Warden Message: Chinese Visa Policy Tightens

[jtaylo69]

U.S. CONSULATE GENERAL

 

GUANGZHOU

 

American Citizen Services

 

 

 

Date: August 6, 2007

 

Warden Message: Chinese Visa Policy Tightens

 

 

 

The Entry and Exit Administration Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security has tightened its regulations pertaining to the issuance, renewal and alteration of visas. The changes took effect July 2007. For the foreseeable future, it will no longer be possible to change tourist (L) and exchange (F) -type visas to other types. Many applications that formerly could be handled by a representative now must be completed in person by the applicant. Additionally, express visa service is no longer available. Enforcement has tightened of entry and exit violations, with recent reports of police, school administrators and hotel staff checking to ensure that foreigners have not overstayed their visas.

 

 

Please be advised that current regulations state that the penalty for overstaying a visa is 500 RMB per day of overstay, not to exceed 5000 RMB and/or detention. The period of detention can range from 5-30 days depending on the severity of the violation. Detention may be longer than 30 days in the case that the authorities believe that the foreigner was involved in criminal activity. The Embassy is aware of several recent detentions of American citizens relating to visa overstays and violating the terms of their visas (i.e. working while on a visitor¡¯s visa).

 

For more information, please consult with you local Public Security Bureau¡¯s Entry and Exit office or logon to Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau¡¯s English language website at www.bjgaj.gov.cn.

 

U.S. citizens residing or traveling in China are reminded to register with the U.S. Embassy or closest U.S. Consulate by entering your travel itinerary and contact information at https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/home.asp. In case of difficulties registering online, please contact the closest U.S, Embassy or Consulate.

 

U.S. Embassy Beijing: No. 2 Xiu Shui Dong Jie, Chaoyang District. tel: 86-10-6532-3431 Email: amcitbeijing@state.gov. Embassy¡¯s website: beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn.

 

U.S. Consulate General Chengdu: Number 4, Lingshiguan Road, Section 4, Renmin Nanlu, Chengdu 610041, tel. 86-28-8558-3992 Email: consularchengdu@state.gov.

 

U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou: The Consular Section is located at 5th Floor, Tianyu Garden (II phase), 136-146 Lin He Zhong Lu, Tianhe District, tel. (86-20) 8518-7605; Email: GuangzhouACS@state.gov.

 

U.S. Consulate General Shanghai: The Consular Section is located in the Westgate Mall, 8th Floor, 1038 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai 200031; tel. (86-21) 3217-4650, Email: shanghaiacs@state.gov.

 

 

U.S. Consulate General Shenyang: No. 52, 14th Wei Road, Heping District, Shenyang 110003; tel. (86-24) 2322-2374, Email ShenyangACS@state.gov

 

 

American Citizen Services

 

U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou

Tel: (86-20) 8518-7605

 

(86-20) 8121-6077 (after hours duty officer for emergencies only)

 

Fax: (86-20) 3884-4410

 

Email: GuangzhouACS@state.gov

[David&Wendy]

I wonder how all those companies that hire fresh college graduates to teach oral English in China for a year will work around this?

[bosco]

I wonder how all those companies that hire fresh college graduates to teach oral English in China for a year will work around this?

 

Why would they need to????

 

This is about changing an existing visa from one type to another or overstaying a visa. It doesn't say you can't get one.

[dnoblett]

Posted recently: http://candleforlove.com/forums/index.php?...c=26284&hl=

[warpedbored]

Unless I am reading it wrong it says you can't use an express visa service anymore. Does that mean we have to go to the consulate to get a visa to visit China? Oh and read it again Curt, it mentions people working on a tourist visa.

It appears we can still use a visa service but I did find this on visarite.

Effective August 01, 2007, Chinese Visa policy for US passport holders has been changed. The Chinese Embassy and Consulate no longer offer options for single entry or double entry visa. Most visa will be issued as multiple entry. However, Single or Double Entry will be issued to those who's passport has less than 8 months validity remaining. Flat fee will be charged regardless the type of visa issued.

Edited August 6, 2007 by warpedbored (see edit history)

[chilton747]

http://visa-chinese.com/china-tourist-visa.htm

 

Note the Consulate fees are the same for multiple entries as is the single and double. But also note the visa service company charges a higher service fee for the multiple entry visa. I wonder what's up with that?

[warpedbored]

I also notice that the info says even with a 1 yr multiple entry visa you can't stay longer than 90 days. I presume you would have to exit the country then re-enter.

[chilton747]

I also notice that the info says even with a 1 yr multiple entry visa you can't stay longer than 90 days. I presume you would have to exit the country then re-enter.

I presume ths to be the truth, too. Of course if you are staying in your wife's hukou then you can stay pretty much as long as you want as long as the local police will stamp your visa.

Edited August 6, 2007 by chilton747 (see edit history)

[bosco]

Oh and read it again Curt, it mentions people working on a tourist visa.

 

 

Uhhhh....that's just another way of saying what I said. You want to work? Get a work visa, not a tourist visa. Sounds straight forward enough to me.

[warpedbored]

You are right. Up to now though it hasn't been enforced.

[David&Wendy]

Many people do get Z visa if they are going to be working there.

After living there I do know that some people go on those "tour China and teach English" during the summer and some use L and F visas.

 

These were the two points:

• For the foreseeable future, it will no longer be possible to change tourist (L) and exchange (F) -type visas to other types.
  
• Many applications that formerly could be handled by a representative now must be completed in person by the applicant
  

They would enter as a tourist and then the school would officially "hire" them from the American company that brought them in as tourist.

The school would do the applications for the Americans since they don't speak or write Chinese.

 

Now Curt, I am saying that yes I agree with you that is what this announcement is stating.

If you want to work here get the correct visa before you enter China.

 

David

[rogerinca]

I wonder how all those companies that hire fresh college graduates to teach oral English in China for a year will work around this?

 

Why would they need to????

 

This is about changing an existing visa from one type to another or overstaying a visa. It doesn't say you can't get one.

 

 

After seeing this I fired off an e-mail to my Visa Agent and ran it by him. Here is his response:

 

Dear Roger:

 

Thanks !! That was very useful information. However, it only has to do with people who are already residing or traveling in China. As far as getting a visa in the US before traveling to China, nothing has changed except for the fees. We still offer express service.

 

Thank you.

 

Michael Ma

China Visa Service Center

10700 Richmond Avenue, Suite 211

Houston, TX 77042

1-800-799-6560

info@MyChinaVisa.com

www.MyChinaVisa.com

 

 

After all, he is from TEXAS, so this must be accurate info !!!

[SirLancelot]

Unless I am reading it wrong it says you can't use an express visa service anymore. Does that mean we have to go to the consulate to get a visa to visit China? Oh and read it again Curt, it mentions people working on a tourist visa.

It appears we can still use a visa service but I did find this on visarite.

Effective August 01, 2007, Chinese Visa policy for US passport holders has been changed. The Chinese Embassy and Consulate no longer offer options for single entry or double entry visa. Most visa will be issued as multiple entry. However, Single or Double Entry will be issued to those who's passport has less than 8 months validity remaining. Flat fee will be charged regardless the type of visa issued.

 

 

I would agree with what Roger's travel agent said. This Warden Message was posted by the US Embassy in China and they're giving this warning to US residents/visitors already in China. This does not affect visitors going for a short time (up to 60 days) at all. It only affects people who want to stay in China for a much longer timer, who want to change/renew visas.

 

 

Many people do get Z visa if they are going to be working there.

After living there I do know that some people go on those "tour China and teach English" during the summer and some use L and F visas.

 

These were the two points:

• For the foreseeable future, it will no longer be possible to change tourist (L) and exchange (F) -type visas to other types.
  
• Many applications that formerly could be handled by a representative now must be completed in person by the applicant
  

They would enter as a tourist and then the school would officially "hire" them from the American company that brought them in as tourist.

The school would do the applications for the Americans since they don't speak or write Chinese.

 

Now Curt, I am saying that yes I agree with you that is what this announcement is stating.

If you want to work here get the correct visa before you enter China.

 

David

 

I also wonder what will happen. David&W paints a very correct picture of the Teach English situation in Shanghai. My wife in fact worked in such a education company which recruited foreigners to teach English in Shanghai. Curt assumes people entered correctly into China on Z work visa. They clearly don't. Most enter on L visas and are at most changed over to F "Business" visas which really are still illegal for them to work long term in China. They all officially need Z visas. This will have a dramatic affect on foreigners working in China if they really do strictly start to enforce this outside of BJ.

 

This would have directly applied to me as well when I lived in Shanghai. I entered on L visas and used a "representative" agency to convert my L visas to 6 month F business visas. I further used the agency to renew/extend my F visas for another 6 month durations. These changes would dramatically affect my ability to stay in China for the longer term without leaving Shanghai every 90 days. At least I wasn't working in China, so I didn't have to worry about being caught working somewhere illegally.

[Steve and Aiwen]

I wonder if I am in violation if I help out at one of my SO's family's restaurants....(they own several) as long as I am doing it for free?

 

Last time I was there, I played some music, just fooling around with a cheapo concertina I found, and drew quite a crowd....even a couple of cops looked in to see what all the fuss was about.....lunch revenue was up 22 percent, ha,ha....maybe it wasn't the music, maybe they were all just coming in to look at the lao wei making funny noises....

 

( i carefully DID NOT put out a "tip jar".....lol)

 

Steve

[IllinoisDave]

 

Last time I was there, I played some music, just fooling around with a cheapo concertina I found, and drew quite a crowd....even a couple of cops looked in to see what all the fuss was about.....lunch revenue was up 22 percent, ha,ha....

 

Steve

 

Freebird will do it every time.