Can't find passport!!!

[I love Sunshine]

Heather,

 

I can only imagine your frustration... If it is any consolation, many of us here would love to be in the situation where we are stranded with our SO.

 

Let us know how everything turns out and what you end up doing. I guess your husband is too big to fit into your suitcase

 

Wish you luck in resolving this predicament.

[dnoblett]

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...=10659&st=0

Very good find! It gives hope.

[RLS]

Would love an update on whether they found it or not?

[xiaoheather]

Would love an update on whether they found it or not?

 

Hey there. Didn't find it - but now I am in the States and he is still in Shanghai. I had commitments here so I couldn't postpone my trip.

 

Feels weird to be moving to the States without him. Well, feels weird to be moving from Shanghai period - but especially without him.

 

I've emailed GUZ, but they're stupid and didn't understand my simple email. I emailed again explaining it better and asking them to go ask an American if they don't know the answer.

 

The United office did make a copy of his visa, so he's going to go there to see if they still have it.

 

I called American Citizen Services and the lady there said he should only have to get a replacement, not go through the process again. Hopefully she is right.

 

Our friend who works at the bank he went to after buying the ticket viewed the security footage and saw him leaving with his passport. That means he either lost it in the cab home (but he also had 10k USD in his pocket, so he was being very careful!!) or we lost it at our home. But, he's cleaned up even more and went through everything. No sign of it. Starting to wonder if our ayi lifted it - it's got to be worth something on the black market! We had our ayi for 3+ years and it doesn't seem like her.... She looked guilty/bu hao yisi enough when she asked if she could have our toaster (after I had offered to give her some of the things we were leaving behind). But... you never know.

 

My hubby and I have lived together for 3.5 years, so it won't kill us to be apart for a couple months. I just hope there really is a quick solution like in the case of that K3 visa thread. I don't think I can handle a year apart...

 

Thanks for all your support! I was in tears at the Shanghai airport, but by the time I got here, I had settled down.... I'm trusting that there is a higher purpose for all this, and maybe it will become apparent soon.

 

Now, just trying to overcome jet lag... slept from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. Gotta grab dinner now!

 

Thanks for all your support. And take care of the passports!!!!

 

Heather

[mchina34]

Hello xiaoheather.

 

 

I'm sorry to inform you that the information I provided in a previous post is incorrect, in most situations.

 

 

Passports are processed in Beijing. First they go through a local office (city), then a provincial one (capital of province).

 

Shanghai is a municipality (not in a province) so it may be less time for there, but the law in China is that when a passport is lost the person has to get a police report (which from various readings it can be very difficult just to convince them), then you take this to a newspaper company that can run a 'national ad' stating that your passport is lost. This ad has to run for exactly 3.5 months before you can go to the local passport issuing department and file for a new passport. After that it will take the normal two weeks to process the passport request.

 

 

That means you have to wait for 4 months before you get your passport. The mildly good news is that I've read stories where Guz gives a new sticker/visa, or at least can if they choose to do so. And, the original VISA is good for 6 months, so if the 4 months don't consume that whole period you might not have to reapply for K3 visa if you can get Guz to give a new sticker, otherwise I think you'll most likely have to reapply.

 

 

One person I've read says that if you go straight to the Beijing office you can get it in the 2-3 week normal period, but I don't think that happens 100% of the time. I guess it's worth a shot if you have the resources.

 

Of course you should contact the local passport issuing agency (or rather your husband should), to ascertain what I said.

 

Guanxi will be the only other alternative.

 

 

Good luck, and let us know if you find out different, or the same.

[xiaoheather]

 

 

Shanghai is a municipality (not in a province) so it may be less time for there, but the law in China is that when a passport is lost the person has to get a police report (which from various readings it can be very difficult just to convince them), then you take this to a newspaper company that can run a 'national ad' stating that your passport is lost. This ad has to run for exactly 3.5 months before you can go to the local passport issuing department and file for a new passport. After that it will take the normal two weeks to process the passport request.

 

Hi there,

 

Can you tell me where you found this information? That's interesting, because my husband researched it, and said he read that once the ad has run for just 1 day, he can bring the newspaper and police report to apply for a new passport.

 

3.5 months sure doesn't sound good. I can't believe this is happening. I can't handle being apart for that long, but I need American health insurance, and can't find it in China. That's why I am here. Cry!

 

I'll let you know what happens. I'm off to try to go back to sleep.

[mchina34]

 

 

Shanghai is a municipality (not in a province) so it may be less time for there, but the law in China is that when a passport is lost the person has to get a police report (which from various readings it can be very difficult just to convince them), then you take this to a newspaper company that can run a 'national ad' stating that your passport is lost. This ad has to run for exactly 3.5 months before you can go to the local passport issuing department and file for a new passport. After that it will take the normal two weeks to process the passport request.

 

Hi there,

 

Can you tell me where you found this information? That's interesting, because my husband researched it, and said he read that once the ad has run for just 1 day, he can bring the newspaper and police report to apply for a new passport.

 

3.5 months sure doesn't sound good. I can't believe this is happening. I can't handle being apart for that long, but I need American health insurance, and can't find it in China. That's why I am here. Cry!

 

I'll let you know what happens. I'm off to try to go back to sleep.

 

 

Passport issuing department in China. Another member of this forum it happened to as well, and a google search shows another incident all stating the mandatory 3.5 month wait. Of course it will be difficult to google since Chinese people will of course post things in Chinese not English.

 

Like I said, he may go to the local office and they might tell him something different, but that's the normal process I've found in Zhejiang province, and the other member of the forum did this in Wuhan city (Hubei province).

 

My wife knows someone at the local passport issuing 'place' (for the lack of formal name), and this is what they told her.

 

I hope that doesn't happen to you, but it seems to be the rule. He can get the police report and an ad in the paper for the next day normally, so you shouldn't have to wait long to find out for sure.

 

 

 

 

Here's the only english link i found:

http://home.wangjianshuo.com/archives/2003...f_p_r_china.htm

 

Others my wife found are in chinese, so I don't even have the links.

 

He should find out now for sure, while the office in China are still open, if he hasn't already. That's coming from in impatient person. What province is he in?

[xiaoheather]

He should find out now for sure, while the office in China are still open, if he hasn't already. That's coming from in impatient person. What province is he in?

 

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I'm checking out WangJianShuo's blog - it's always so helpful (used to work with him at Microsoft!) ... seems that he experienced this in 2003. Hope the regulations have changed since then!

 

My husband, Tyler, is Shanghainese - lived there his whole life (still strange that I don't live there!). He went to the police station today and filed a report. Tomorrow he'll head to the newspaper. He said the police didn't tell him how long the ad would have to run.

 

Apparently he had called the passport office, and they didn't indicate that he could only apply after it had run for 3 months. Seems a bit obsessive. I'm praying that everything has changed. It's TOO long apart. We've never been apart for that long before.

 

Anyway, I'm rambling. Will fill you in on the details as everything progresses.

 

Heather

[mchina34]

He should find out now for sure, while the office in China are still open, if he hasn't already. That's coming from in impatient person. What province is he in?

 

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I'm checking out WangJianShuo's blog - it's always so helpful (used to work with him at Microsoft!) ... seems that he experienced this in 2003. Hope the regulations have changed since then!

 

My husband, Tyler, is Shanghainese - lived there his whole life (still strange that I don't live there!). He went to the police station today and filed a report. Tomorrow he'll head to the newspaper. He said the police didn't tell him how long the ad would have to run.

 

Apparently he had called the passport office, and they didn't indicate that he could only apply after it had run for 3 months. Seems a bit obsessive. I'm praying that everything has changed. It's TOO long apart. We've never been apart for that long before.

 

Anyway, I'm rambling. Will fill you in on the details as everything progresses.

 

Heather

 

 

I know it's very excessive. Ridiculous in fact. I hope you don't have to wait that long, but that is what the the agency told my wife, so I'm only relaying information, not interpreting it or anything like that. You'll find out tomorrow for sure. The fact that Shanghai is a municipality might make things happen differently, but that's just speculation on my part.

 

 

That's so unreal you know that guy in the blog...especially from MS. Must be a Washington girl (that's where I am)?

[SirLancelot]

Can you tell me where you found this information? That's interesting, because my husband researched it, and said he read that once the ad has run for just 1 day, he can bring the newspaper and police report to apply for a new passport.

 

3.5 months sure doesn't sound good. I can't believe this is happening. I can't handle being apart for that long, but I need American health insurance, and can't find it in China. That's why I am here. Cry!

 

I'll let you know what happens. I'm off to try to go back to sleep.

 

Hi Heather,

 

I'm sorry to hear of your husband's predicament but I'm almost 100% positive there's no way your husband would be allowed to apply for a new passport after 1 day having his ad run in the newspaper--unless he goes through some back channel guanxi. I hope I'm wrong on this, but it would surprise me greatly if he's able to obtain a replacement passport in under a month. I also believe it's 3 months before he'll be able to replace his passport.

 

Best wishes.

[dnoblett]

Can you tell me where you found this information? That's interesting, because my husband researched it, and said he read that once the ad has run for just 1 day, he can bring the newspaper and police report to apply for a new passport.

 

3.5 months sure doesn't sound good. I can't believe this is happening. I can't handle being apart for that long, but I need American health insurance, and can't find it in China. That's why I am here. Cry!

 

I'll let you know what happens. I'm off to try to go back to sleep.

 

Hi Heather,

 

I'm sorry to hear of your husband's predicament but I'm almost 100% positive there's no way your husband would be allowed to apply for a new passport after 1 day having his ad run in the newspaper--unless he goes through some back channel guanxi. I hope I'm wrong on this, but it would surprise me greatly if he's able to obtain a replacement passport in under a month. I also believe it's 3 months before he'll be able to replace his passport.

 

Best wishes.

This one got passport replaced in 3 weeks:

 

http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...=10659&st=0

[mchina34]

That 'person' had to go directly to Beijing to apply. Locally (her local city) they tried and were also told 3.5 months for ad, and 2 weeks for new passport.

 

And as I said, the agency told my wife that all filings go straight to Beijing for approval, so taking that into consideration and what the forum member did(go to Beijing directly), I guess it's possible to do this. I suggested this to xiaoheather, but I really doubt they do this for everyone, but it is worth a shot.

 

I guess the passport offices are closed on Saturday, so they will have to wait 'till Monday to get a definitive answer.

[xiaoheather]

Just wanted to give an update.

 

Apparently there's no need to wait 3 months for the passport. He's already gone to the passport office in Pudong, Shanghai and been told it will be available in 10 days.

 

I have to say, though, that the stupidity of the Guangzhou consulate people is REALLY getting to me. Do they do it on purpose to make us squirm?

 

They finally gave my husband a call Monday and said that he needed to go to Guangzhou to cancel the visa. However, she was unable to tell him how to get it replaced. She said we need to send another email to guangzhou to ask that question. MY GOD!!!!

 

He's already got a plane ticket for tomorrow. Wondering if he could wait a couple weeks and just get it all done in one visit (the cancellation and the replacement)?!

 

I need to write another stinkin email to guangzhou specifically asking how to replace the visa now. God, they're so stupid. Makes me glad I'm out of that backwards country where it's so hard to get something simple done. Just need to get my husband out now.

[Guest Mike and Lily]

You two will be home together soon.

[C4Racer]

Just wanted to give an update.

 

Apparently there's no need to wait 3 months for the passport. He's already gone to the passport office in Pudong, Shanghai and been told it will be available in 10 days.

 

I have to say, though, that the stupidity of the Guangzhou consulate people is REALLY getting to me. Do they do it on purpose to make us squirm?

 

They finally gave my husband a call Monday and said that he needed to go to Guangzhou to cancel the visa. However, she was unable to tell him how to get it replaced. She said we need to send another email to guangzhou to ask that question. MY GOD!!!!

 

He's already got a plane ticket for tomorrow. Wondering if he could wait a couple weeks and just get it all done in one visit (the cancellation and the replacement)?!

 

I need to write another stinkin email to guangzhou specifically asking how to replace the visa now. God, they're so stupid. Makes me glad I'm out of that backwards country where it's so hard to get something simple done. Just need to get my husband out now.

 

The call most likely came from the visa help center. They are not part of the visa unit or even the consulate. This task is outsourced. The help they provide is scheduling and answers regarding tourist visas. Like they indicated, they don't know squat about the family visas. It's hard to talk with the visa unit on the phone because they are so busy. I've got to believe GUZ will handle this issue fairly quickly as they have seen this kind of problem before. I've heard of people getting their passports stolen after receiving a family visa. Stay positive and focused. You'll be togther soon.

Edited June 12, 2007 by C4Racer (see edit history)