It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .

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Escaped Lunatic

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It's not easy being green.  Some even say it's impossible, but . . .

I DID IT!

The call came today.  I am now a

PERMANENT RESIDENT of the PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA

and I have a card to prove it!

btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt btbtbtbtbt

Lots more details to follow, along with some pics.
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2018, 05:27:40 AM »
I am alarmed and impressed, laobaixing.

Congratulations on getting what you wanted. I've been following along the story and had no idea it could really come true.  agagagagag


Are you still American?
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2018, 11:37:56 AM »
Good one EL! agagagagag Glad things worked out for you. bfbfbfbfbf

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Tree

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2018, 04:11:52 PM »
Grats man!
The greatest and most important problems of life are all in a certain sense insoluble. They can never be solved, but only outgrown.
- Jung

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2018, 04:24:56 PM »
After waiting 790 days, it still feels like a dream.

Yes, I'm still American, but I have been told that having a greencard for 1 year is the proof needed that I've indeed "settled down" in China.  At that point, I'm supposed to be eligible to apply for citizenship.


The call came in at about 4:20 on Thursday afternoon.  My wife told them we would pick it up tomorrow.  As soon as she told me what the call was, I said "Let's go!", since the Bureau of Naughty Foreigner Control is open until 5:30.

Pickup was from the same desk where I applied for it (same place as where I've been applying for annual res permit renewals).  There was one minor problem.  They didn't have the card.  After some discussion and a couple of phone calls, the guy who took my application on April 1, 2016 emerged with an envelope.

I'm sad to report that it's not actually green.  The newest ones have the same color scheme as the current Chinese national ID cards.  One side does have a greenish tinge to it if you hold the card at the correct angle, but my wife's ID card does the same thing.  Think I'll find a green tinted slip cover to put it into. ahahahahah

Then came paying the final fee.  It was 300 RMB.  For res permits there's a bar code and you pay downstairs with a bank card.  This puts the payment into the computer system.  For some reason, the payment took a QR code for online payments via smartphone.  Since my phone is so dumb it qualifies as mentally disabled, my wife paid.  Just to make it more complicated, there was some sort of registration needed on her phone so she could display the receipt.  This allowed for them to use a phone to take a photo of the receipt on her phone.  I thinks the upgraded payment system still needs a little work. ahahahahah

So, here I am getting my green card from the same officer who took my application. agagagagag

I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #5 on: June 02, 2018, 11:33:59 AM »
Nice photo EL! bfbfbfbfbf

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Nolefan

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2018, 11:01:58 PM »
congrats... long time coming..

this round of baijiu is on you
alors régressons fatalement, eternellement. Des débutants, avec la peur comme exutoire à l'ignorance et Alzheimer en prof d'histoire de nos enfances!
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AMonk

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2018, 02:44:14 PM »
Congratulations!!!!! Couldn't happen to a nicer person.
Moderation....in most things...

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2018, 07:21:21 PM »
I didn't get an instruction guide with it, so no details of my new superpowers.  Guess I should go to a bamboo forest with my card and see if the gravity seems reduced. ahahahahah

I'm hoping to schedule a trip to the provincial Bureau of Naughty Foreigner Control in GZ in a few months.  I've got about a million questions and would also love to get some more statistics on how many people apply and how many get accepted.  What I see in online articles on the subject is wildly contradictory.  The writers also frequently don't seem to get the differences between green card, honorary citizenship, and actual citizenship, which makes them even more confusing.

Two days ago, I was PMing one of my foreign acquaintances here.  Someone told him he'd have to work for the government to get a green card.  The amount of misinformation out there is astonishing.
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2018, 07:38:00 PM »
What did help? Being married, owning property, not being a teacher?

Asking for a friend
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #10 on: June 05, 2018, 08:03:03 PM »
To the best of my knowledge, there are 3 ways to qualify.

1.  Invest lots of money.  That's out of my price range.

2.  Contribute to Chinese society.  This works for some scientists, celebrities, artists, and athletes.  I don't think my charity work or my utterly amazing skill at not crashing dragon boats too badly (7 years with no deaths yet!) quite qualifies me in this category.  Maybe getting a Snoopy "Joe Cool" t-shirt would help. ababababab

3.  Survive 5 years of marriage to a Chinese person.  This is the route I took.

I had to keep my time outside of China each year to less than 90 days.  I think the most I've been out in any one year since moving here was a bit less than 60 days.  They looked at every stamp in my passport, asked if being born to American parents in Germany meant I was also German (I checked the German citizenship regulations - I'm not) and even asked me about my Indian tourist visa.

Other requirements depend on the city you're in.  I had to have a bank account with a minimum amount of funds in it frozen for 6 months.  I think they did ask if I owned a place.  My wife and I do have an apartment which is in both of our names.  Having a job was also asked about.  I guess "house spouses" don't have a high acceptance rate compared to employed people.  I think all of this comes down to "is it worth keeping this person around or are we adding a potential burden to Chinese society?"

I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
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BrandeX

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2018, 08:38:55 PM »
Were you on a work permit at the time for proof of employment?

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2018, 02:03:50 PM »
I was on an "Alien Employment Permit xxxxxxxxxx" at the time of application.  I'm pretty sure a copy of that was thrown in with everything else.  I just changed over to the new work permit card system a few months ago.
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2018, 02:31:51 PM »
Oh wow.  That interview went well.

http://m.mp.oeeee.com/a/BAAFRD00002018061184673.html

Translation software does bad things to it, but the pics are nice. agagagagag
I'm pro-cloning and we vote!               Why isn't this card colored green?
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El Macho

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Re: It's not easy being green. Some even say it's impossible, but . . .
« Reply #14 on: July 14, 2018, 05:52:08 PM »
Congratulations!

I’m really happy for you! I know how long you’ve wanted and waited for this. Looking forward to hearing how your first border entry goes with your new green card! agagagagag agagagagag