Questionable advice from embassy
#1
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Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 3,607
Questionable advice from embassy
A friend was applying for a visa to China and was informed by the Chinese official that if his flight was delayed his visa would not be valid. This seems unlikely to me. Anyone know what they were likely trying to say?
#3
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#5
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If there is a delay or penalty which will push the passenger over their allowed stay I would make sure they proceed to the airport (or other exit point) to make contact with immigration. Don't simply stay at the hotel and take the flight the next day without telling anyone.
For flight delays or cancellation which are still within visa validity, or even if you just change your mind and want to stay longer - no problems. The passenger is free to make alternative arrangements as long as their new flights depart before the visa runs out.
#7
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There would be a problem if the person were planning to enter China on the last possible date for doing so. Then a delay (long enough to mean that the flight would arrive the next day) would mean that the person has no valid visa. However, since this wouldn't be the passenger's fault, I'm not sure what the Chinese immigration officials would do. In the extreme, if it were a delay that arose after the flight had left its departure gate (i.e., a delay while sitting on the tarmac), the passenger would have no good options for deplaning. A similar situation could arise if a flight to China were diverted overnight. However, these very rare situations just seem to say that there's some risk associated with planning to enter China on the last possible day for your visa.
#8
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There would be a problem if the person were planning to enter China on the last possible date for doing so. Then a delay (long enough to mean that the flight would arrive the next day) would mean that the person has no valid visa. However, since this wouldn't be the passenger's fault, I'm not sure what the Chinese immigration officials would do. In the extreme, if it were a delay that arose after the flight had left its departure gate (i.e., a delay while sitting on the tarmac), the passenger would have no good options for deplaning. A similar situation could arise if a flight to China were diverted overnight. However, these very rare situations just seem to say that there's some risk associated with planning to enter China on the last possible day for your visa.
The new visas were because we couldn't get a clear answer on whether the date on the visa was an enter before or enter no later than.