Tourist visa
 

And what makes you think I meant business visa? I am talking about tourist visas....my two year visa (tourist) expires Jan 2009; before that I had a one year visa.

You mention 3 yrs ago, and that might 'have' been the case. I am talking about now, today. My wife's application was sent in by our TA today and we should get back next week....hopefully with 2 yr but we expect at minimum 1 yr again. Her's expired Feb 2007 and it was a one year, so counting back she got it in Feb 2006.

I stand by my earlier post(s)...and offer to provide you name of travel agent in NYC.

Next topic?

PS - you are right about one thing - the max is one year when checking off the boxes....again that's why a good TA is needed.

LA China Consulate
 

My 2 year visa expired a few months ago. Decided to go to the LA consulate myself this time as it was convenient with some other stuff I had to do in LA.
Already had the form filled out and photo ready...plus made a copy of the previous 2 year visa and scratched out the 12 month part on the form and wrote in 24 month..60 day.

When I got to the third floor office I saw a lot of people sitting in the waiting chairs. From my previous visits I didn't recall seeing so many people.
Then I saw numbers lit up above the clerks windows. Finally found the number machine which is just to the left on the wall as you enter the office.

Took a number..490..and saw above the clerk's windows number flashing in the 440 to 450 range and a sign that said don't get in the line until your number is within 10 numbers of the current numbers. Well that didn't seem
to be the Chinese way to me. So just went directly into the line and tossed
the ticket.

The clerk looked at all the paperwork and in about 5 seconds gave me a receipt for a 12 month F visa.

Just as I figured...for $100 you can't get the 2 year in LA. Or maybe I just didn't have the guanxi working. Oh Well. At least I tried.:mad:

Great post, LOL.

1. Who and how did you get the 2 yr visa - since it recently expired, does validate my earlier post that 2 yr visa (tourist) can be done since last 2005/early 2006.
2. Usually in NYC embassy, need to return 3-4 days later or at the very least if you go in the AM, come back after lunch for immediate turn-around (for one day, they also require proof of trip, eg a ticket). Of course one has to pay surcharge for quicker service.
3. I recall last time TA charged me $200 for 2 yr visa - the 'normal' fee for 4 day turnaround is around $100 so I figured extra $100 worth it - it would have cost me two trips, $30-50 on taxi (unless I walked, then take subway), and the extra $100 for the 'guanxi' was well worth it.

there is some confusion here about visa types.

as far as i know, if u go directly to any chinese consulate in the uk, then the only tourist visas (type L) that most people can obtain are single-entry and double-entry visas. if u need a one-year tourist visa, then u must apply through a travel agent. incidentally, the single-entry visa fee for american uk residents who are applying through a uk consulate has just gone up to £50 (£30 for uk citizens, £20 for uk residents of other nationalities).

i once asked at the prc visa office in hk (in 2002) for a six-month multiple-entry tourist visa and i was told that it was not possible. i received a multiple-entry visa through a travel agent instead. this was not a tourist visa, but type F (business), despite what i had put on the form.

ian. :)

That is the change implemented on Aug 1, 07, for any American. Doesn't matter where you apply. Same fee (~US$100, HK$780, £50) worldwide, whether it's for an one-entry, dual-entry, or 12-month multiple. Of course, it'd be silly to not apply for the 12-month multiple, and that's what everybody's getting.

While it's an increase from the single- and dual-entry, it's actually a price cut for the 12-month multiple for US citizen, which was previous $150.

And it remains cheaper than British citizens for the 12-month multiple, which is £90.

The main question is whether an American can get the 24-month multiple for the same price. At some places, yes; some no. Can't say.

[QUOTE=dtsm;8554108]Great post, LOL.

1. Who and how did you get the 2 yr visa - since it recently expired, does validate my earlier post that 2 yr visa (tourist) can be done since last 2005/early 2006.
[QUOTE]


Last time I got a 2 year visa from submitting a bunch of 1 yr visas and
also a contract consulting letter(;)). It was a business (f) visa.

I remember seeing on the San Francisco China Consulate website application
a box for 24 month visa is still current.

When in Beijing a few years ago went to a lawyer about a Chinese green card.
That's an impossibility unless you have a phd in nuclear physics and worked
on black projects.

I think Rkkwan has put to bed any questions re whether one can or cannot get at the very least a one year multiple entry tourist visa. If a travel agent tells you otherwise, find someone who has experience dealing with Asia international travel.

Would the NY travel agent be of any use to us as we would only be dealing with them by mail?

I can only make the introduction and then the two of you can work out details, etc. Btw, have used this TA for 25 yrs.

Keep in mind TA will probably request FedEx or comparable account to send passports to/back to you and ask for CC for payment.

But as i tried to explain, any decent TA that has experience handling asian flights, etc. should be able to provide same service.

Please continue this by PM only...

Update on Tourist visa for China
 

OK, my travel agent dropped by just now, my wife's passport not yet returned but I got mine back after applying for 6 month multiple entry to Vietnam, and decided to ask my travel agent given all these recent questions.

Apparently I got a two year because I was born in HK. There is some unwritten rule that China/HK born get preferential treatment.

My wife, Taiwan born, is supposedly relegated to rest of the world status - 1 yr only - although she (TA) is still waiting to get back her passport.

So this is how they do it at the Chinese embassy in NYC...

I thought China felt Taiwan was China, more than HK. When a Taiwanese
friend got his DL in China...the office marked down his place of birth
as China...though he was born in Taiwan. I am glad when they saw my place of birth as Japan they didn't cut down the time.

Not to beat a dead horse to death....my wife just got her passport back with a 'two year tourist' visa. I guess the 'guanxi' is important, even with your travel agent. And maybe China now looks favorably to Taiwan born??

I'm curious what will happen when my son applies - he's now lives in HK, a USA passport holder, born stateside with obviously a chinese surname.

Also, I found copy of 'old' (?) visa application, line #14 clearly has a box for 24 month multiple entry request.

Well I just got my passport back from Travel Documents Systems in NYC. Usually the agent at work took 2 - 3 weeks to get it (slacker) even then I was lucky to get a double entry.

I sent my passport Oct. 22, got it back Oct. 29 with a 1-yr multiple entry visa, each entry good for 120 days. ^

Total cost: $185.00 for one week turn around.

$20 - FedEx Overnight to NY
$100 - Visa fee
$45 - Travel Docs free
$20 - FedEx Overnight return

Trip is a go :D

I got a chinese visa (double entry) for an upcoming trip to Shanghai. During this trip I have a few meetings in Seoul and then Go through PVG for an overnight layover before taking my flight back to US. Will that count as a re-entry as it is a less then 24h layover?
Thanks

No, but if you still have an entry left, be sure to bring proof of your onward flight, or you might get an arrival stamp instead of a transit stamps. BTW, you can stay an extra day too if you want (up to 48 hours in Shanghai).