Excellent news for you and thank you for clarifying what happened with your existing Q2 visa. This is consistent with comments I've heard in Shenzhen that our existing visas/RPs are suspended for the purposes of immigration rather than cancelled outright (which would require a new PR application when we eventually get back in on this single-entry Q2 visa). New rules would appear to apply in this crazy world of 2020.

It's a moot point for those inside China of course as there's little incentive to leave and test this out while the suspension is in place given that getting back is such a rigmarole. Certainly, I'm mentally committed to being grounded for however long it takes once I get back in.

The husband works for an American chemical company and the whole family has been in China since April/May 2014. The entire family (husband, wife, and two kids) are back in their apartment in Minhang now.

Hey, congratulations, and thanks for letting us know! Good luck on the travel arrangements!

Thank you.

Getting a ticket is nightmare. I refuse to pay 100,000+ CNY business class on black market.

The problem is, once a carrier announces weekly flight approved by CAAC, tickets disappear immediately.

My strategy is to invest 2 million miles to buy bunch of mileage tickets, and hope one of them works.

At this point, I canceled most of them, but 7/23 LX JFK-ZRH-PVG and 7/26 LH EWR-FRA-NKG tickets are still there.

I really want to get UA 857 SFO-PVG. Will work on it.

I was on the “inaugural” UA 857 flight on July 8 and landed on the 9th.

• plane landed and healthcare workers came onboard and asked each passenger to logon using a web link or WeChat if you have WeChat on your device. You entered your personal information and answer questionnaires and then received a bar code. The bar code then became your contactless tool for each procedure taken after you got off the plane.
• After deplaning, went through a few check points before you clear border control, one check point of note was the COVID-19 testing stop where they took blood, nasal and throat swabs.
• we were then asked to scan another bar code for hotel assignments. You surrendered passports and won’t see it again until you get to the hotel
• a group of 20 of us were on the first bus and we received no information on which hotel we were taken to and we had no choice of hotels.It took about an hour bus ride to the city center near Huai Hai/Yu nan Road at a local brand motel (not hotel).
• healhcare workers waiting and checked us in. More forms needEd to filled and asked us for personal medical history and types of medication taken etc.
• got into my assigned room about 5 hours after plane landed

Glad you arrived (fairly) uneventfully! How is the room, A/C and internet?

It is a local brand motel. Room ok but internet not stable. Glad AC works because it is hot and humid in Shanghai at the moment.

No coffee/tea or mug, so I had to order a mug from local supermarket for delivery. I brought instant coffee, trail mix, mixed nuts and protein powder with me from US (went Costco shopping!)

1. I have an unused China Mobile SIM I could probably kauidi to you...not sure whether or not it needs to be registered though; PM me if interested
2. https://www.ele.me/ is your friend

Look at the SIM packet, though. There's usually an expiration date and the SIM card won't work if you try to activate it after that date.

It *might* work. I had a HK SIM that expired, and I sent it to a friend in China. She activated it (after the expiration date) and it worked, then sent it to my wife's father. I got it from him and still use that card when I visit China today.

I checked this of course: 2021/06/30

I haven't popped it into a phone yet to see if it requires the "real name" thing (or what plan is pre-loaded on it) because doing so would start the clock. I actually found it on the floor right outside my door behind a planter last month so it's a mystery to me, apart from the fact that it appears to be a legit 5G SIM. I've been saving it for a visitor to try out. :)

In many countries, resellers of SIMs get a lifetime cut of recharges, so sometimes they practically give the cards away. Don't know the situation in China.

Of course given it was placed so conveniently right outside your door waiting for you to find it, maybe you don't want to put it in your own phone.

Thanks for the update. Few questions

1) How bad were the nasal and throat swabs? I am scared to go if the testing is hard to tolerate.

2) Did you try to ask for a better quarantine hotel? My connection in Chinese Government told me that I can request better ones based on age and life customs as a foreign passport holder.

3) Can you order lunch/dinner delivery from outside restaurants?

There isn't a chance hell I would have seen it if the planter hand't been knocked over. I'd certainly be willing to risk popping it into one of my extra phones.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...3df5f89253.png

Question 1: Have you had nasal and throat swabs done in the US? I see no difference between the procedures. Nasal does not bother me. Throat is the one that bothers me a bit whether it is done in the US or China.

Question 2: Choice of hotel is not available in Shanghai. I had called my local office to arrange in advance, and they could not do it, and I also inquired upon landing and was told no. I know you are allowed for choices in Beijing and other cities.

Question 3: This is the best part. There are a number of online APP with coupons and discounts and many choices. Going through food choices is the best part of the day.