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China Visa / Visas Master Thread (all you need to know)

Old Jun 4, 2013, 2:02 pm
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Visa Information for the People's Republic of China (PRC, Mainland China)

Important: China's visa terms and conditions changed effective 12 Nov 2014 as far as duration, and 1 July 2013 for requirements and procedures. Do not rely on information posted prior to that date.

Note new FT thread regarding up to ten year visa duration: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...ov-2014-a.html

The PRC allows certain foreigners to transit China without a visa if they will be exiting the country within 24, 72 or 144 hours provided various other conditions are met. Please see the separate China 24, 72, and 144 hour Transit Without Visa ("TWOV") rules master thread and Wikipost for detailed rules and discussion.

The best source of current visa and travel document requirements is IATA'S TIMATIC, as that is what the airlines rely upon to determine whether they will permit you to fly. Star Alliance provides a free, easy-to-use TIMATIC tool to help you identify your exact requirements based on nationality, residency and specific itinerary. The SkyTeam alliance website contains a link which also allows you free use of TIMATIC, including good printouts of the information.

Note that posts made prior to 1 July 2013 have been archived, but are still available for reference at China Visa / Visas Master Thread (ARCHIVED). The old FAQ: Visa-Free Transit / TWOV thread is also closed but available for reference.

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China Visa / Visas Master Thread (all you need to know)

Old Aug 23, 2018, 10:38 am
  #1756  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 9
Hi FlyerTalk, I got some good advice from you in the TWOV thread back in March so I'm back to ask some questions about a Chinese visa. My fiancé (Polish passport) and I are planning a trip to China for December and want to get the ball rolling on his visa application.

To be clear: he will be applying for a tourist visa on a Polish passport.

1) Does anyone have a recommendation for a visa service in the New England area that can handle the process for a non-US citizen here on a visa? Since we've never done this before I'd really love to take a recommendation from someone who has done the process before. A lot of websites I am finding default to instructions for US citizens, and I know we will need extra documentation for non-US.

2) It seems like we need to buy the airplane ticket first and also show confirmation of accommodation. If my fiancé will not be staying in hotels, but rather with my family, will a letter of invitation to stay with them suffice? It seems like that's not typical for tourist visa applications but as my fiancé I don't think he qualifies for the family visit visa.

3) Is denial-of-visa covered by travel insurance when you book a flight? I'm a little skeeved out by needing to buy a pretty expensive flight before confirmation that he can go.

Thanks in advance! Any advice or previous experience is especially appreciated.
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Old Aug 23, 2018, 2:06 pm
  #1757  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
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Originally Posted by rocketscientess
Hi FlyerTalk, I got some good advice from you in the TWOV thread back in March so I'm back to ask some questions about a Chinese visa. My fiancé (Polish passport) and I are planning a trip to China for December and want to get the ball rolling on his visa application.

To be clear: he will be applying for a tourist visa on a Polish passport.

1) Does anyone have a recommendation for a visa service in the New England area that can handle the process for a non-US citizen here on a visa? Since we've never done this before I'd really love to take a recommendation from someone who has done the process before. A lot of websites I am finding default to instructions for US citizens, and I know we will need extra documentation for non-US.

2) It seems like we need to buy the airplane ticket first and also show confirmation of accommodation. If my fiancé will not be staying in hotels, but rather with my family, will a letter of invitation to stay with them suffice? It seems like that's not typical for tourist visa applications but as my fiancé I don't think he qualifies for the family visit visa.

3) Is denial-of-visa covered by travel insurance when you book a flight? I'm a little skeeved out by needing to buy a pretty expensive flight before confirmation that he can go.

Thanks in advance! Any advice or previous experience is especially appreciated.
Points you should consider, in order:
A) If your fiance is living in the USA on a green card or longer term visa (working, studying, etc) then he should have no problem applying for a visa in the USA as a non-citizen. If he is only in the USA on a short-term visa, it's very likely he will not be allowed to apply in the USA though it's always worth a try.
B) AFAIK, Polish citizens are still on the traditional format of Chinese tourist visas. This means applying for a plain vanilla, single-entry visa that is good for 30 days per stay. With justification as to itinerary and support documentation, a single-entry visa good for a longer period, or a double-entry visa is also possible. With these types of visas, once issued, he has to get to an entry point to China (airport, land border) and activate the visa within 90 days, or the visa will go invalid. Therefore, you DON'T want to apply too early. I would wait to apply until after the first week of October (when Chinese Embassies/Consulates will either be closed or not cranking at full speed due to holiday). Between now and then, you can formulate your itinerary and obtain your international flight tickets.

To your specific questions:
1) You'll need to use the NY Consulate and if you prefer to use an agent, I can recommend www.mychinavisa.com which has been giving excellent results and high quality service to clients in all their offices. They aren't cheap on the service fees but most of the other agents are similar. You can also, without charge or obligation, contact their NYC office and ask their opinion on whether your fiance's Polish passport with US visa will be accepted for processing. There are other good agents out there and I'm sure some forum members will come up with some. I would avoid Travisa, about which I've heard multiple sad anecdotes about them fumbling the ball).

2) You will need confirmed international flight tickets in and out of China. These do not need to be round-trip nor do the endpoints have to be in the USA. Emailed confirmation printouts are fine to use as your supporting documentation. You do not need confirmed seat assignments. I strongly suggest that you keep things simple and use hotel bookings that match up with your itinerary, even if you both will be staying with family. It's so easy to come up with an itinerary (even a bogus one) and make some nonprepaid, cancellable bookings to get the visas. Then cancel the bookings after you get the visas. Make sure that each of your names is on the confirmation reservation for each hotel booking.

Once you get the visas, you are free to change plans at will, without having to report to any Chinese authority in advance. Once you get to China, you can stay with family, who will know how to register you at their local police station. (Hotels and commercial lodging do this automatically for you.)

3) Depends on the insurance policy, or the airline. However, I would say that you and fiance's chances of being denied a Chinese tourist visa are very small. If either of you work for any media company, NGO, religious organization, or any potential red flag employers or freelancing doing same, then there's more question. If either of you have visited Turkey or parts of the Middle East, especially in the last 4-5 years, that might red flag you as well.
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Old Aug 25, 2018, 6:54 pm
  #1758  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,301
Originally Posted by rocketscientess
Hi FlyerTalk, I got some good advice from you in the TWOV thread back in March so I'm back to ask some questions about a Chinese visa. My fiancé (Polish passport) and I are planning a trip to China for December and want to get the ball rolling on his visa application.

To be clear: he will be applying for a tourist visa on a Polish passport.

1) Does anyone have a recommendation for a visa service in the New England area that can handle the process for a non-US citizen here on a visa? Since we've never done this before I'd really love to take a recommendation from someone who has done the process before. A lot of websites I am finding default to instructions for US citizens, and I know we will need extra documentation for non-US.

2) It seems like we need to buy the airplane ticket first and also show confirmation of accommodation. If my fiancé will not be staying in hotels, but rather with my family, will a letter of invitation to stay with them suffice? It seems like that's not typical for tourist visa applications but as my fiancé I don't think he qualifies for the family visit visa.

3) Is denial-of-visa covered by travel insurance when you book a flight? I'm a little skeeved out by needing to buy a pretty expensive flight before confirmation that he can go.

Thanks in advance! Any advice or previous experience is especially appreciated.
Applying for a tourist/L visa is probably the most straightforward way to go as jiejie suggested. However, just to be clear on the requirements, if you were to apply for a Q2 visa (assuming your family are Chinese nationals) then all you need is a letter of invitation and a photocopy of a Chinese ID card. You do not need to provide any documentation proving the relationship between your family and your fiance. Such documentation is needed for Q1 only.

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tauphi is offline  
Old Aug 25, 2018, 9:42 pm
  #1759  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
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Posts: 6,710
Yes, if @rocketscientess has Chinese family, she should apply for a Q2 with an invitation. Of course, Polish fiance cannot apply for a Q visa, as he and @rocketscientess are not married. His best course of action is a tourist visa, applying on his own, with flight tickets and hotel reservations (cancellable).
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Old Aug 27, 2018, 1:06 pm
  #1760  
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Posts: 9
Originally Posted by jiejie
Yes, if @rocketscientess has Chinese family, she should apply for a Q2 with an invitation. Of course, Polish fiance cannot apply for a Q visa, as he and @rocketscientess are not married. His best course of action is a tourist visa, applying on his own, with flight tickets and hotel reservations (cancellable).
Thanks @jiejie! Yes, my fiance is here on a long-term visa and we do want to use an agent. I actually already have a Q2 and have never applied for a tourist visa so was posting for advice on that process. Thank you for your input!

FWIW it's not clear to me that my fiance becomes eligible for a Q even after we get married: the relatives I have in China are grandparents and aunts. Online I see that as a child or grandchild or child-in-law you are eligible for a Q but grandchildren-in-law are not specifically named.
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Old Aug 29, 2018, 3:54 am
  #1761  
 
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Originally Posted by DeepUnderground
Hello all,
Anyone know about denials due to DUI record? I have a DUI from 10 years ago in US. Would be applying for F visa (This is the correct one for a technical conference?) from Jakarta (Or should I do it in USA when I am home this summer?)

I tried searching this thread without luck.
Was truthful on the application about my DUI and attached the court records. Got my 1 x entry F visa today from Jakarta embassy without any issue.
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Old Sep 17, 2018, 9:59 am
  #1762  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: LAX
Programs: AA, UA, DL, NSA, CIA, MIB
Posts: 537
I live in Los Angeles, the Chinese Consulate here was very easy to deal with. I had printed out the application after filling it out using Adobe, got my extra passport size pictures from a local CVS, printed out my travel documents (i.e. airline reservations and hotel confirmations). The location is easy to find, it's actually across the street from the actual Consulate building on a corner. Parking was very easy, street parking with meters. You go upstairs and right across from the elevator lobby is the Visa room. You go through non-working metal detectors where a security guard will ask if you're coming to apply for a Visa, he'll pull off a number 'next served' ticket and hand it to you. You then sit and watch the main screen for your number and which window to go to. There seems to be a bunch of new born babies there, not sure why. I sat for about 10 minutes max before my number was posted. I walked up to my window and handed over everything and the extra picture along with my passport. The clerk flipped through all the paper and handed back to me the hotel confirmations. My guess is they don't care where you're staying just when you arrive and when you leave. Gave me a copy of a form and told me to come back in 7 days. I walked out thinking 'That was easy'.

When I returned to pick up my passport and visa I suspected it would be this other queue in the room and was right. This line is maned by 1 clerk and she was multitasking with 2 sometimes 3 people at the window picking up their passports. When I got to the window I realized I had forgotten to bring my check book but saw they take credit cards *phew*. She was finishing up with the person before me and took my form with a number on it. She told me the price '$140' and I handed over my debit card with drivers license. She handed me back my drivers license and then my passport then a receipt to sign for the debit transaction. I walked out in less than 10 minutes.
cajunguy is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2018, 4:09 pm
  #1763  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: RBK
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 127
Online Visa application?

While researching things to see in China, I came across a travel blog that claimed that in the US, it is possible to submit a visa application for China, online. The blog said that the link is not well known and that in a Google search it gets lost in all links for paid visa expediting services. I know that the website for the Chinese embassy in Canada allows online application submission, and I *think* I remember clicking a link on this blog that took me to an online application page on the US site. But now I can't find the page on the Chinese embassy site or the blog.

Does anyone know about this? I'm trying to avoid an extra drive into L.A. if I can avoid it.
jeffeverde is offline  
Old Sep 18, 2018, 5:46 pm
  #1764  
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Originally Posted by jeffeverde
While researching things to see in China, I came across a travel blog that claimed that in the US, it is possible to submit a visa application for China, online. The blog said that the link is not well known and that in a Google search it gets lost in all links for paid visa expediting services. I know that the website for the Chinese embassy in Canada allows online application submission, and I *think* I remember clicking a link on this blog that took me to an online application page on the US site. But now I can't find the page on the Chinese embassy site or the blog.

Does anyone know about this? I'm trying to avoid an extra drive into L.A. if I can avoid it.
If you use an agency, there is no need to go to Los Angeles in person, but totally "online" is not possible at this point in time because PRC visas are affixed to your passport (this is not the case with all visa issuing countries).
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Old Sep 18, 2018, 6:55 pm
  #1765  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: RBK
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Originally Posted by moondog
If you use an agency, there is no need to go to Los Angeles in person, but totally "online" is not possible at this point in time because PRC visas are affixed to your passport (this is not the case with all visa issuing countries).
Understood. But in Canada, you can submit your application online, and make one trip to the consulate to get your passport stamped after your application has been approved. I *thought* this blog that I came across was describing the same thing for the US, but maybe it was referring to Canada.

Aside from avoiding an extra trip into downtown L.A., I've got other trips between now and the PEK trip, and can't be without my passport for the week or two that the normal process takes
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Old Sep 18, 2018, 8:42 pm
  #1766  
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Originally Posted by jeffeverde
Understood. But in Canada, you can submit your application online, and make one trip to the consulate to get your passport stamped after your application has been approved. I *thought* this blog that I came across was describing the same thing for the US, but maybe it was referring to Canada.

Aside from avoiding an extra trip into downtown L.A., I've got other trips between now and the PEK trip, and can't be without my passport for the week or two that the normal process takes
The visa is a laminated page, not a stamp.

The question as to why it is possible for Canadians and not Americans? Think about the relationship between the countries at this point in time.
Someone on another thread tossed out the advice for Americans to get your 10yrs visa now as things can change very fast in this showdown.
tentseller is offline  
Old Sep 21, 2018, 8:40 pm
  #1767  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 306
Originally Posted by jeffeverde
Understood. But in Canada, you can submit your application online, and make one trip to the consulate to get your passport stamped after your application has been approved. I *thought* this blog that I came across was describing the same thing for the US, but maybe it was referring to Canada.

Aside from avoiding an extra trip into downtown L.A., I've got other trips between now and the PEK trip, and can't be without my passport for the week or two that the normal process takes
Unless things just recently changed, you cannot submit your application online in Canada either. You can book appointments (which are mandatory) online. But you still have to bring a filled out application form to your appointment. Also in Canada you cannot visit a consulate for a visa, they have visa centres that handle the process.
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Old Sep 21, 2018, 9:20 pm
  #1768  
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Originally Posted by tentseller
The visa is a laminated page, not a stamp.

The question as to why it is possible for Canadians and not Americans? Think about the relationship between the countries at this point in time.
Someone on another thread tossed out the advice for Americans to get your 10yrs visa now as things can change very fast in this showdown.
US China relations are a sidebar to this conversation, and perhaps warrant a new thread, but my thoughts are as follows:
1. the mutual trade relationship isn't going to vanish overnight
2. many bonds are due in Q1 2019, and I am not convinced that the US can repay them on time
3. China's ability to issue new bonds is also strained

Points 2 and 3 could well result in another recession, but I don't think it will be nearly as bad as 2008.

ETA: I am slightly opposed to starting a thread dedicated to this topic because I like to keep political discussions under the radar.

Last edited by moondog; Sep 21, 2018 at 9:27 pm
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Old Sep 22, 2018, 1:55 pm
  #1769  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
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Originally Posted by jeffeverde
While researching things to see in China, I came across a travel blog that claimed that in the US, it is possible to submit a visa application for China, online. The blog said that the link is not well known and that in a Google search it gets lost in all links for paid visa expediting services. I know that the website for the Chinese embassy in Canada allows online application submission, and I *think* I remember clicking a link on this blog that took me to an online application page on the US site. But now I can't find the page on the Chinese embassy site or the blog.

Does anyone know about this? I'm trying to avoid an extra drive into L.A. if I can avoid it.
I think you may have misconstrued some things. First of all, I have not heard of ordinary Canadians using ordinary passports to use any method other than standard paper application, submitted now via the China Visa Application Centres (or alternate agents). The only online visa application facility that I know of for Canadians is for Official Passports/Official business only. So, at this time I don't think Canadian applicants have any special access to different or easier methods than do US ones. But if there are any of you Canadians out there that have been able to get a visa using online method, please out yourselves and confirm.

Second, I believe I have also seen a travel blog (sorry, name/link escapes me) that made this claim of online Chinese visa application for US citizens. I remember that the company referenced was www.ivisa.com because the blog claim piqued my interest and I visited the ivisa site to take a look. I found it to be baloney. The company has you fill out an application form online and send it to them, then they look it over, pdf it, and FedEx it to you for your signature and return to them. Then they get it to the Chinese Consulate and have it processed. In other words, the same thing that you could do yourself. Moreover, a look at the business address of the ivisa company shows it as somebody's apartment in South Florida....nowhere close to a Chinese Consulate. I found the entire thing sketchy, and this is the only company I've seen that makes a claim that "online" application is possible for Chinese visas. Well, I guess if that's how you define online processing. But again, if anybody has found an alternative method for online application that somebody claims to have worked, I'm open to being educated.

I know of no nationality that is able to obtain a Chinese visa through online processing as most of us define the term, at least not for ordinary citizens using standard passports.

Last edited by jiejie; Sep 22, 2018 at 2:01 pm
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Old Sep 23, 2018, 2:12 am
  #1770  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
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Originally Posted by jiejie
I think you may have misconstrued some things. First of all, I have not heard of ordinary Canadians using ordinary passports to use any method other than standard paper application, submitted now via the China Visa Application Centres (or alternate agents). The only online visa application facility that I know of for Canadians is for Official Passports/Official business only. So, at this time I don't think Canadian applicants have any special access to different or easier methods than do US ones. But if there are any of you Canadians out there that have been able to get a visa using online method, please out yourselves and confirm.

Second, I believe I have also seen a travel blog (sorry, name/link escapes me) that made this claim of online Chinese visa application for US citizens. I remember that the company referenced was www.ivisa.com because the blog claim piqued my interest and I visited the ivisa site to take a look. I found it to be baloney. The company has you fill out an application form online and send it to them, then they look it over, pdf it, and FedEx it to you for your signature and return to them. Then they get it to the Chinese Consulate and have it processed. In other words, the same thing that you could do yourself. Moreover, a look at the business address of the ivisa company shows it as somebody's apartment in South Florida....nowhere close to a Chinese Consulate. I found the entire thing sketchy, and this is the only company I've seen that makes a claim that "online" application is possible for Chinese visas. Well, I guess if that's how you define online processing. But again, if anybody has found an alternative method for online application that somebody claims to have worked, I'm open to being educated.

I know of no nationality that is able to obtain a Chinese visa through online processing as most of us define the term, at least not for ordinary citizens using standard passports.
I understand that an in-person appointment is required, but based on pages on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, it appears that residents of a number of countries have the ability to submit a visa application form online, avoiding the extra visit to their local consulate/embassy to submit an application in person. Selecting one of the approved countries from the list on the COVA page will direct one to a page titled "Guidelines for Completing the China Online Visa Application (COVA)", which explains the process of completing a visa application online, uploading the application, and scheduling an appointment.

For residents of Canada, the website for the Embassy Of The People's Republic Of China In Canada has a link titled CHINA ONLINE VISA APPLICATION (third item in the main list of links), which takes one to the COVA page
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