Visas for US citizens -- the 2010 changes
#46
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I think the case I outlined demonstrates that: 1) the people that make such decisions aren't connected to the local merchants in BJ and SH in the same manner as the PHX airport authority; 2) they don't care whether or not Americans visit their country; and 3) the reciprocity thing gels well with them.
#47
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Another country - Indonesia - charges an entry visa every-time you land for USA citizens, $25 each time, stay cannot extend beyond 30 days. If you make a few visits a year, that will more than cover the $140 China charges for a one year visa. Do they make money from this? Yes. Do they make a huge profit? I don't know and frankly don't care.....
Moondog below also makes some valid points - I think we're taking a very ethnocentric (i.e. western USA) perspective. It is Asia and when in Rome, do what the Romans do.
#48
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Yeah, I'm pretty sure there aren't a lot of high-level Chinese officials sitting around wondering how they can make life easier for US tourists, and how to boost US tourism.
And, obviously, the US gov't can't complain, as we're making life hard for Chinese visa applicants.
And, obviously, the US gov't can't complain, as we're making life hard for Chinese visa applicants.
#49
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Only (and this doesn't just apply to PRC citizens) that a significant number of Chinese visa applicants are potential immigration threats (ie. overstay, settling etc), whereas I would figure the vast majority of Americans are not. We'll go, see some sights, snap some photos, spend a ton of money and then leave.
The best kind of tourist
#50
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Sure.
Only (and this doesn't just apply to PRC citizens) that a significant number of Chinese visa applicants are potential immigration threats (ie. overstay, settling etc), whereas I would figure the vast majority of Americans are not. We'll go, see some sights, snap some photos, spend a ton of money and then leave.
The best kind of tourist
Only (and this doesn't just apply to PRC citizens) that a significant number of Chinese visa applicants are potential immigration threats (ie. overstay, settling etc), whereas I would figure the vast majority of Americans are not. We'll go, see some sights, snap some photos, spend a ton of money and then leave.
The best kind of tourist
#51
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Anyone can drop off or pick up the passports and applications, the applicant doesn't have to be there. For pick up they just require the receipt they give you when you drop them off.
#52
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While that may be true, the underlying rationale (which Jamoldo spelled out) is unsettling to the BJ government. In their view, China is just as great as the US, and the tit-for-tat policy reinforces this.
#53
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I am having somebody pick the visas up for me. That seems easier (no need to take a number), and I hope they're out of there in 30 minutes.
BTW, the Russians are even worse. They insist on asking you a million pointless questions and provide various ridiculous information. And you have to get your hotel to "invite" you.
#54
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AND there are also an even more significant number of illegal immigrants that come to stay from Europe/Africa as well as south of our borders.
Boy, has this thread morphed. But what the heck....LOL
#55
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Actually, the majority from China that want to stay (illegally) don't apply for tourists visas, they pay the snakes to smuggle them into the states!
AND there are also an even more significant number of illegal immigrants that come to stay from Europe/Africa as well as south of our borders.
Boy, has this thread morphed. But what the heck....LOL
AND there are also an even more significant number of illegal immigrants that come to stay from Europe/Africa as well as south of our borders.
Boy, has this thread morphed. But what the heck....LOL
Point #1 is, the dramatic newscasts of the Chinese found in the ships' containers are only a small fraction now of the Chinese illegals and overstayers (used to be more common).
Point #2 and circling back to this thread is, the reverse situation of Americans overstaying visas isn't common at all--except in sporadic individual cases and usually due to carelessness or stupidity, more rarely due to planned subterfuge. The US fee to others of $140 is to cover costs of the processing and the interview/evaluation. The Chinese fee to US citizens of $140 is to put a sticker in passport, and to keep up Face and image of Equality.
What's different and quite unfair is the Chinese grant only multiple visits during a 12 months period at most. While the US visa is generally good for Chinese to have multiple visits over a number of years.
#56
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About 2 years ago, I brought a delegation of 8 Chinese people (Jinan based) to the US. While the precise details elude me, that was a really annoying and expensive process. All required interviews in BJ during business hours, and since the US Consulate was unable to provide guaranteed slots to several, the length of the interview trip was uncertain. We needed plane tickets (to the US) as well... more similar.
Second example, one of my friends married a Chinese lady about 5 years ago and tried to get visas for her family members to attend the wedding reception. Again, interviews and plane tickets for all (iirc, they have to pay for interviews and visas separately). 3 out of 10 were rejected due to "flight risk" (i.e. failure to demonstrate strong enough attachment to China).
#57
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My sense is the illegals coming from Fujian and other southern provinces by way of the snakes are significantly larger than those that overstay their visas. Plus nowadays, the number of overstays decreasing...as Chinese economy grows?
And Moondog is right about getting either business or even educational visas for stateside post 9/11 (for any nationality, not just Chinese). I can share some perspectives off-line from state department friends who worked in the various consulates in China in the late 90's and early 2000's. They claim to have a science/matrix developed re who gets in and who gets the boot????
#58
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We should compare numbers when we meet up to Bj one day for dinner at that well known restaurant!
My sense is the illegals coming from Fujian and other southern provinces by way of the snakes are significantly larger than those that overstay their visas. Plus nowadays, the number of overstays decreasing...as Chinese economy grows?
And Moondog is right about getting either business or even educational visas for stateside post 9/11 (for any nationality, not just Chinese). I can share some perspectives off-line from state department friends who worked in the various consulates in China in the late 90's and early 2000's. They claim to have a science/matrix developed re who gets in and who gets the boot????
My sense is the illegals coming from Fujian and other southern provinces by way of the snakes are significantly larger than those that overstay their visas. Plus nowadays, the number of overstays decreasing...as Chinese economy grows?
And Moondog is right about getting either business or even educational visas for stateside post 9/11 (for any nationality, not just Chinese). I can share some perspectives off-line from state department friends who worked in the various consulates in China in the late 90's and early 2000's. They claim to have a science/matrix developed re who gets in and who gets the boot????
#59
Join Date: Jun 2005
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But your comparison to J & S is apple to oranges .... China was until recently a closed society, you couldn't get in and you couldn't get out. Folks fail to realize it wasn't that long ago that it really opened up. J & S (your examples) generally have been open (ok, let's not get into Japanese history), don't have good reason to remain illegally stateside, etc. A better comparison might be folks south of our borders
None of the above by the way is relevant to why China charges what it charges for visas, or grants or denies visa applications from the states.