YEGcg

Hi!
It's been difficult for me to decide if I apply for a visa or use TWOV. I've read and read and read about the TWOV and know how it works (Enter from country A, exit to country B, etc). I read about 300-400 comments in this thread and nothing was really applying to my questions.

Background: I had a single-entry visa 20+ years ago and it was extended while I stayed there. I was 18 at the time and someone else handled the extension with the PSB, etc. I cannot remember if I overstayed (not likely, since I was allowed to stay, but it's been so long...) Also, since it was so long ago, I have no idea where that old passport is, with the visa inside. I am thinking of applying for a visa with my *brand new* passport (I pick it up tomorrow) for a trip departing the first week of January where a 3 day in-out into China would be a sidetrip. I am Canadian, non-ethnic Chinese, and would apply to the Calgary Consulate (perhaps via an agent).

Questions:

1. "Visa before? If so, when?" Of course I would answer "Yes, 1995". But will this delay the visa? I'm assuming they look in a database for a "yes" response, but are the records digitized that far back? If they're not, potentially how long will this lengthen the visa process?
2. "Have you overstayed?" I'd indicate "no", since I was allowed to stay back in '96 (i.e. it was not likely an illegal overstay), but is an extension from within the country an 'overstay'?
3. "Provide a copy of your other Chinese visa" I don't know where the old passport is! Will this be an issue?
4. Will a brand new, 10-year Canadian passport raise suspicion?
5. If the visa processing takes a long time, I may have to request they return it before the visa is issued, so that I can go on the trip. If so, will this affect a separate 9 hour TWOV at PEK later during the trip?
6. If I just structure the flights to use TWOV and I was flagged due to a visa extension while I was there 20+ years ago, what would happen? Or is this just me worrying too much?

Sorry for all of the questions, I really wish I had more time to apply for the visa, but I just realized my other passport was going to expire in March when I started my planning. Sigh. Glad I'm finally getting a 10-year passport this time!

889

If they want to see any passport, it'll be the one that just expired, not the one you had in 1995. So take it with you.

Mention your 1995 visit, though.

jiejie

@YEGcg, I wouldn't worry about this. I agree with @889, take the passport that has just expired/is about to expire with you, along with the new one that the Chinese visa will be placed in. To your questions:
1) On the previous visa question, mention "Yes, 1995" and location issued is presumably "Canada." The records that far back were likely never put in the newer databases and it wouldn't matter if you got an extension. This shouldn't have any bearing on processing time.
2) Answer "No." An extension is a legal allowance to stay in China, which is what you received.. An overstay is entirely different, as when you show up at Exit Immigration already past your visa expiration without getting an extension. Believe me, if you had actually overstayed your visa, you would have remembered the unpleasantness involved in getting out! There's no need to even mention the visa was extended inside China, it's irrelevant.
3) Write down that that old passport with the 1995 visa has been lost/destroyed. Since this was over 20 years ago, the Chinese will not stress about not having it. Your immediate soon-to-be-expired passport will be what they want to see--not so much for evidence of a Chinese visa, but for evidence of where you've been especially in the last 3 years.
4) No suspicion. As said before, just take along the immediate previous one.
5) Won't affect TWOV at all, but withdrawing a passport that's in visa processing is an annoyance for everybody, so get the application in as soon as you get that new passport. It shouldn't take more than a week to process.
6) TWOV and database has no connection to what you did 20 years ago. Stop worrying about that 1995 trip.

A more germane reason to worry would be if you have visited Turkey, or certain countries in the Middle East or 'Stans especially since 2014. That might hiccup the processing or cause a visa rejection. If this is your situation, it's still better to apply the first part of December and know where you stand fairly quickly, with TWOV as a backup Plan B.

If you are applying in Canada, you will need to go through an agent. This is the "official" one now: www.visaforchina.org

SirSherlockHolmes

Hopefully you all can help me out with a couple questions. I’m a US based Flight Crew member and have a 5 year ME ‘C’ Visa. I’d like to go on leisure as well and was curious as to the process for having multiple active visas.

1. Am I allowed to have both a ‘C’ and ‘L’ Visa at the same time in the same passport?

2. Am I required to go to the consulate in my jurisdiction? Can I go to DC or NYC and submit my application as they are places I frequent more often although they are not the noted locations for my state?

Thank you everyone!

889

Perhaps there's a special rule for crew visas, but the general rule in China is that you can have only one valid visa at a time.

jiejie

Crew visas type C are only supposed to be used if you are on active duty when you enter/leave China. This is not compatible with a tourist trip. It's also true that you normally cannot have two Chinese visas in one passport simultaneously. This is one of those situations where the best solution may be to have the US State Department issue you a second US passport. With that second passport, you can get a Chinese tourist L visa which won't conflict with the crew visa in the other passport. Of course, on any given trip to China, you'd use either one or the other passport/visa combo. Second passports have a more limited time validity than primary passports, usually a couple of years.

I would do two things:
1) Contact a reputable visa agent like www.mychinavisa.com and put this situation to them, to see what they say from the Chinese visa perspective. They may have come up with solutions for co-existing C and L visas.
2) Contact the Passport Office and see if you can qualify for a second passport. The most common reasons for being granted a second regular passport are 1) frequently-traveling international businesspeople who need to travel on one passport while getting visas in the other passport. Your situation is similar to this. 2) people who need to travel both to Israel and to countries that will refuse entry if they see an Israeli stamp in the passport. Solution is two separate passports.
Here's a useful link: https://www.us-passport-service-guid...-passport.html

SirSherlockHolmes

Thank you very much for the response! I know I can’t use the C for leisure which is the reason for the post. I actually just received a response via email from the Visa Section of the DC embassy stating that I may have both and L and C Visa in the same passport.

jiejie

I presume you mean the Chinese Embassy in DC. That's very good news for you, and simplifies things tremendously. Please report back once you go through the process, as to whether you successfully got the L visa in the same passport as the C visa. We don't get many data points on this forum from people with C visas so your experience would be useful.

YEGcg

THANK YOU! This is exactly the information I needed!

Based on your responses, I've now decided to apply for a visa instead of TWOV. The flights are better and cheaper, even after paying for the visa, etc, etc.

I did some searching (my garage is MUCH more organized now) and found the old passport, with TWO extensions in it. Now, if I provide a copy of the visa, do you or anyone know if the extensions need to be copied as well? Only the second extension has the exit stamp -- is this important for them to see? (my answer would be 'yes'). I'm partly asking for myself, but also to solicit information for fellow FTers who read this thread later

re: last 3 years of travel. Since I am submitting by mail via an agency, I'll send along my most recently cancelled passport to show the last 5 years of stamps. I'm assuming no issues with this. Since I'm doing this, would providing the old ('95) passport be advised? If so, I'm now sending 3 passports for myself (1 old, 1 cancelled, and 1 current).

Again, I'm partially concerned about the processing time due to an early January departure -- I'm very excited to re-visit my old stomping grounds after 20+ years -- but I also want to help document some these Q&A in FT since I feel that some of this could be important to others.

jiejie

I would keep things simple, and only enclose two passports: the new one and the one immediately prior. I would still do exactly what I told you prior: acknowledge a visa was issued in 1995 and then that that old passport was lost/destroyed. The Chinese will not care to see reams of proof about a trip 20+ years ago nor the fact that you got two extensions on that old visa. When dealing with Chinese bureaucracy, don't make things more complicated than needed.

SirSherlockHolmes

Heres my Data Point as a Crew Member with a ‘C’Visa applying for an ‘L’.

I showed up to the Visa Section of the China Embasy in DC around 0900 on 06DEC17. There was a line already and were let in around 0915. Services started on the dot at 0930 and I was seen relatively quickly. I had two applications, both for ‘L’ type visas, one for myself another for my friend. My consular jursidiction was Houston and my friends was New York. They said since I showed up in person the DC office takes out of jusdiction applications. I personally requested same day rush service and had a signed document on company letterhead respectfully requesting rush service, I also had a flight ittenrary that left the next day, unfortunately they told me since this was not a work visa and had no emergency need to be in China, I would have to cancel, the agent knowing I was a crew member knew this wouldn’t be an issue for me, and was very polite, the earliest they were able to accommodate was 08DEC17 at opening, from overhearing others it appeared normal service that were submitted on the 6th were being given a date of 11DEC17. The other person I was submitting for did not have any China Visa at all. I had flight reservations, hotel reservations, copies of my passport bio page, drivers license, CREW badge, and copy of my ‘C’ Visa. The agent handed me back the drivers licenses as he did not want those. I just picked them up. $160 each, 10 years ‘L’ both with ME and 60 days.

jiejie

Thank you for coming back. You have given us two very useful data points:
1) How C visa holders who want a regular tourist L visa are handled.....and my guess is that this would be the same at the other Consulates around the USA.
2) That since you applied in person, your friend's out-of-jurisdiction application was also accepted. This might be unique to DC Embassy policy, and not replicatable at other Consulate locations.

Have a great time in China!

SirSherlockHolmes

Thank you!

I just wanted to add, my friend is also a flight attendant, but for an airline that does no international flying, they still took their Crew badge copy.

On pg.4 of V.2013, the last box if you had any assistance, I filled that out for them since I was the one turning in the form, I’m not sure if that changed anything.

C: Isssued in Houston, ME max 10 day stay., Valid for 5 years.
L: Issued in DC, ME max 60 day stay., Valid for 10 years.

Loren Pechtel

I think this is pretty much standard for L visas for Americans these days. My wife got 90 days but she's China-born which has gotten more generous treatment in the past.

swingaling

How far in advance of travel can I apply for the visa? I'm planning a trip to China in May 2018. I've purchased the flights and in the process of booking hotels. Can I send in my visa application once my hotels are booked?

I know some countries won't issue visas so far in advance, but I'm unsure if China will do the same. Any experiences with this?