extra $100.00 for visa

[Guest ttt]

I don't know if this has already been posted. My girl went to pick up her visa at 4pm and was told it would be an extra $100.00 dollars as of the 1st of the year. Because it has to be done with bank receipt, (credit card or cash apparently no good) she has to wait another day to get bank receipt and try it again tomorrow. She said there were several other girls who were also forced to come back next day. Nothing was said in the morning when passport was dropped off about additional costs. Tough customer service. Perhaps this was posted earlier but surprise to us.

[Eric&Yuhui]

I don't know if this has already been posted.  My girl went to pick up her visa at 4pm and was told it would be an extra $100.00 dollars as of the 1st of the year.  Because it has to be done with bank receipt, (credit card or cash apparently no good) she has to wait another day to get bank receipt and try it again tomorrow.  She said there were several other girls who were also forced to come back next day.  Nothing was said in the morning when passport was dropped off about additional costs.  Tough customer service. Perhaps this was posted earlier but surprise to us.

visa fee was increased yes.. Unless it another increase, but I don't think so.

[Guest ttt]

Hey, you two are supposed to busy getting ready to make the move. Since your not use all your 90 days perhaps I could use perhaps 45 of them. Best wishes for the wedding.

[Eric&Yuhui]

Hey, you two are supposed to busy getting ready to make the move.  Since your not use all your 90 days perhaps I could use perhaps 45 of them. Best wishes for the wedding.  

thanks ! You're right. We used up merely 13 out of 90.... But no carry forward I'm afraid..

[owenkrout]

This has been puzzling me. Everyone is indicating that they must pay at the bank and bring the receipt to the consulate. That the consulate will not take cash. Yet my wife payed in cash at the GZ consulate. When she went for her interview they collected the fee in RMB at the window inside the consulate. No hassle at all. This was on August 13, 2002.

[Mick]

This is just another example of GZ doing one thing one day, and the opposite another day. When we were at the Consulate on the 10th to pick up the visa, one of the girls in the 001/Candle group had the box checked on her pick up notice that she had to pay extra money. She was very worried about this. When she dropped off the passport in the AM she showed them the slip but they said nothing about the extra fee, just told her to come back at 4:30 to get the visa. We all went to breakfast but she was very worried that there would be a problem when she went to pick up the visa that afternoon. So Li accompanied her back to the Consulate to inquire about the situation. Of course, the guard would not let them back in. They talked to the guard and I think another person at the gate who said not to worry about the extra money. The girl, however, was still concerned so she went to the bank to pay the extra money in case they asked for the receipt. When she returned at 4:30 they never asked for the money or the receipt and issued the visa without problem.

 

Now, I see they are doing something else entirely. Is it any wonder we get confused?

[Guest ttt]

this was for visa to be picked up. Interview was 8-28 when she paid a fee I believe. So if I understand correctly she was not asked to pay difference but an additional #100.00. Was not a happy camper that it was not mentioned in AM when handing over visa. They are not all that helpful at embassy considering the image we are trying to project about who we are as a people and a country. She had to spend extra night, change flight back to capital.

[floyd]

The fee then was in the 500RMB range and is good for 1 year. Assuming there is no miscommunication, this would signal a change in policy - even if GZ only required the difference between the old fee and the new fee. I can't imagine them demanding the full fee AGAIN at the visa pickup time.

 

This doesn't sound right, but if anyone else has the same experience I'd sure like to hear about it.

 

Personal note: if it cost another $100 to get the visa after waiting since August, I'd pay it in a minute and forget it. Chump change compared to phone calls, lost tax benefit (marrried-filing joint) plus another trip to China in the interim. I would hate to get ripped for $100, but consider it the last kiss from GZ.

I remember my wife rushing to pay and get the receipt to pay a few months back before some price increase. She was then able to use this receipt to get her visa a couple of weeks ago.

 

I also agree that it is probably worthwhile to just pay the $100 over the other costs of fighting over it, since the visa is otherwise so close at that point!