UPS lost my passport, can I get a new Chinese visa while at SFO
Feb 27, 2019, 11:16 pm
#16
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Location: Shanghai
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If you have proof of immediate travel (ticket and itinerary, preferably with hotel confirmation), usually defined to be within two weeks or a need to apply for visa(s), a USA passport office can issue/renew a passport on the same day and for their expedite fee you would get a regular ten year passport with no limitations. They say that an appointment is necessary but they seem to also take same day walk ins.
You should also be able to apply for a second passport and then still use the first one if it shows up if you travel extensively or tend to need visas.
I don't know how a lost passport would factor in, but once when I thought that mine was stolen and called, they discouraged me from officially calling it stolen immediately on grounds that it would be a major and unnecessary inconvenience if it were found as once reported as lost or stolen, this cannot be undone if the passports turns up: it has irrevocably been cancelled.
You should also be able to apply for a second passport and then still use the first one if it shows up if you travel extensively or tend to need visas.
I don't know how a lost passport would factor in, but once when I thought that mine was stolen and called, they discouraged me from officially calling it stolen immediately on grounds that it would be a major and unnecessary inconvenience if it were found as once reported as lost or stolen, this cannot be undone if the passports turns up: it has irrevocably been cancelled.
Feb 27, 2019, 11:25 pm
#17
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Folks, this has been incredibly useful. Thank you. Yes, I am meeting my research group in China for 10 days, so I can't easily shift a week; we're booked up, and even hitting HKG next weekend would be tough (but maybe plan B).
Updated plan: I'm going to be at UPS dispatch where my passport was last scanned when it opens, but if that doesn't work, I have a morning appt at the Seattle passport office.
UA has again shown why they have earned my loyalty: they have rebooked my K fare so I can fly to SFO tomorrow evening and on Saturday's flight to PEK. (Bummer: Prem/E+ is full, so I lose 19C, at least until some upgrades clear). No charge. No refare, no change fee, lots of sympathy and good luck from the agent.
That gives me Friday to try for a visa. Better believe I'll be in touch with A Briggs when they open tomorrow, but if not, I'll be in line at the consulate early on Friday.
Updated plan: I'm going to be at UPS dispatch where my passport was last scanned when it opens, but if that doesn't work, I have a morning appt at the Seattle passport office.
UA has again shown why they have earned my loyalty: they have rebooked my K fare so I can fly to SFO tomorrow evening and on Saturday's flight to PEK. (Bummer: Prem/E+ is full, so I lose 19C, at least until some upgrades clear). No charge. No refare, no change fee, lots of sympathy and good luck from the agent.
That gives me Friday to try for a visa. Better believe I'll be in touch with A Briggs when they open tomorrow, but if not, I'll be in line at the consulate early on Friday.
Feb 27, 2019, 11:37 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2018
Location: Tokyo
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Folks, this has been incredibly useful. Thank you. Yes, I am meeting my research group in China for 10 days, so I can't easily shift a week; we're booked up, and even hitting HKG next weekend would be tough (but maybe plan B).
Updated plan: I'm going to be at UPS dispatch where my passport was last scanned when it opens, but if that doesn't work, I have a morning appt at the Seattle passport office.
UA has again shown why they have earned my loyalty: they have rebooked my K fare so I can fly to SFO tomorrow evening and on Saturday's flight to PEK. (Bummer: Prem/E+ is full, so I lose 19C, at least until some upgrades clear). No charge. No refare, no change fee, lots of sympathy and good luck from the agent.
That gives me Friday to try for a visa. Better believe I'll be in touch with A Briggs when they open tomorrow, but if not, I'll be in line at the consulate early on Friday.
Updated plan: I'm going to be at UPS dispatch where my passport was last scanned when it opens, but if that doesn't work, I have a morning appt at the Seattle passport office.
UA has again shown why they have earned my loyalty: they have rebooked my K fare so I can fly to SFO tomorrow evening and on Saturday's flight to PEK. (Bummer: Prem/E+ is full, so I lose 19C, at least until some upgrades clear). No charge. No refare, no change fee, lots of sympathy and good luck from the agent.
That gives me Friday to try for a visa. Better believe I'll be in touch with A Briggs when they open tomorrow, but if not, I'll be in line at the consulate early on Friday.
Feb 27, 2019, 11:44 pm
#19
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Sounds like this isn't going to be an option anyway, but just for the record...
The 144 option is *very* restrictive in terms of where you can travel within China. Basically if you're arriving within Beijing, you can only travel within the few provenances around Beijing, and not any further. If the OP was planning to stay in/around Beijing this wouldn't be a problem, but if he was planning to travel any further then it would be.
The 144 option is *very* restrictive in terms of where you can travel within China. Basically if you're arriving within Beijing, you can only travel within the few provenances around Beijing, and not any further. If the OP was planning to stay in/around Beijing this wouldn't be a problem, but if he was planning to travel any further then it would be.
Feb 27, 2019, 11:51 pm
#20
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,359
Sounds like this isn't going to be an option anyway, but just for the record...
The 144 option is *very* restrictive in terms of where you can travel within China. Basically if you're arriving within Beijing, you can only travel within the few provenances around Beijing, and not any further. If the OP was planning to stay in/around Beijing this wouldn't be a problem, but if he was planning to travel any further then it would be.
The 144 option is *very* restrictive in terms of where you can travel within China. Basically if you're arriving within Beijing, you can only travel within the few provenances around Beijing, and not any further. If the OP was planning to stay in/around Beijing this wouldn't be a problem, but if he was planning to travel any further then it would be.
Safe Travels,
James
Feb 28, 2019, 1:49 am
#21
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Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,034
I would also be curious to see what the immigration officials at PEK think about a foreigner entering on a TWOV then re-entering with the correct Chinese Visa (and that's supposing OP could manage to get their Visa in China). I've heard horror stories about travellers who overstay their Chinese Visa and wouldn't want to risk it, especially if my job requires me to travel to China a non-trivial number of times.
Safe Travels,
James
Safe Travels,
James
Feb 28, 2019, 2:06 am
#22
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: SEA
Programs: UA MP (1K, 1MM)
Posts: 268
If you're unable to find your passport in Seattle and *have* to go to the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco (it's in Japantown ... which is weird to begin with) just be prepared to enter one of the 13 rings of hell from Dante's Inferno. That place is a mess in terms of people, the noise, and -- if you're "lucky" -- protesters outside.
The Consulate is located on the southeast corner of Geary Blvd & Laguna St, with the entrance for the visa services on Geary Blvd. It opens at 9am every day and people are lined up outside of it before 8am most days. Do not be surprised if they send you to get a money order to pay for the new visa as their credit card machines often "randomly" stop working. You can get a money order from the US Post Office a few blocks (5-10 minute walk) to the west along Geary Blvd just past Fillmore St., same side of the road as the Consular office.
Speaking from experience, I do not envy your potential future plans if you have to visit the Consular office and wish you the best of luck finding the passport in Seattle!
The Consulate is located on the southeast corner of Geary Blvd & Laguna St, with the entrance for the visa services on Geary Blvd. It opens at 9am every day and people are lined up outside of it before 8am most days. Do not be surprised if they send you to get a money order to pay for the new visa as their credit card machines often "randomly" stop working. You can get a money order from the US Post Office a few blocks (5-10 minute walk) to the west along Geary Blvd just past Fillmore St., same side of the road as the Consular office.
Speaking from experience, I do not envy your potential future plans if you have to visit the Consular office and wish you the best of luck finding the passport in Seattle!
Feb 28, 2019, 7:13 am
#23
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Join Date: Aug 2015
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Good luck at the consulate!
If you plan to arrive early and wait in the pre-opening line, you can soften that blow a little bit by stopping in at the unassuming Benkyo-do, a couple blocks away in Japantown, for a tray of fresh mochi. (Not going to explore potential cultural ironies.) If they have blueberry or strawberry that morning, those are a must.
If you plan to arrive early and wait in the pre-opening line, you can soften that blow a little bit by stopping in at the unassuming Benkyo-do, a couple blocks away in Japantown, for a tray of fresh mochi. (Not going to explore potential cultural ironies.) If they have blueberry or strawberry that morning, those are a must.
Feb 28, 2019, 8:15 am
#24
Join Date: Jan 2017
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I got a rush visa in SF by dropping it off at opening, or an hour after opening after waiting in line around the block, then getting it back the next day (business days). I don't even know if you can get it back same day, and info from the consulate is pretty bad and lacking. It's probably best to avoid the consulate especially with such a short timeframe of you needing it back and as SFHokie said, it is not a pleasant experience, especially with the weather the Bay Area has been getting recently.
Feb 28, 2019, 8:30 am
#25
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Hoping that Briggs can help out here. As both a commercial customer and the sender, it has better access to information and more leverage than OP, In addition, it may well have the contacts to arrange for the issuance of a visa with less of a hassle.
Feb 28, 2019, 8:30 am
#26
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Don't count on getting same-day visa for China quickly. Both times I have gone to SFO for the visa I waited in line in the morning, got to the counter around 10am and was told the same-day visa was not available for pick up before 2pm.
The first time I got the visa (when they were only valid for one year), I got to the counter and asked for same-day service. The lady had no issues with it and told me to come back after 2pm. I arrived right at 2pm and still had to wait in a long line to get my passport back and pay the fee.
The second time was after the 10-year visa rule went into effect. The agent was not happy I requested same-day service even though I had provided all the documentation I needed. She went so far as to make me walk a few blocks to Fedex/Kinkos to have my return flight to SEA that same day printed so she could prove I was leaving SFO and to justify the same-day service. The fact I was flying to PEK within a week wasn't enough for her. And she had to walk "upstairs" to get approval. No idea why. It ultimately worked out and, again, I had to wait on a long line after 2pm to get my passport back and pay the fee.
So for me:
Plan A is get to UPS and hopefully they find your package. Given it hasn't been scanned since it entered that facility that means it fell off the truck and is likely sitting on the floor and no one has noticed it. I hope for your sake they find it.
Plan B is get your emergency passport, fly to SFO and apply for same-day visa. Plan to spend Fri night near SFO. Then fly as now scheduled to PEK on Saturday and everyone is happy.
Plan C is get to China on TWOV, fly to HKG/ICN for a day and then back to China. ULN would be cool but I found it to be super expensive from PEK and I never got there.
I'm not aware you can get a visa for China while in China but I've never tried. You can get it in HKG and other places but you may not have the time to do so. And if you can enter China back-to-back on a TWOV then I wouldn't worry about it. Just note that immigration is probably going to ask you questions about why you're entering the second time on TWOV so soon. And, if PEK-SFO-SEA is the return of a round trip ticket they will know you were skirting their immigration rules. Probably not illegal, but definitely eyebrow raising.
-RM
The first time I got the visa (when they were only valid for one year), I got to the counter and asked for same-day service. The lady had no issues with it and told me to come back after 2pm. I arrived right at 2pm and still had to wait in a long line to get my passport back and pay the fee.
The second time was after the 10-year visa rule went into effect. The agent was not happy I requested same-day service even though I had provided all the documentation I needed. She went so far as to make me walk a few blocks to Fedex/Kinkos to have my return flight to SEA that same day printed so she could prove I was leaving SFO and to justify the same-day service. The fact I was flying to PEK within a week wasn't enough for her. And she had to walk "upstairs" to get approval. No idea why. It ultimately worked out and, again, I had to wait on a long line after 2pm to get my passport back and pay the fee.
So for me:
Plan A is get to UPS and hopefully they find your package. Given it hasn't been scanned since it entered that facility that means it fell off the truck and is likely sitting on the floor and no one has noticed it. I hope for your sake they find it.
Plan B is get your emergency passport, fly to SFO and apply for same-day visa. Plan to spend Fri night near SFO. Then fly as now scheduled to PEK on Saturday and everyone is happy.
Plan C is get to China on TWOV, fly to HKG/ICN for a day and then back to China. ULN would be cool but I found it to be super expensive from PEK and I never got there.
I'm not aware you can get a visa for China while in China but I've never tried. You can get it in HKG and other places but you may not have the time to do so. And if you can enter China back-to-back on a TWOV then I wouldn't worry about it. Just note that immigration is probably going to ask you questions about why you're entering the second time on TWOV so soon. And, if PEK-SFO-SEA is the return of a round trip ticket they will know you were skirting their immigration rules. Probably not illegal, but definitely eyebrow raising.
-RM
Feb 28, 2019, 8:32 am
#27
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I would also be curious to see what the immigration officials at PEK think about a foreigner entering on a TWOV then re-entering with the correct Chinese Visa (and that's supposing OP could manage to get their Visa in China). I've heard horror stories about travellers who overstay their Chinese Visa and wouldn't want to risk it, especially if my job requires me to travel to China a non-trivial number of times.
Safe Travels,
James
Safe Travels,
James
HUH? OP would be using TWOV twice, for TWOV compliant itineraries (assuming no traveling around within China) without any overstay. There's no plan to apply for a Chinese visa within China.
Feb 28, 2019, 8:50 am
#28
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Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 11,461
Don't count on getting same-day visa for China quickly. Both times I have gone to SFO for the visa I waited in line in the morning, got to the counter around 10am and was told the same-day visa was not available for pick up before 2pm.
The first time I got the visa (when they were only valid for one year), I got to the counter and asked for same-day service. The lady had no issues with it and told me to come back after 2pm. I arrived right at 2pm and still had to wait in a long line to get my passport back and pay the fee.
The second time was after the 10-year visa rule went into effect. The agent was not happy I requested same-day service even though I had provided all the documentation I needed. She went so far as to make me walk a few blocks to Fedex/Kinkos to have my return flight to SEA that same day printed so she could prove I was leaving SFO and to justify the same-day service. The fact I was flying to PEK within a week wasn't enough for her. And she had to walk "upstairs" to get approval. No idea why. It ultimately worked out and, again, I had to wait on a long line after 2pm to get my passport back and pay the fee.
So for me:
Plan A is get to UPS and hopefully they find your package. Given it hasn't been scanned since it entered that facility that means it fell off the truck and is likely sitting on the floor and no one has noticed it. I hope for your sake they find it.
Plan B is get your emergency passport, fly to SFO and apply for same-day visa. Plan to spend Fri night near SFO. Then fly as now scheduled to PEK on Saturday and everyone is happy.
Plan C is get to China on TWOV, fly to HKG/ICN for a day and then back to China. ULN would be cool but I found it to be super expensive from PEK and I never got there.
I'm not aware you can get a visa for China while in China but I've never tried. You can get it in HKG and other places but you may not have the time to do so. And if you can enter China back-to-back on a TWOV then I wouldn't worry about it. Just note that immigration is probably going to ask you questions about why you're entering the second time on TWOV so soon. And, if PEK-SFO-SEA is the return of a round trip ticket they will know you were skirting their immigration rules. Probably not illegal, but definitely eyebrow raising.
-RM
The first time I got the visa (when they were only valid for one year), I got to the counter and asked for same-day service. The lady had no issues with it and told me to come back after 2pm. I arrived right at 2pm and still had to wait in a long line to get my passport back and pay the fee.
The second time was after the 10-year visa rule went into effect. The agent was not happy I requested same-day service even though I had provided all the documentation I needed. She went so far as to make me walk a few blocks to Fedex/Kinkos to have my return flight to SEA that same day printed so she could prove I was leaving SFO and to justify the same-day service. The fact I was flying to PEK within a week wasn't enough for her. And she had to walk "upstairs" to get approval. No idea why. It ultimately worked out and, again, I had to wait on a long line after 2pm to get my passport back and pay the fee.
So for me:
Plan A is get to UPS and hopefully they find your package. Given it hasn't been scanned since it entered that facility that means it fell off the truck and is likely sitting on the floor and no one has noticed it. I hope for your sake they find it.
Plan B is get your emergency passport, fly to SFO and apply for same-day visa. Plan to spend Fri night near SFO. Then fly as now scheduled to PEK on Saturday and everyone is happy.
Plan C is get to China on TWOV, fly to HKG/ICN for a day and then back to China. ULN would be cool but I found it to be super expensive from PEK and I never got there.
I'm not aware you can get a visa for China while in China but I've never tried. You can get it in HKG and other places but you may not have the time to do so. And if you can enter China back-to-back on a TWOV then I wouldn't worry about it. Just note that immigration is probably going to ask you questions about why you're entering the second time on TWOV so soon. And, if PEK-SFO-SEA is the return of a round trip ticket they will know you were skirting their immigration rules. Probably not illegal, but definitely eyebrow raising.
-RM
Feb 28, 2019, 8:55 am
#29
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
TWOV is a clever alternative but there are three things to keep in mind, some of which have been mentioned:
- You have to be passing from one country to another (so just shortening your trip USA-PRC-USA would not work, have to add a leg PRC-XXX-PRC not only to get your full 10 days but also to qualify for TWOV in the first place)
- You can't travel outside the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (OP stated in first post that they were planning to travel widely)
- Not sure if there are restrictions on type of business you can conduct while TWOV, I've been unable to find any info on this, maybe someone can point us to a resource. I can't imagine they'd be happy if you started filing stories with the New York Times while there without a visa. Depending on nature of OP's trip, a visa might be required.
Feb 28, 2019, 9:43 am
#30
Join Date: May 2006
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I don't know how a lost passport would factor in, but once when I thought that mine was stolen and called, they discouraged me from officially calling it stolen immediately on grounds that it would be a major and unnecessary inconvenience if it were found as once reported as lost or stolen, this cannot be undone if the passports turns up: it has irrevocably been cancelled.