if my partner holds a z visa (we are not legally married) can our children and I apply for S type?

Hey, on your children’s birth certificate, are your name and your husband’s name both written? If yes, it’s possible that your children and you can apply for the S type. If you can get the S type, of course you can visit your husband.

Documents needed for applying the S type include your passport, a photocopy of the passport’s data page, a completed application form attached with your recently-taken color half-length photo, an invitation letter from your husband’s employer, a photocopy of your husband’s passport and PRC residence permit, and your children’s birth certificates. If it’s the first time for you to visit China, you should also submit a financial standing proof.