Know before you go
 

I had an interesting experience today while applying for a visa for my trip in December.

But before I get into the particulars, I have to give credit where credit is due; to this forum! I read the FAQs and a lot of different posts on the subject of whether or not you need a visa or if the TWOV would apply. In the end, the knowledge I gained from the forum was invaluable to me today and it saved my bacon.

I arrived at the visa office with my application, flight itinerary and hotel confirmation. I also wrote a "to whom it may concern" letter explaining that I was doing a mileage run and would only be stating in Shanghai for just over 24 hours. I had everything in order. The lady behind the plexi-glass took several minutes to review my application as well as my flight itin and hotel confirmation. She then proceeded to read my letter (surprisingly, there was no reaction to my quick turn or the term "mileage run").

She then reached over and grabbed her iPhone and started taping away while referencing my itinerary. It seemed to me she was somehow confirming these flights existed. Anyhow, she finally looked up and said something to the effect of, "you don't need a visa...something, something, something, transit..something, something". Because I did not entirely understand her (very heavy accent) I asked if she thought I qualified for a transit without a visa and she said, "yes".

Only because I took the time to read the information on FT did I know she was incorrect and I proceeded to explain to her why she was incorrect. Her response? "ok". <stamp>. "Come back on the 8th to collect your visa".

I'm flying YVR LAX PVG. Can you imagine what would have happened if I had tried to board the LAX PVG flight without a visa and said, "it's okay, I'm transiting without a visa"? I'd be on the next plane back to YVR, is what.

Undoubtably the most definative english language source for China TWOV
questions and answers. And not supported by 国家旅游局.

If they had allowed you into China you probably would have made it out without issue.

Yeah, I'd say about a 99% chance you wouldn't have been boarding that TPAC.

Maybe without issue, maybe with a scolding and escort back airside, but essentially theoretical since he wouldn't have made it as far as the Chinese Immigration desk in the first place!

Well, not if he told them the truth, but a simple $46 ticket from PVG to HKG would have surely done the trick (whether he used it or not). And then, of course, there's the bullet proof strategy of actually flying to a third country on the return portion of the ticket. Do all of these recent AA deal fares really charge such a premium for a Japan connection so as to erode their value? (I'm just curious because we have seen a lot of TWOV threads of late that wouldn't exist if more people attempted to follow the rules.)