Foreigner Family Visa application

Our General Manager comes from Fiji. He already has working permit and 'Z' Visa in Qingdao, Now he back to Fiji and wants his son come to China together. We ask Qingdao Foreign Affairs Bureau for his son visa application, and be told that If foreigner expat who has working permit in China, the family member can only apply for tourist visa to enter China, after enter China, we will change visa to resident permit with relationship certificate with Chinese Embassy stamp in Qingdao. Is that ture or not?