1. The applicant must go through a face-to-face interview. However, for youth or elderly applicants (under 16 or above 60) and for those with limited ability to travel due to a disability, the host organization, a family member of the applicant, or a specialized service agency may submit the application for a residence permit or extension on behalf of the applicant (in which case a copy of the trustee's ID is required). Nonetheless, if the Exit-Entry Administration notifies the applicant that an interview is necessary, the applicant still must go through the interview themselves.

2. For the above-stated application materials, the original documents need to be verified, and photocopies submitted along with the originals.

3. Any application material in a foreign language (other than English) must be translated into Chinese.

4. Applicants who have not yet nullified their household registrations in China should wait to apply until after they have done so.

5. Foreigners under 18 years of age submitting an application for the first time in China must prepare their birth certificate or an equivalent document, as well as the passports and permanent resident permits of their parents or other relatives' documents as certification of nationality.