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When you graduate, withdraw or leave early: what the school reports and what you should check

Sources checked · After arrival

When your studies end, whether you graduate, complete your course, quit or leave without graduating, Article 26 of the Regulations requires the school to report this to the exit and entry administration in a timely manner. The duty sits with the school, not with you. Other provisions cover the school's filing for a withdrawal or expulsion, the electronic registration of your student status and graduation certificate, and the permit rules that apply when a holder must leave China.

Who reports, and when

Article 26 of the Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners reads, in the National Immigration Administration's English text:

"Upon discovery of one of the following circumstances, the entity that employs a foreigner or admits a foreign student shall, in a timely manner, report to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ of the local people's government at or above the county level:

(1) A foreigner employed resigns or changes employment location; (2) A foreign student admitted has graduated, completed his or her course(s) or study, has quit school, or has left the school ungraduated; (3) A foreigner employed or a foreign student admitted violates the provisions on administration of exit and entry; or (4) A foreigner employed or a foreign student admitted dies, disappears or other serious circumstances arise."

Item (2) is the one that covers the end of studies. Article 26 says "in a timely manner" and gives no number of days.

Article 45 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law, in the National Immigration Administration's English text, says that entities that enroll foreign students "shall report relevant information to local public security organs in accordance with relevant regulations." The article does not list the events to be reported. It refers the reader to those regulations, which is Article 26 above.

Withdrawal and expulsion filings

Article 31 of Order No. 42 (Administrative Measures for the Enrolment and Education of International Students by Schools, issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security) is published in Chinese. The English wording below is this site's translation of the Chinese text:

"Article 31: Higher education institutions carry out student status management for international students by reference to the management rules for Chinese students. Where a school decides to withdraw an international student or to expel an international student, it shall file the decision for the record in accordance with the provisions of the education administration department under the State Council."

Article 31 names no filing deadline. It refers to the education administration department's provisions for the procedure.

Certificates and electronic registration

Article 21 of Order No. 42 is also published in Chinese, and the English below is this site's translation.

Its first paragraph says that schools issue academic or other academic certificates to international students under the relevant national provisions. For international students in higher education degree programmes, the school "shall promptly handle" the electronic registration of their student status and graduation certificate. Article 21 says "in a timely manner" for this step and gives no number of days.

Its second paragraph says that schools issue degree certificates to international students who meet the conditions for conferring a degree.

Permit rules when the reason to stay ends

Article 34 of the Regulations says that in certain circumstances the visa, stay permit or residence permit held by a foreigner "shall be declared null and void by the issuing authority." Two of its items concern a holder whose stay is ending or whose purpose has changed:

"(2) The time limit for his or her exit, repatriation or deportation from China has been decided, and his or her visa, stay permit or residence permit has not been confiscated or canceled;"

"(3) The original purpose of residence has been changed, but he or she fails to report to the exit and entry administration authority of the public security organ within the prescribed time limit and fails to do so even after the said organ has given a public notice thereon;"

Article 35 says that the permit "shall be canceled or confiscated by a public security organ" in certain circumstances. Item (3) reads: "The holder has been decided on a time for exit, repatriation or deportation from China."

Article 34 names no graduation item among its four items. Article 35 names no graduation item among its three items. Graduation, completing the course, quitting school and leaving ungraduated appear in Article 26(2), and the permit provisions above do not repeat that list.

What you can check (suggestions, not rules)

  • Ask your international student office what date it will report under Article 26(2). Article 26 gives no date, so the office's answer is the only one you will get on this point.
  • Ask the office whether it will file a withdrawal or expulsion for the record under Article 31, if that applies to your case.
  • Ask the office whether it will handle the electronic registration of your student status and graduation certificate under Article 21.
  • Check the validity date printed on your residence permit and keep a copy of any notice you receive about your exit time limit. Article 35(3) concerns a holder who has been given such a time.

Questions people ask

Does the school have to report my graduation?

Article 26(2) of the Regulations says that the entity that admits a foreign student shall, in a timely manner, report to the exit and entry administration authority when the student "has graduated, completed his or her course(s) or study." The article applies to the school. It does not set a number of days.

Does graduation by itself cancel my residence permit?

Article 34 and Article 35 of the Regulations, as quoted above, name no graduation item. The items that concern a holder whose stay is ending are Article 34(2) and Article 35(3), which refer to a decided time for exit, repatriation or deportation.

Sources

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, the National Immigration Administration, any embassy or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.