After 5-years you can apply for a perm-residence status if you are married to a Chinese national. I have one. It allows you to work and live life, etc. Normally you are required to live in the city for at least 9 months out of the year for 5-years, at least in my area that was the case. I have heard that after 3-years if you have a child that you can get perm-residence as well but I don't know of anyone that has done that. The perm-residence visa is valid for an initial period of 5-years and after that the next one is for 10-years, and after that...I guess it is forever. I know of one foreigner that has a Chinese national ID card of sorts, (green card). He was here for about 20-years though. I don't know all of their specifics. My experience with a family visa in China is that most of the local cops do not bother you when you work if you have a family to take care of. In fact, I have been checked a few times in the past and when I produced a copy of the marriage license, they nodded and left. This may depend on where you are at, what you do, where you are from, etc. The law is quite clear of course, but whether or not they enforce it is another matter entirely.