Just got back for the Visa place on Toudong Rd. Just wanted to update what happened since it's been 2 years since I've been back.

1st you should get your picture taken around the corner. There's two places. You need to go to the second place. The 1st place will direct you to the other place. The cost was 30 Yuan. You get 7 pictures plus two slips of paper with your picture embedded and a bar code numbers on it. I officer said that you must do this every time. You can't use your own picture from another place like before. Those other places won't give you that 'official slip'.

2nd thing that has changed is that the officer said that you need to come 1 month before the visa expiration date. My visa was set to expire on the 19th of November. I thought that a week was enough but he said that it take them 2 weeks to complete the visa processing and coming in close to the visa expiration date might give you some trouble with the Visa department. This I didn't understand but hey, if that's what they want that's what they'll get.

3rd- There's a new form that your wife will fill out. Before, they gave you a template of what your wife needs to write down vouching for you.
4th-I ask about the 3 year or 5 year visa and he said that if you're 60 and over you can get a 3 year visa. I didn't push to get more information about the 5 year visa (next time I will).

5th- Cost is still 800 yuan. I will return on 12/2 to pick up the new visa. So it will take 14 business day. Before(3-4years ago) it only took a week.
Hope this helps.

Isn't it that a two year recidence permit will cost 800 and a one year one 400? (Because that is what I pay).
For the 2 year one you need a health check so turns out to be more expensive.

Isn't the visa cost dependent on nationality? Since the USA has the highest visa costs for Chinese visiting or emigrating to the USA, China reciprocally has the highest visa costs for US citizens.

I asked this question in Beijing at the Entry/Exit Bureau, as I noticed the UK guy in front paid SIGNIFICANTLY less, for the same Z-Visa.

Or is this a different issue?

@lemon lover
Yes you're right. I didn't mention it because I assume those that have done it knew that (my bad). Yes I did the health check which cost 428 yuan.
Without the health check, for a one year visa it would be 400 yuan. I did the two year thing because I just don't want to go back again too soon (ha.ha.).
@michael2015
I'm talking about the 'residence visa' which is different from the z visa (you can't work on a 'residence visa' legally.
I believe that there is a different price for nationals from other country. I remember in the old Visa and Exit/Entry place on Beijing Lu they had a chart of the cost depending on your country. Didn't pay attention to it as I was only concern about the U.S. rates.

We went there early and there was no one else. The guy spoke to me and my wife in Chinese and I didn't get a sense that he could speak English. The other officers (2 of them) didn't seem up on their English either. Bring someone that is bilingual if your Chinese is very basic.

I was married outside China. As well as the notorized and certified copy of the marriage certificate (from the Chinese Embassy in London) the PSB also wanted an official translation from an approved translator.

Related to the possible residence permit length, we were told (almost 2 years ago) that longer than 1 year is possible (given other conditions apply) only if the Chinese spouse has Kunming hukou. If anyone knows of changes to this detail, would be good to know.

Things you have to bring:
Your wife's Hukou book
Make copies of the 1st and 2nd pages and the page that has your wife's name.
Your marriage booklets
Make copies of that as well. Just yours (but bring both books).
Your passport
Make copies of your picture and data info. page and your

first entry visa page/your last visa stamp page.
That's it.

To be precise:
Mariage booklet needs a copy of every page:
First page with signature of official. Second page with the actual data and the third page with the booklets serial number.
You have to bring your police registration and a copy of that as well.

@lemon lover
Right. I didn't copy the page with the serial number and had to go down to the first floor to make a copy of it.

And yes a copy of the police registration. I forgot about that one.

If your spouse does not have a Kunming Hukou then they need to have a copy of their Kunming temporary ID. Assuming you reside in Kunming.