Exit clock · 05 Editorial guide
Overstay, illegal work & exit
When stay or activity no longer matches the document, the clock matters more than a general visa article. This page does not decide a penalty.
First job Screen the clock and the current status before ordinary visa research.
This is not a family-safety strip. Delay can change exit, fine and future-entry options. Get advice; do not use this page as a filing.
Start here
Key considerations
The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.
- Is the person still inside a valid stay?
- Does the activity match the entry category?
- Is an exit or a bureau appointment already due?
Decision map
Keep the question bounded.
- Check the dateExpiry versus today’s date.
- Check the activityWork on a non-work category is a separate risk.
- Get advice before the next exitExit records can follow the person.
Timeline
Sequence and clocks that change the next action.
- TodayDo not start or continue unauthorised work.
- Bureau contactWhether a regularisation or exit path is even in view — with counsel.
Quick answers
Need the short version? Start with one narrow question.
These explainers answer one question. They do not replace this topic route or a deep guide.
Curated resources
Open the asset that matches this job.
Overstay, fines and exit risk
Overstay, exit records and deportation-risk orientation — not a prediction of outcome.
China immigration status control room
National map for visas, work permits, residence layers, change calendar and exit risk.
Working in China on an M visa
Unauthorised-work risk when the entry category does not match the activity.
Helpful to prepare
Facts that make the next conversation clearer.
These items are orientation aids, not a legal requirement list.
Local context
Add the city when the bureau practice changes.
Exit-entry processing and local file practice vary after the national status question is identified.
Open city and province guidesCounsel hand-off
Need immigration counsel?
This hub organises status questions. It does not grant permits, decide overstay outcomes or replace the employing entity’s filings.
Find immigration counselLegal review
Who reviewed this guide
Need qualified counsel?
Move carefully. Move with a record.
Use the portal to identify counsel for this practice and related China-side issues.