Effective as of Aug 1, a New Visa Requirement

[tsap seui]

Later....lil' rabbit and I sneak into the bathroom of the 777 at some point in the middle of the night, 7 miles above the polar icecap, and WHOOOOPIE

 

tsap seui

 

Are you sure it's safe to pop those little blue pills at 35,000 feet? We would hate to Loose you, but what a way to go!

 

While I'm sure the blue pill day will come....so to speak,....it hasn't arrived jes yet. What I do is chew on a white tailed buck antler at Sea Level and it's hard to keep John Thomas in his corral all day. Barn door won't stay shut....you know, git-git-gitty-up ride-um cowgirl.

 

Now jes uwe git out thar and sell some of them speakers today, Bubba. I want to see some Wall Street action from yore company, and Donald Trumpff shakin' in his python boots. YEEEEHAWWWW

 

tsap seui

Beer for my men

whiskey for our horses

[Bparks777]

I have 1 more question, is this required for people only applying for a visa? So if my tourist visa expires in January 2013 I wont have to worry about this?

 

Reason I ask is, I just purchased plane tickets for the end of september, and I got an email saying my "passport, and or visa requirements may have changed" I have never received tis message before, is just a bit strange.

[dnoblett]

I have 1 more question, is this required for people only applying for a visa? So if my tourist visa expires in January 2013 I wont have to worry about this?

 

Reason I ask is, I just purchased plane tickets for the end of september, and I got an email saying my "passport, and or visa requirements may have changed" I have never received tis message before, is just a bit strange.

Only when applying for a visa, you attach a copy of this letter to the visa application. I had to do this once the first time I visited China for a tour, the tour agency emailed me an invite letter along with initiatory which I attached to the visa application, back in 2005.

[Bparks777]

Thats what I thought. I just found it a bit strange my Delta would send me this email

 

Thanks for the quick reply!

[Mr. Don]

My travel agent sent a copy of my round trip travel itinerary with my application and my Chinese visa was approved w/o problem or questions.

[Doug]

I have 1 more question, is this required for people only applying for a visa? So if my tourist visa expires in January 2013 I wont have to worry about this?

 

Reason I ask is, I just purchased plane tickets for the end of september, and I got an email saying my "passport, and or visa requirements may have changed" I have never received tis message before, is just a bit strange.

Only when applying for a visa, you attach a copy of this letter to the visa application. I had to do this once the first time I visited China for a tour, the tour agency emailed me an invite letter along with initiatory which I attached to the visa application, back in 2005.

So basically you are saying his present VISA is OK, right? I thought at any time they can revoke a VISA. I doubt they would give notice though. Does Delta know something we don't? I have a year multi entry visa myself I plan on using soon. I got this VISA before August first, back in early July out of Houston.

Edited August 8, 2012 by Doug (see edit history)

[Randy W]

I have 1 more question, is this required for people only applying for a visa? So if my tourist visa expires in January 2013 I wont have to worry about this?

 

Reason I ask is, I just purchased plane tickets for the end of september, and I got an email saying my "passport, and or visa requirements may have changed" I have never received tis message before, is just a bit strange.

Only when applying for a visa, you attach a copy of this letter to the visa application. I had to do this once the first time I visited China for a tour, the tour agency emailed me an invite letter along with initiatory which I attached to the visa application, back in 2005.

So basically you are saying his present VISA is OK, right? I thought at any time they can revoke a VISA. I doubt they would give notice though. Does Delta know something we don't? I have a year multi entry visa myself I plan on using soon. I got this VISA before August first, back in early July out of Houston.

 

 

Yes - your visa is fine. Yes, they CAN revoke it, but they won't.

[knloregon]

I read this as a catch-all for blocking political dissidents attempting to enter China en mass... not directed at individuals..

[2mike&jin]

Ok, let me see if I got this right.....My wife just Became a USC last Wed, so now if I want to get her a visa from the Chinese Embassy so she can go back and STAY in HER HOUSE, I have to have a round trip ticket and hotel reservations? Well this is BS. So has anyone actually called a "CHINA VISA SERVICE" and asked about the Embassy interpretation of this?

 

I don't know about the rest of you - but I never buy ROUND TRIP tickets to China.....I don't want to give up my flexibility of being able to leave the next day if I want to. I also never get a paper ticket - heading to CHina or for that matter for leaving China. SO, let's see book with ORbitz, for round trip, book with Hilton for 30 days, print off all reservations, then quickly cancel everything. Seems pretty normal to me!

 

I'm of course curious about staying in one's home vice hotel, and the impact to a new USC going back for the first time, obtaining a China VIsa for the first time - if anyone has fiction or fact I would love to hear about it. Thanks...

Edited August 11, 2012 by 2mike&jin (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Ok, let me see if I got this right.....My wife just Became a USC last Wed, so now if I want to get her a visa from the Chinese Embassy so she can go back and STAY in HER HOUSE, I have to have a round trip ticket and hotel reservations? Well this is BS. So has anyone actually called a "CHINA VISA SERVICE" and asked about the Embassy interpretation of this?

 

I don't know about the rest of you - but I never buy ROUND TRIP tickets to China.....I don't want to give up my flexibility of being able to leave the next day if I want to. I also never get a paper ticket - heading to CHina or for that matter for leaving China. SO, let's see book with ORbitz, for round trip, book with Hilton for 30 days, print off all reservations, then quickly cancel everything. Seems pretty normal to me!

 

I'm of course curious about staying in one's home vice hotel, and the impact to a new USC going back for the first time, obtaining a China VIsa for the first time - if anyone has fiction or fact I would love to hear about it. Thanks...

 

As of now, I haven't heard of anyone who has gone to the consulate themselves to apply for a new visa since Aug. 1. Those who have used visa services (all of two people that I've heard from) have said that the visa service expects them to submit an invitation letter - and that one from a Chinese citizen wife, or family in the PRC will do fine.

 

For someone going to meet a new acquaintance for the first time, like the policy says, they will most likely need an invitation letter, or the itinerary.

 

In my view, this policy is aimed at those "foreign devils" who come with no specific purpose and end up over-staying their visas or working illegally. For most of us, including newbies, this policy simply means to bring another piece of paper. I expect the same will be true for you, once you can figure out what to put on the paper.

Edited August 12, 2012 by Randy W (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

Have no fear Mike, I'll get Wenyan to send you a letter asking your wife to come visit and stay in her, your wife's, home.

 

I've laughed about this crap and can can just see me having Wenyan send me a letter from our American home to our American home asking me to come visit and stay in her China home. I can't picture myself buying no stinking round trip ticket now either....might have to but it won't be an itinerary I stick with. I'll come back to the states on my time, when I feel like it, all within visa stay time limits of course.

 

We're not heading back until next June anyhow, will have plenty of time for the new wrinkle to get ironed out...LOL Give em hell MIke.

 

tsap seui

[2mike&jin]

Have no fear Mike, I'll get Wenyan to send you a letter asking your wife to come visit and stay in her, your wife's, home.

 

I've laughed about this crap and can can just see me having Wenyan send me a letter from our American home to our American home asking me to come visit and stay in her China home. I can't picture myself buying no stinking round trip ticket now either....might have to but it won't be an itinerary I stick with. I'll come back to the states on my time, when I feel like it, all within visa stay time limits of course.

 

We're not heading back until next June anyhow, will have plenty of time for the new wrinkle to get ironed out...LOL Give em hell MIke.

 

tsap seui

 

Well I must've been in a mood when I first wanted to send a a "heavy Pink Team" in on CHinese Consulate (Same as a few years ago).....as we used to say ....LOH in the Attack Mode!

But I guess my week of 2 hour Citizenship Ceremony, New Passport for Mommy Dearest, Voter Registration, and a few other Administrative hurdles left me in no MOOD to deal with a new China Visa requirement - especially with the family all being USC's and Mommy Dearest now needing a Visa and the 2 boys already with Visa's in hand. At least this Immigration thing is behind me!

 

For all - I will call some of our favorite CHINA VISA Services Monday/Tuesday and see if I can get the same answer from at least two of them - and try to ferret out the details of people who might own their own homes - might not know "when" they might want to return - etc. It has been my experience when I was building a boat in China - that the Travel Agent in the LA area - often would dummy up the hotel/flight information for the visa and then after everything was locked in - update - under the guise - schedules change! Regardless - I'll report back what the agencies tell me as I might be in the "Go to China Mode next month" as we have one of Jin's cousins getting married - if they can ever set a date - which seems to be problematic. (I think they're trying to figure out if the first week of October will be cool enough-what a way to make a decision-never mind that some might want to travel to the wedding and planning must be accomplished)

 

All take care - and get ready for Labor Day!!

[2mike&jin]

Ok, minor anecdotal update to this thread. As promised I called to VISA service Agencies to see what they had experienced in the two weeks since the new requirements went into effect. One agency was completely stupid the other was marginally stupid. The best I could get out them was that several people have brought up the issue of Round Trip Tickets and the Hotel issue as well as the returning people who own homes in China. It appears several folks have written "special letters" to explain their circumstances to provide slightly differing information. I.e One way tickets and home address where they are staying. When I asked both about the "Success Rate" of the requests - which seemed like the next logical question - I got anything from I don't know - to seems to work most of the time. I called back on different days to double check - got about the same non-useful responses. (What's more shocking some of the people I talked to were Americans-and got back Chinese answers - maybe yes maybe no type responses)

 

I then tried to ferret out the "invitation Letter" to insure that it could in fact be from anyone - but the relationship should explain the "common sense" view of why one was being invited. So I guess the path of least resistance for all of us is to; (1) Write the Invitation Letter; send to relatives, (2) Relative receives, signs and puts copy of their PRC ID card (Front and Back) attached to letter - (3) Sends back to US relative via EMS to attach to VISA request from Chinese Embassy. A week or so later the visas arrive back in your hand - administrative hassle complete!

 

With my wife becoming a USC two weeks ago - I'm not sure my level of visiting the homeland is the same as it was before - albeit I've always had to "DRAG HER BACK". When I question her about it...she basically says - "I didn't leave anything important there", obviously a differing view than I have - but it might be the age difference and the increasing value of family as one ages!

Edited August 19, 2012 by 2mike&jin (see edit history)

[tsap seui]

 

With my wife becoming a USC two weeks ago - I'm not sure my level of visiting the homeland is the same as it was before - albeit I've always had to "DRAG HER BACK". When I question her about it...she basically says - "I didn't leave anything important there", obviously a differing view than I have - but it might be the age difference and the increasing value of family as one ages!

 

 

Too funny Mike, I usually say, I didn't lose anythig I need there" about places I could care less to visit again....your wife 's responce was hilarious. If my wife and son balked at going back for a visit to China I would do like you and drag them back. Ma and Ba are old and once they pass, visits are gonna be mighty rare I reckon, I just don't want them to lose their heritage.

 

Looks like the only thing a pink team could do is put the dummies you asked questions of out of "your" misery....lol I well understand where you are coming from with your questions and how you like to work your visits. I hardly went over with a return date in mind, just got the return ticket when I felt the time had come. I guess it's still $200 to change international flight dates, should a feller have to show a roundtrip ticket.

 

If you ever need a quick invite letter, it's only a PM away....lol...your wife's "auntie" or "cousin" Wenyan has her Chinese ID card handy and I am very handy at writing Hallmark type invitation letters...yuk yuk yuk..which Wenyan can translate into Chinese.

 

tsap seui

 

Hey, I had a wee go around with our friend USAA the other night. Concerned a minor change in our homeowners. The letter they sent was highly unlike any USAA letter I ever got and the operator bent over backwards in her apologys and thanks for over 41 years of membership. Even said she would file a complaint and notice of feedback to the higher ups at some goofballs way of wording the letter. Made me laugh, and think of you.

[Randy W]

Visa rules haven't hurt US demand

 

 

The visa officer spoke in response to media reports which had expressed worries that the changed visa rules could jeopardize the country's goal to become world's top tourism destination.

 

. . .

 

Chen blamed the misperception over the new rules on concerns expressed by travel agents.

 

Under the new visa rules, visiting China has become less burdensome for Chinese-Americans and their families.

 

That is, check with the consulate directly about any questions that arise.