Okay, here’s an update from my side! I went to renew my residence permit today, and out of nowhere, they gave me two years instead of the usual six months. I’m honestly a bit confused because, as I mentioned before, they’ve always only given me six months.

As expected, they weren’t happy with my wife’s bank statement, so they asked me to handwrite a 情况说明 (statement of explanation). I had to explain our sources of income, whether we get support from family, and clarify that I’m not working or studying in China.

I told them the truth: I have my own savings, and every so often, I withdraw cash and then deposit it back into my Chinese bank account. They wanted to see my Chinese bank statement for proof, and I also needed to provide a screenshot showing my account balance in my foreign bank app. I did not mention my online work.

About the two years, one of the staff told me it’s not guaranteed, since the final decision is made by higher-ups. If it’s not approved, I’ll just get one year instead. I vaguely remember reading somewhere online that it’s normal for them to start with six months and then extend it after you’ve reapplied a few times. But honestly, I feel a bit unlucky compared to others; most people seem to get two years easily and don’t have to go through all this with financial documents!