. Company profile (for example, what’s the company business, and how many employees work in the company, etc.)

2. Company office space rental contract

3. Company income tax receipt for the past 12 month

4. Personal income tax receipt for the past 12 month

5. Client’s contracts and Invoices (Fapiao) which you issued to those clients

6. Company bank account cash flow statement

7. Personal bank account cash flow statement

Which kind of situation might cause the rejection of the visa? Any suggestion?

A: Including but not limited to following situations:

1. When the immigration officer try to contact you or your employer to do the verification, but can’t get through at all.

The immigration officer will try to call you or your company contact person to do the verification. Sometimes, they will also go directly your office space to check. So if there is no one in the office and all the contact number can’t get through, then it will cause rejection.

VisaInChina Suggestion: Please make sure you provide the correct information (office address, contact number etc.) to the Entry & Exit bureau when you file your application. After you submitted your application, please make sure you or your company contact person will receive the phone call and txt message. Better you can work in your office space every day until your application get approved.

2. You have the work permit and work visa under company A, but your income tax is paid by company B.

Sometimes, your boss owned several different companies, at beginning, you applied the work permit and work visa through company A. But for some reason, your boss declared your salary through company B. 

VisaInChina Suggestion: You are only allowed to work for the company who applied your work permit and visa. If your payroll is in a different company, please ask your employer change it right away.

3. Your actual job needs special permit or license, but your employer don’t have that.

In China, for foreigners, some jobs require special permit or license. For example, Teacher, Model, Singer, Performer etc. But your employer don’t have that, they might apply you as a general job position, like sales manager, marketing manager etc. That’s totally illegal.

VisaInChina Suggestion: Find a right employer please!

4. Company has no income or very little income during the past 12 month.

If it’s a new established company, it’s reasonable, the immigration officer might give you 3 month work visa at beginning and then verify again after 3 month when you file your next extension.

If it’s an old company, then it might cause rejection directly.

VisaInChina Suggestion: 

If you setup a company just for the visa, that’s not a legal way. We don’t suggest!

If your company has good income, but for some reason, you can’t provide official cash flow statement (client wire the payment to your personal account) or Chinese Fapiaos (international clients don’t request it). Then you need to adjust your way of managing the company. That’s not difficult to Issue Fapiaos and ask clients pay directly to your company bank account. Please don’t put yourself into a risky situation.

5. False materials are provided during the work permit or residence permit application.

For example, you provide a reference letter to prove you have 2 years working experience aboard, but you hold a student visa and stay in China all the time during that period. When the officer asked for further evidence, you are unable to provide it.

VisaInChina Suggestion: Please DO NOT cheat in your application. If you don’t have those 2 years work experience, you can try another category. There are so many categories of work permit. For more details, please check: 

<< All criteria of China work permit >>

When I applied my work permit renewal, I provide all documents including office rental contract, company income tax receipt and all the invoices issue to the clients, why the immigration officer ask them again during the visa application verification?

A: Because it’s 2 different government authorities. And it only happens to the shareholder’s application. Because you are responsible of the company, when you apply the work permit (the blue card) renewal, the foreign expert bureau will also verify your company running status as well. When the immigration officer would like to verify your company status again during your work visa application. Please be patient and cooperate.

最近，辰征创服经常会收到一些读者类似的问题：

“我接到出入境警官打来的电话，要求我进行额外的面试以核实我的签证申请。这是为什么？我该如何处理？”

好的，下面这篇问答就是美西咨询的一些经验分享，给接下来有可能面对同样问题的外国人或者公司的人事，希望对你有所帮助。

出入境管理局核实外国人的签证申请或拒绝外国人的签证申请依据的法律法规是？

答：根据《中华人民共和国外国人入境出境管理条例》

全文链接见（复制此链接到你的浏览器里查看）：

http://cs.mfa.gov.cn/wgrlh/flfg/201307/t20130722_961411.shtml

第二十条 公安机关出入境管理机构可以通过面谈、电话询问、实地调查等方式核实申请事由的真实性，申请人以及出具邀请函件、证明材料的单位或者个人应当予以配合。

第二十一条 公安机关出入境管理机构对有下列情形之一的外国人，不予批准签证和居留证件的延期、换发、补发，不予签发停留证件：

(一) 不能按照规定提供申请材料的；

(二) 在申请过程中弄虚作假的；

(三) 违反中国有关法律、行政法规规定，不适合在中国境内停留居留的；

(四) 不宜批准签证和居留证件的延期、换发、补发或者签发停留证件的其他情形。

为什么之前没有碰到过？这些法规政策是刚刚更新或者更改过吗？

答：没有变化，上述法规自2013年9月1日起就生效了，一直如此。只能说，出入境管理局近期的执行力度比以前严格了许多。

如果接到出入境警官的电话来核实外国人的签证申请情况，该怎么办？

答：根据上述第20条，外国人或者雇主应予以配合，并应出入境警官的要求提供所需的核查文件。请务必认真对待核查，并提供尽可能详细的材料。

出入境警官在核查过程中可能会要求提供哪些文件？

答：根据美西咨询的经验，包括以下部分或全部文件：

1.公司情况说明（例如，公司业务是什么，公司有多少员工等）

2.公司办公场地租赁合同

3.公司过去12个月的增值税和企业所得税税单

4.外国人过去12个月的个人所得税税单

5.公司和客户之间签订的业务合同和对应的发票底单

6.公司银行账户流水

7.个人银行账户流水

哪些情况会导致签证被拒？有什么建议吗？

答：包括但不限于以下情况：

1、当出入境警官核查外国人签证申请时，无法联系上外国人本人和公司联系人：

出入境警官会致电外国人或者公司联系人进行核查。他们有时也会直接去到公司的实际办公地址进行核查。如果办公室里没有人，所有的联系电话又都打不通，那么就会造成拒签。

美西咨询建议：提交申请时，确保提供正确的信息（实际办公地址、公司联系人及外国人本人的联系电话）。提交申请后，确保外国人或者公司联系人能够及时接听电话和接收短信。也建议外国人在申请期间每天去办公室工作，直到申请获得批准。

2、外国人有A公司的工作许可证和工作签证，但是个人所得税却是由B公司申报支付：

有时候，一个老板有好几家不同的公司，一开始外国人是通过A公司申请工作许可证和工作签证的，但是却通过B公司支付了外国人的工资和缴纳了个税。

美西咨询建议：外国人只能在申请工作许可和工作签证的公司工作。如果外国人的工资和个税支付在另一家公司，请立即要求雇主进行更正。

3、外国人的实际工作需要特别许可或执照，但是雇主公司却无法提供：

对于外国人来说，中国有些特殊工作岗位需要特别许可或执照。例如，教师、模特、歌手、演员等等。但是因为雇主公司没有相应的许可或执照，可能会为外国人申请一个一般工作岗位的工作许可证和工作签证，比如销售经理、营销经理等。这是完全违法的。

美西咨询建议：请找一个合法的雇主！

4、公司在过去12个月内没有收入或收入很少。

如果是新成立的公司，出入境警官刚开始可能会给你3个月的工作签证，然后在3个月后你提交下一次延期时再次核查。

如果是一家老公司，那可能会直接导致拒签。

辰征创服建议：

如果外国人设立公司只是为了签证，那是不合法的。我们不建议！

如果公司收入不错，但由于某种原因，公司无法提供银行流水（例如：客户将付款转账到外国人的个人账户了）或业务发票（例如：国外客户没要求发票）。那你就需要调整你公司的财务管理方式。开具发票并要求客户直接向你的公司的银行账户付款并不难。请不要把自己和公司放到危险的处境。

5、工作许可证或者居留许可申请过程中提供了虚假的材料。

举个例子，外国人提供了国外2年的工作经验证明，而这段时间他/她却一直拿着学习签证在中国国内居住。当政府机关要求进一步提供佐证的时候，他/她却无法提供。