F and L visas good for only 30 days

If you want to stay in China for over 30 days, you need to apply for a Z work visa. Both F and L visas have been reduced to 30 days without having to extend. UPDATE: While many reports have suggested it's impossible to extend L visas from within China, a number of travelers have been able to extend their L visas from the Entry & Exit Bureaus in Beijing in and Shanghai. If you have a 60 day L visa that is double or multiple entry issued from outside of China and not from Hong Kong, you can still renew it up to 2 times from within China (without having to go to Hong Kong or leave the country) every 30 days for a cost of 150 RMB (takes 5 working days). After you have used up both your extensions from within China, you will need to reapply for an L visa from Hong Kong or outside of China.