Visa to HK [Chinese passport holder with US green card]
Jun 7, 2019, 5:09 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
Visa to HK [Chinese passport holder with US green card]
I am a passrider of United living in the US, and would like to go visit HK for a day after my upcoming trip to mainland China (PVG), but there is no time left for me to get the HK visa. And as a passrider, since the flight leaving HKG cannot be confirmed until right before the departure, I can't get the visa free transit, correct? Or does anyone have experience doing that?
I am thinking to buy a cheap ticket out of HKG (to HKT, $50), and check online prior to my PVG-HKG flight. Will this allow me to get into HKG? Will my HKG-HKT boarding pass qualify as a "confirmed onward booking for the overseas journey"?
I am thinking to buy a cheap ticket out of HKG (to HKT, $50), and check online prior to my PVG-HKG flight. Will this allow me to get into HKG? Will my HKG-HKT boarding pass qualify as a "confirmed onward booking for the overseas journey"?
Jun 7, 2019, 6:42 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,441
I am a passrider of United living in the US, and would like to go visit HK for a day after my upcoming trip to mainland China (PVG), but there is no time left for me to get the HK visa. And as a passrider, since the flight leaving HKG cannot be confirmed until right before the departure, I can't get the visa free transit, correct? Or does anyone have experience doing that?
I am thinking to buy a cheap ticket out of HKG (to HKT, $50), and check online prior to my PVG-HKG flight. Will this allow me to get into HKG? Will my HKG-HKT boarding pass qualify as a "confirmed onward booking for the overseas journey"?
I am thinking to buy a cheap ticket out of HKG (to HKT, $50), and check online prior to my PVG-HKG flight. Will this allow me to get into HKG? Will my HKG-HKT boarding pass qualify as a "confirmed onward booking for the overseas journey"?
Jun 8, 2019, 10:19 am
#4
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
I think it will be fine, no need to check in as you are allowed to stay for up to 7 days, so it might not be possible to check in at the time you are leaving PVG.
Jun 8, 2019, 10:49 am
#5
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
Unless they have the appropriate endorsements from the PSB for visiting Hong Kong, Mainland travellers transiting HK must have a "confirmed onward booking."
A few years ago some Mainlanders were gaining entry to HK using outbound tickets they didn't actually use: they just crossed back into the Mainland overland after their visit. I believe the Immigration Department cracked down on this. I don't know whether the crackdown would pick up someone like the OP, who's also entering with a ticket he doesn't intend to use, though he does plan to depart by air on a different ticket (if confirmed). But if not confirmed, what will he do? Returning to the Mainland overland would not be a good idea, for the reason mentioned.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services...ngement.html#a
A few years ago some Mainlanders were gaining entry to HK using outbound tickets they didn't actually use: they just crossed back into the Mainland overland after their visit. I believe the Immigration Department cracked down on this. I don't know whether the crackdown would pick up someone like the OP, who's also entering with a ticket he doesn't intend to use, though he does plan to depart by air on a different ticket (if confirmed). But if not confirmed, what will he do? Returning to the Mainland overland would not be a good idea, for the reason mentioned.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services...ngement.html#a
Jun 8, 2019, 10:59 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
Allowed to stay up to 7 days, I'm assuming that's only after seeing that I have a confirmed onward ticket. So question is will a online check-in confirmation work? Or does it have to be on one same ticket reservation for PVG-HKG and HKG-xxx?
Jun 8, 2019, 11:05 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
Unless they have the appropriate endorsements from the PSB for visiting Hong Kong, Mainland travellers transiting HK must have a "confirmed onward booking."
A few years ago some Mainlanders were gaining entry to HK using outbound tickets they didn't actually use: they just crossed back into the Mainland overland after their visit. I believe the Immigration Department cracked down on this. I don't know whether the crackdown would pick up someone like the OP, who's also entering with a ticket he doesn't intend to use, though he does plan to depart by air on a different ticket (if confirmed). But if not confirmed, what will he do? Returning to the Mainland overland would not be a good idea, for the reason mentioned.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services...ngement.html#a
A few years ago some Mainlanders were gaining entry to HK using outbound tickets they didn't actually use: they just crossed back into the Mainland overland after their visit. I believe the Immigration Department cracked down on this. I don't know whether the crackdown would pick up someone like the OP, who's also entering with a ticket he doesn't intend to use, though he does plan to depart by air on a different ticket (if confirmed). But if not confirmed, what will he do? Returning to the Mainland overland would not be a good idea, for the reason mentioned.
https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services...ngement.html#a
What is the exact process when entering HKG? Will they have a record of my HKG-HKT reservation, or is it just showing to the custom officer?
Jun 8, 2019, 11:13 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 3,097
I don't know actually. I just pointed out that they apparently did put in some measures to catch those "transiting" with tickets they didn't intend to use. Whether those measures would pick up someone in your case I don't know. I don't even know whether it's still an issue, since travel to HK in recent years for most urban Mainlanders has become pretty simple (provided they have time to get the paperwork done at the PSB first).
Jun 8, 2019, 12:48 pm
#9
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
I don't believe that anyone will care whether your onward ticket is the same ticket as the one on which you entered. They will want to see that onward ticket. Have a printed copy of the e-ticket receipt handy, if asked.
Jun 8, 2019, 6:27 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,441
Yes my case will be clearly different from those. I am still departing from HKG (to USA), but on another ticket than I originally entered with as "confirmed onward booking" (which was HKG-HKT).
What is the exact process when entering HKG? Will they have a record of my HKG-HKT reservation, or is it just showing to the custom officer?
What you need is the ability to prove you hold a confirmed reservation departing HK within the terms of your entry to HK (apparently 7 days). You don't need a BP, just proof of the confirmed airline reservation / e-ticket number.
Jun 8, 2019, 6:47 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
What is BP? And is a passrider's ticket (unconfirmed seat assignment) sufficient as "confirmed airline reservation"?
Jun 8, 2019, 7:33 pm
#12
Join Date: Nov 2009
Programs: DL PM 1MM
Posts: 3,441
BP=boarding pass. I've no idea if an unconfirmed pass is sufficient for admission to HK, but a confirmed airline reservation typically is understood to mean a seat on a flight has been paid for and the reservation is confirmed by the airline. Since you have more questions, I suggest researching the possible consequences of a person with your passport traveling to HK without sufficient documentation to prove eligibility for admission to HK. The total cost of such consequences might considerably outweigh the cost of a cheap confirmed ticket whether you intend to use that ticket or not.
Jun 9, 2019, 7:07 am
#13
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: NW London and NW Sydney
Programs: BA Diamond, Hilton Bronze, A3 Diamond, IHG *G
Posts: 6,344
Basically, if you are unable to get a standby seat, you'll have to go to Phuket. So if you don't really want to go there, you may wish to book a flight that would actually meet your needs as a last resort, such as a fully refundable HKG-USA.
Jun 9, 2019, 8:55 am
#14
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Programs: UA 1K, AA Lifetime Platinum, DL Platinum, Honors Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 7,970
Since you have 7 days to make the transit, one idea would be to buy the Phuket ticket for 7 days our (or perhaps 6 to be safe). That gives you 6 days, with several flights per day, to get a passrider seat on United back to the US. It's almost certain that something will be available in that time period.
Jun 9, 2019, 11:23 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 22
BP=boarding pass. I've no idea if an unconfirmed pass is sufficient for admission to HK, but a confirmed airline reservation typically is understood to mean a seat on a flight has been paid for and the reservation is confirmed by the airline. Since you have more questions, I suggest researching the possible consequences of a person with your passport traveling to HK without sufficient documentation to prove eligibility for admission to HK. The total cost of such consequences might considerably outweigh the cost of a cheap confirmed ticket whether you intend to use that ticket or not.
Since you have 7 days to make the transit, one idea would be to buy the Phuket ticket for 7 days our (or perhaps 6 to be safe). That gives you 6 days, with several flights per day, to get a passrider seat on United back to the US. It's almost certain that something will be available in that time period.
AWESOME. I think it is an idea to book a fully refundable ticket for HKG-xxx for like 6 days out, use that to enter HK. My whole mind was stuck at the fact that you have to have a connection flight from HKG in order to qualify for the visa free transit (connection flight's layover time cannot be greater than 24hrs), therefore my concern. But since they give your 7 days of transit time, I should be ok using a fully refundable ticket to enter, and fly out on a passrider's ticket and then cancel the refundable ticket.
Please let me know if there's any risk or anything wrong with this logic.