Originally Posted by
travelinmanS
You won’t be able to get approved unless you possess a residence permit for the PRC with more than 6 months validity remaining. I understand from your previous posts that you’re on a visa, not a RP, so you’ll be politely told it’s not possible and sent to the line to get your passport stamped.
When the program was first offered to foreigners, certain visas (e.g. Z and some F, the predecessor to M) were permitted. Obviously, things are different these days because Z visas are now valid for 30 days only (i.e. you're supposed to convert them to RPs or they will boot you), and business visas aren't held in especially high regard (speculative comment).
Yesterday, I did a bit of googling on this topic in both Chinese and English. RP does, indeed, appear the only legit way to pull it off. That having been said: 1. I didn't find any sources I regarded as fully legit; and 2. I will guarantee you that there is at least one foreigner on a visa who has pulled off eChannel.