There's a report today that the Chinese are making it more difficult for Canadians to get visas. Can anyone confirm, and is there any change in their USA policies?

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I've just noticed that in Canada regulations for tourist visas seem to have been tightened up considerably since the middle of December. All visa applications require an invitation letter, or, failing that (as most of those not on tours will indeed have no such thing), proof of air ticket booking and hotel reservation, details of itinerary, etc. The application form is also now longer and asking more questions, including details of other travel overseas in the past, details of other family members whether they are travelling or not, etc.

Of course, there's a long tradition of having such regulations to hand but not generally enforcing them, although finding them handy to justify denial of visa when the true reasons are political. But a quick glance at the many visa agencies (most of whom have addresses next door to the consulate, of course) shows that they have incorporated these regulations on their own pages, too, which suggests they are being enforced.

Nor is it any longer possible just to show up and make a visa application. Instead an appointment must be made on-line using an incompetently programmed web form.

Three questions:

1. Are other nationals seeing the same approaches being introduced?

2. Hong Kong has long been the easiest place to acquire visas. Is there a squeeze on there, too?

3. The purpose appears to be to deter independent travellers with flexible itineraries in favour of groups with fixed ones. Would anyone care to speculate why this is happening now? Unrest in Sichuan? Yet another games/expo/global beanfeast?

Peter N-H