Ten years would be very conveneint for me, but the possibility of five year (rather than one year) student visas is huge. Currently Chinese students studying in the USA must report to a USA consulate in China annually/every time they go home. For many, this involves overnight train rides to/from Shanghai or Beijing for their interviews.

State Department Press Release:
The United States and China To Extend Visas for Short-term Business Travelers, Tourists, and Students

I'm going travelling in December for 9 months and will be ending up in China before returning to the UK so I won't be able to apply before going as it will expire before I get there!

Vancouver will be the last stop before Shanghai so does anyone know if it will be possible to get a visa there?

I'm a UK citizen so don't need any paperwork to get into Canada at all. I contacted the Visa Centre in Vancouver but just got a message saying "Citizens of other countries staying in British Columbia can apply"...not much detail.

Thanks

Only Canadian citizens and permanent residents can get a Chinese visa in Canada. I am talking from experience. Other than applying from home, HK is your other best bet.

New china 10-yr visa us citizens
 

Will this new tourist visa
for US citizens be free?
Same price as old 1-yr visa?
Other? Thanks in advance!

I agree with JPDM. Based on what we know about current Chinese policies, your only safe bets to get a visa are the UK and Hong Kong. Due to your travel schedule, any visa you get in the UK will be long expired before you can get to China. That leaves Hong Kong. Suggest that you change your flight routing to fly Vancouver to HKG. Allow at least 2 business days in HKG to get the visa, and using an agent there might be advisable to expedite matters and free you up for sightseeing.

While it's possible that the Chinese will change to a more lax third-country issuance policy between now and time you need a visa, I wouldn't bet on it.

There is already a thread on this. For sure it will not be free. Chinese will implement this "soon". Details will be known then.

Thanks, great information.

I will actually be in Hong Kong 1st-5th February so getting a multiple visa that is valid for 12 months might be the best option. I've never had a Chinese Visa before so not sure if you can go straight from no visa to 12 months?

Aiming for China on 1st September so the 6 month visa would have just expired.

No, you will not get this. You will get a single entry visa and probably only for 30 days.

Ah yes I see that now, so much different information online!

We'll be in New Zealand in July, according to the China Embassy there Non-New Zealand passport holders can apply for visas there.

I'll have to call them to confirm but from reading this should cover a single entry 1st September and exit 10th September. :confused:

It's possible to get better visas (e.g. 6/12 months) in HK if you use an agent with decent 关系. A friend of mine just got a 12-month visa there for $HK2000 (visa fee plus steep agent fee); he does not have a HKID. This doesn't strike me as a very good option for someone who wants to visit China 10 months from now though.

This is not what I read on the embassy's website: http://www.chinaembassy.org.nz/eng/lsqz/prcd/t39420.htm

"(3) Proof of legal stay or residence status (applicable to those not applying for the visa in their country of citizenship)"

I wouldn't bet on New Zealand unless there is clear evidence that travelers without residence there are being processed for visas.

Chinese tourist visas are generally issued as "Enter Before" which is the only date you need to worry about. Consider it a deadline by which time you must enter China, date inclusive. Once you enter, you will be allowed the full time of your duration of stay, for which the default standard is 30 days for most westerners.

Does anyone have experience entering China while visiting Hong Kong? According to the visa policy, citizens of certain countries may enter visa-free from HK/Macao as long as they go with a tour group (see "Visiting the Pearl River Delta or Hainan Island" at http://newyork.china-consulate.org/e...zjx/sbqz/lacv/). However, my wife's uncle in HK checked with a travel agency there and was told there were no such exemptions, and their website makes no mention of it (see http://www.ctshk.com/english/useful/chinesevisa.htm).

Sure, these exist as long as you join a group. Just ask an agency organizing such tours.