Q: I am about to arrive in Shanghai as an exchange student at Fudan University, holding an X2 visa for a study period of up to 180 days.

The university told me that exchange students holding X2 visas may apply for an endorsement for off-campus internships, but the final approval rests with the Exit and Entry Administration Bureau of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Therefore, I would like to consult your office on the following questions:

Can exchange students holding X2 visas apply for an endorsement for off-campus internships?

If the university approves the application and submits all required documents, can the internship endorsement generally be granted?

If I wish to continue interning at the same company after the exchange study period ends, can I apply to switch to an S2 visa to remain in China and complete the internship?

A: An internship annotation cannot be added to an X2 visa. Instead, you must apply to have the X2 visa replaced with an S2 visa bearing an internship annotation.

The Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau sets out the eligibility requirements for an S2 visa bearing an internship annotation in its information sheet on S2 (short-term private affairs) visas.

Source: Exit-Entry Administration Corps of the Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau