The point was that someone suggested that visa denials tend to occur when the documents are delivered to the consulate, not later. If you are told no when you try to apply for the visa at the consulate, you have time to cancel the ticket within the 24 hour window.

Got my visa today in Chiang Mai. The staff were very friendly and were seemed happy that I brought all the correct documents (flights, hotels etc.) since I think a lot of tourists don't come prepared. They put the visa on the page where the old one from 2010 fell out so it looks a bit strange having Chinese entry and exit stamps on the opposite page.. Hoping this wont be a problem when I go through immigration. Fee was 1100 plus a same day express fee of 1200.

Problem solved?

Looks like it :) Only foreseeable hurdle now is immigration wondering where the visa for the 2010 stamps went. But don't think I will have a problem getting on the plane at least. Thanks for all the advice. And for anyone wanting a stress free visa application (at least for an L visa) in Asia then Chiang Mai seems to be a good efficient option with a cheap same day service (think visa price for US citizens is pretty high like it is in all countries) ^

Falsification of application data is grounds for rejection. Applications can be audited at any time during processing.

I can't believe you're still stuck on this point.

Yes, this corroborates my earlier post the CM is still a pretty decent option for nonresident travelers passing through. Thanks for update on fees and confirmation there is an express option.

Agree with moondog. Time to stop beating a dead horse and making pronouncements about Chinese visas and Immigration that fly in the face of reality, consider moving along to something more productive.

Thanks for the update and I wouldn't worry at all about the stamps from 2010 on the opposite page- of course at that time it may well have been the case that you had a visa in another (expired) passport and thus were using the visa from one passport and the new valid passport for other purposes- or at least that would seem to be the case to me. Seriously no one will ever even think about that.

Very useful to know about CM as that is a really great way to get a visa in a hurry without tracking back to HK.

I'm only suggesting cancellation of the ticket if the consulate refuses to accept the visa application.

Renew visa within China?
 

I am in PVG until the end of August. My 1 yr multi-entry visa expires @ Sept 19th.

I'm planning another trip to China in Ocober... so ...

Can I get a new multi-entry visa while still in China?

Is there any way for this retired professional, U.S. citizen to get a longer term visa e.g. 2 year (or more) multi-entry visa?

Thanks for any advice.

You can probably pull this off, but expect to pay a lot of money in agency fees.

If you're interested, search for visa agents in the classifieds (e.g. City Weekend, Time Out, Smart Shanghai, etc), and start calling them with your requirements. Eventually, you should be able to find someone with the means to make it happen. However, their fees will almost certainly shock you. It isn't all about their greed; in order for them to get you in under the radar, they tend to rely on PSBs in random areas which need to be "taken care of".

Agents can also arrange residence permits (Z visas) for an even larger fee (greater than $1,000).

Basically, if you have any trips to the US scheduled, you'll come out far ahead if you get a visa there. This is also the only way to get 2-year F.

Sorry for the late reply, and yes that was from the middle of July.
Provided you come with all the documents (including a photocopy of the passport which no one seems to have), they're actually quite friendly and efficient there.

I stopped using an agent since I have better luck on my own in NYC.

China- "less welcoming" to foreign visitors
 

Picked this up from Oriental-List Peter N-H.

China is at the bottom.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...to-foreigners/

What's the quickest way to get a visa for china? Based in uk. Had thought of going to hong kong first but have read that's no longer an option. Thanks.

I met a UK passport holder this evening who scored a 1-year F in HK 3 days ago with a pretty weak invite letter (foreign logistics company). He told me that the rules which were supposed to kick in on 8/1 have been deferred until 9/1.