That's good to know - guess I am set until 2027 then. :D

Hi, all! :)

I had a nice and brief morning yesterday at the NYC Visa office <compared to my last time there, in 2008 when the Olympics were taking place>.

Anyway, I got there at about 8:35/40 - 5 or 10 minutes after the doors opened. The entry agent flipped through my papers. Seemingly no issues. (I was concerned with my photo, as I thought I might have trimmed off too much - I saw people with bigger pics, and smaller ones), but she didn't say anything. I got ticket #C-21

The windows opened promptly at 9AM. I got to a window and was finished at 9:25! Not bad! :)

The window agent had 2 questions about my application. She saw a stamp in my passport from Turkey, so, she asked me why I went there. At first, I thought she was asking me why I didn't list it on the app as a country I had visited, so I told her, because it was more than 12 months ago, which is what the app asks for. She said - WHY did I go there? I said, simply, because I got a cheap ticket! I guess I should have said, sightseeing!

The other question was only related to why I marked that I'm self-employed, yet listed the company where I work. I guess that part is OK.

Should I have any problem because I visited Turkey, and didn't really provide a substantial reason for going there?

Thanx! :)

Yes, they do have concern about Turkey because of past problems in Xinjiang.

That's for sure.
http://shoebat.com/wp-content/upload..._Burn_Flag.jpg

So, are there reports of any Americans being denied visas because they have gone to Turkey?

I searched, but didn't see anything posted here.

not common but not impossible

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1010589.shtml

"an American player named Dominique Johnson, who used to play basketball in Turkey, were denied from applying for a visa to attend a match in China."

I'm mulling over a trip to China this fall, and looking for some guidance re visa app:

I'm thinking of flying into Hong Kong, then taking the train from Hong Kong to Beijing, then flying from Beijing home to Canada.

The train tickets don't go on sale until close to the date of my trip, so when applying for the visa, I won't be able to provide proof of my full itinerary.

Will my flight reservations into Hong Kong and out of Beijing be sufficient?

I would reserve an airplane ticket just to get the visa. After you have the visa, you can come and go as you please.

Thanks.

That might be the best way to make sure I get the visa without any problems.

My wife and my daughters used plane tickets to Hong Kong and provide a Shenzhen address to apply for Chinese visas in the past.

I have done it plenty of time. They know that you can walk from HK to China. A plane ticket to HK was always fine for me to get a visa. Don't worry about it. They care more about you flying back, which you have covered.
Note that rather than take the old train from HK to Beijing, which runs only every other day, you should look at the train from Shenzhen to Beijing. It runs every day, is more modern, faster and there are several trains per day. You can book it online.

Thanks for the responses.

First visit to China, other than HKG, so looking to get all my ducks in a row.

A follow-up on my posts above re: 10 year multi-entry visa at NYC office:
 

So, on March 28, I put in my application at the NYC visa office in person. I went back to pick it up on Friday, April 7, during the days of the Delta meltdown, and, of course, I was flying Delta! :)

My flight was delayed 4 hours from PIT/LGA. Any later, and I wouldn't have made it to the office before closing. If anybody wants to know, as long as you're in line when the office closes, they will still take you! I got there about 1PM, and got inside at about 2PM. I was out at 2:40 PM.

Anyway, I applied for a 10 year multi-entry visa, and THAT'S WHAT I GOT!! :)

Thanx to EVERYONE here who helped me with info! :)

I'm off to Beijing on April 19! :D

If anyone else will be there between Apr 20-25, please let me know! :)

I'm looking to apply for a 10-year multi-entry visa (Canadian citizen, with many prior L visas). However, I have no current travel plans to China in the short-term (but know I will be there many times in the next 10 years and would like to get the visa out of the way now).

Is it kosher to book fully refundable tix, get the visa, cxl the tickets, and then not actually use the visa to enter China for like a year after the tickets you used as an itinerary in the application?

That's fine.