Recommendation for Chinese visa

[jiejie]

Originally Posted by dsgtc0408

Hi, don't know if you've ever tried this, but what about applying for the visa while in Hong Kong? There's three options.
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No No No No No. Not if you need a multiple entry to go in and out, or a 6-month or 12-month duration. The game has definitely changed since the above poster got his visa in HK (08/2007). For quite a while now, Hong Kong has only reliably given out single entries for 30 day's duration, occasionally with 60 days. Sometimes you can get double entry good for 2x within 180 days, with duration of 30 or 60 days. Usually the latter by going through a local agency not directly to the Commissioners office. This applies to L and F visas. The applications forms there may have 6-month and 12-month options, but they aren't being granted to non-HK ID holders without very special clout/circumstances. Hong Kong is useful if you only need a shorter term or one or two-time visa to be used relatively quickly. They can also process work Z visas if you already have the prerequisite paperwork. Do not depend on getting a limited Shenzhen-only border permit at Lo Wu or other crossing--for US and some other passport holders this is a sometimes on/sometimes off proposition and at any rate you must stay inside Shenzhen which isn't too useful.

Attention: the Visa treaty between China and the US that gives US passport holders the opportunity to get up to 12-months multiple entry (with durations of longer than standard), is good ONLY if you apply to a Chinese mission within the US. The deal's off if you apply anywhere else in the world. Outside the US, you get only the choices du jour being offered by that particular mission, and everywhere you will pay the standard price accorded to US passports.

[jiejie]

Originally Posted by shel

What's the source for this? (I highly doubt it.) My parents-in-law could greatly benefit from it.

Yes, it is possible for the US to grant 10-year multiple entry visas to Chinese citizens and fairly common, but it's not 100% automatic. Your in-laws should at least look into it. And ultimately, the final arbiter of the duration of stay for each visit is the immigration officer that processes the foreigner upon entry to the US--they could get 15 days, or 90 days, etc etc. Usually they need to show more evidence of return or onward tickets, where they will stay, itineraries, etc. For that matter, the Chinese granting of 1-year multiple entry to Americans is also not 100% guaranteed, and Chinese immigration officers also technically have the right to change the limit on an incoming foreigner's duration of stay--though in practice, I've never heard of this happening to any western foreigner/passport holder. And China (except for odd times like around the Olympics) doesn't normally require evidence of onward/return ticket or accommodations, domestic itineraries, etc.

The reciprocity fee thing is indeed a crock for reasons too long to go into here, but it is what it is and you won't change the Chinese on this.