Tourist Visa

[JamesnYuHong]

While I agree that they are too heavy handed with tourist visas for Chinese nationals I have to admit that if I were a VO and a tourist visa applicant had a K visa in the works I would probably deny them.  How many of you would choose not to circumvent the process if you could get your wife or fiancee here on a tourist visa first?

173183[/snapback]

 

I would not circumvent the process. I would not want to live in fear due to having violated immigration law.

Edited December 5, 2005 by JamesnYuHong (see edit history)

[warpedbored]

While I agree that they are too heavy handed with tourist visas for Chinese nationals I have to admit that if I were a VO and a tourist visa applicant had a K visa in the works I would probably deny them.  How many of you would choose not to circumvent the process if you could get your wife or fiancee here on a tourist visa first?

173183[/snapback]

 

I would not circumvent the process. I would not want to live in fear due to having violated immigration law.

173727[/snapback]

I admire your integrity James. It would be a tough decision but the odds are pretty heavily in favor of a successful outcome if one were to circumvent the process. I for one couldn't blame them since it takes so long to go the legit route.

[zhuhaijon]

A few weeks back I asked for advice regarding getting a tourist visa for my wife to go back home with me to visit for Christmas. And, despite the overwhelming consensus that it was a one-in-a million shot. I thought that I would roll the dice and see the outcome...well Was a thoroughly depressing experience. Firstly, we got to the consulate around 7:30 AM for a scheduled 8:30 AM interview. Finally made our way up to the line and into the consulate. After passing through the security clearance, I was abruptly separated from my wife on the grounds that I could not be in the visa section. Even though I still had on my person a few extra things my wife needed, including an extra 100 RMB fee that she would later have to pay, and her bag which American citizens can take in, but Chinese can’t.

 

I told the security officer that this was my wife. He said he didn’t care, and that I couldn’t be there, pulled me away from this area and told me to wait in the ACS unit. I sat there trying to calm myself down. Then questioned as to how long it would take for her to get through the line. I was told 3-5 hours. At this point I decided that I had better get to work since waiting for 5 hours in a separate room didn’t make much sense, I had the security guard go get my wife to tell her (bc I could not go in that area and cellphones are not allowed).

 

After waiting at work for 5 hours my wife finally called me and told me that the visa was denied within seconds. The VO simply asked whether she had a immigration visa in progress, and to see my passport, which my wife didn’t have since I had taken it in the confusion of the hassle with the security guard.

 

I just think that a few things are ridiculous about the whole scenario:

 

1. The V.O. didn’t look at a single shred of supporting evidence showing both my and her strong ties to China. I had even prepared a table of contents in order to make it easier for them to navigate the stack.

2. I think the reason they are able to get away with one-glance denials is in part because they won’t let Americans in the area. After all, what American would let you get away with a refusal without considering any evidence?

3. The faster they approve/deny, the more people you can schedule in a day, which means the more money that you can make. I’m not sure if anyone has considered this before. But a consulate the size of Shanghai, must go through at least 500 NIV applications per day, at $100 USD a piece. If you do the math that works out to a revenue of about $250,000 a week for them. Not a bad revenue generator, especially considering that you can staff most of the consulate with Chinese nationals at much lower wages.

4. The most atrocious part of the whole process, I think is the lack of a human element. The in the FAQ section of the consulate website it says that many applicants for visitor visa are also in immigration process, and that this is not alone enough to disqualify you. Well, that’s what they tell you before you get there. But when it comes down to it they aren’t willing to hear “your” story, you are just a piece of paper that can be denied with no recourse.

 

Ahhhh…….I am going insane!!!

173091[/snapback]

I had exactly the same experience just three days ago. After waiting in on the ACS side for 3 hours I asked a guard if I could go in to see if she was still there, because I thought she might have gone out already. He said it was okay as long as I didn't go to the interview. No problem. When I got to the other side she was almost to the window, so I just say down and waited. When it was her turn she came back 11 seconds later (I timed it), with denial. The VO didn't look at any of the supporting evidence (house in china, work contracts, visas, etc.) and when I asked her why, she simply said "You need to get a fiancee visa". I told the VO we didn't want a fiancee visa, we wanted a tourist visa, and her reply was a simple "she doesn't qualify". She offered no explanation beyond that. On that subject, if you go to the american citizen thing on mondays, can that officer issue a visa or is it just for information gathering and frustration enhancement? Anybody every get a visa this way after being denied?

[beijingjenny]

We got lucky (this was long before the immigration petition) and Jack got a tourist visa once. He was lucky to have a friendly VO who even though Jack didn't bring everyting (my passport and pics), told him to bring that stuff back and he would get it.

 

THEN, he tried to get a student visa. Rejected and treated very rudely. I went in to make a complaint. The woman just said he was welcome to try again if he had further evidence and that she would make a note of my visit. That's all they will do if you go in. He was still rejected a second time. I wrote a letter and got a meaningless one in reply.

 

Whatever you do, it's totally hit and miss.