Here are a couple more experiences of readers on the visa situation for entering China. Read the July 4 posting below for background on the subject, and also last Friday's post.
Brian (I’m not certain his nationality) reported no problems:
Regarding your recent visa post, I've just gone through the process of getting a Z visa without any notable trouble. I work for a small European consultancy in Beijing, am 24, and have what the visa regulations would generally consider inadequate experience for a Z visa. That is, my employer was concerned that my age would pose a big problem in getting the right pieces of paperwork for the visa application (work permit and letter of invitation from MOFCOM) because they had been spooked by a supposed "25 or higher, 2-3 years minimum of relevant experience" rule, but that apparently was not enforced (or
real?). I'll be re-entering shortly.
Tyler reported a quite different situation:
I am an American living and not yet working in Shanghai on a multiple entry tourist visa good for one year. I obtained the visa in March, about 3 weeks before the regulations were changed.
When I applied, I left about 1/2 of the visa application form blank, as I either didn't yet have the pertinent information, or was too lazy to look it up. I also wrote a letter detailing why I needed a one year multi-entry visa (interest in Chinese culture and language, etc.). A friend dropped the application off at the Chinese consulate in Chicago, and 3 days later I had my visa.
My first 90 entry period concluded this week, and so I made the trip down to HK for 2 days, and re-entered. I had heard some anecdotal evidence that suggesting my visa might be shortened or even canceled upon re-entry, so I was a bit nervous, but my fears turned out to be unfounded as I made it through immigration in Shenzhen in about 30 seconds.
Since the visa regulations have changed, I have had 3 friends come over from the states to visit, and all of them had to provide detailed flight and travel plans in order to obtain their visas. As they were staying in my apartment, they had to also provide my and my brother's (the renter) names, along with our contact information in China.
Most recently I had a younger cousin visit for a few weeks who is still a minor. He and his parents made a total of 3 unsuccessful trips to the consulate in Chicago as they were unaware of the detailed information they needed to provide. Additionally, due to our cousin's age, my brother had to fax a copy of our lease and his employment and visa info to the consulate in Chicago.
So while Andrew, his friends, and I seem to have lucked out, everybody else I know has found the visa process to be much more difficult and trying than in the past (before April). I was, however, very surprised that Andrew's friends were able to obtain 6-month and 1-year multiple entry visas recently, as I have some acquaintances here in Shanghai who applied for the one year multiple entry visa but were only given single entry 30-day visas. Everything I have read up to this point (I have been closely following media reports regarding the visa issues) indicates that tourists are only being issued new 30-day visas.
Sounds to me that local officials have taken the matter into their own hands, and exercised the discretion they are usually and customarily accorded.
How Chinese.
Posted by: A B | July 13, 2008 at 03:14 AM
Our clients are, for the most part, getting Z visas now just as they would have a year ago. Sure, they are being a lot more careful with the paperwork and giving a lot more documentation, but in the end, they are getting them.
As for business and tourist visas, hardly anyone is having the same results now as a year ago. Even most of those who used to get one year multiple entry visas are considering themselves lucky to be getting any visa at all. We had one client who was just about as connected with the Chinese government as one can get (this guy was getting two year multiple entry visas in the past) and all he could get was a six month multiple entry visa.
Posted by: Dan | July 14, 2008 at 12:58 AM
If you can't get a Visa, can you get Mastercard instead?
Posted by: A B | July 16, 2008 at 06:48 AM