Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)

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kitano

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Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« on: September 03, 2019, 08:36:09 PM »
Hello everyone. Long long time I've been awa. I will try to get back into contribing to this place (and swearing too much) I am heading back to China
But I have a fairly urgent question I'd like help with

I'm in Vietnam on a tourist visa that is about to expire with all of the documents for a Z visa. My school thinks that I will have to go out of Vietnam and come back in to get the Chinese visa, but surely a legit tourist visa in another country would work?

If course not only is it Chinese beaurocracy, but it's immigration department so common sense doesn't apply

But does anyone have experience of this?
I have had so much conflicting info....

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2019, 07:13:00 PM »
I wish I could give a definitive answer, but from what I've seen your milage will automatically vary in unpredictable ways until you cross into China.

Options

1.  Go to to Macau, Laos, or Cambodia.  Make sure your tourist access for their is long enough to keep you covered until all the Z visa formalities are done.

2.  See if you can get your Vietnamese visa extended while in-country.

3.  Like 1, but turn around and head back to Vietnam on a new Tourist visa.


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CWL

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2019, 12:22:05 PM »
Did you have to appear at the China Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam for fingerprinting?

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kitano

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2019, 09:49:23 PM »
I wish I could give a definitive answer, but from what I've seen your milage will automatically vary in unpredictable ways until you cross into China.

Options

1.  Go to to Macau, Laos, or Cambodia.  Make sure your tourist access for their is long enough to keep you covered until all the Z visa formalities are done.

2.  See if you can get your Vietnamese visa extended while in-country.

3.  Like 1, but turn around and head back to Vietnam on a new Tourist visa.

Yeah im off to Laos today. My boss wants me to get a business visa in Vietnam. Apparently your acceptance letter is tied to the embassy so you have to get it at the place you said.
My decision is whether to get the business visa or a tourist visa because it just seems crazy that they would require that given my situation.

I do keep reminding myself that I'm stressing out about wasting $50 dojllars and 3 days in a beautiful and super cheap beauty spot lol

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kitano

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2019, 09:50:27 PM »
Did you have to appear at the China Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam for fingerprinting?

They hVe collected a lot of my blood over the years thinking about it

Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #5 on: September 08, 2019, 06:47:43 PM »
I have no answer on the thread question. Just stopping by to say when and or if you get everything sorted and you're settled, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Vietnam as a place to live and work. Meanwhile, good luck.
when ur a roamin', do as the settled do o_0

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2019, 07:09:28 PM »
Did you have to appear at the China Embassy/Consulate in Vietnam for fingerprinting?

It's been a long time since I got a Z visa.  The only times I've had to be fingerprinted in regards to living here was for FBI background checks for my green card and citizenship applications.  I got those prints done by the Hong Kong police.  All the authentications needed for those (from the US State Department and Chinese Embassy) were handled remotely by an authentication service.

Other than that, I did get electronically fingerprinted at the border a couple of years ago for being a foreigner crossing into China and then one more time when I got signed up for eChannel access.  Hong Kong also collected prints when I signed for eChannel access under their frequent visitor program.


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CWL

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #7 on: September 11, 2019, 02:20:43 PM »
I was recently offered an admin gig in China.  I am currently in the States after two years in Vietnam.  Even though I have an authenticated FBI background check, two visa agents told me that I would have to travel to the assigned consulate for fingerprinting when applying for the Z.  I am not staying anywhere near the assigned consulate.  Fuck that.  Curious about if I was processing a Z in another country.


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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2019, 07:57:00 PM »
I can't say it's impossible, but I've never heard of this.  What I have seen many times over the years are errors from visa agents based on misinterpretation of new rules.  You might want to try emailing the Embassy in DC as well all of the US consulates directly and see what they say.

I'm not seeing anything about fingerprints on the Embassy site:

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/hrsq/#Z

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84245.htm

Here's one US visa agency's info on Z visas:

https://www.mychinavisa.com/visas/work

I did find something about a requirement for fingerprints at the Chinese Embassy in the UK:

http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/visa/qzxz/t1604209.htm
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kitano

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #9 on: September 12, 2019, 10:14:02 PM »
Ok I just did my visa today. You are allowed to use a tourist visa, but it needs to be on your Z visa
If possible I would still recommend doing it in your home country because it's complicated enough as it is.

I wasn't fingerprinted today in hanoi.

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kitano

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #10 on: September 12, 2019, 10:17:00 PM »
I will write a bit about it in a bit

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #11 on: September 13, 2019, 08:48:11 PM »
Please do!  The Saloon is badly in need of up to date info on the joys of visa acquisition.
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CWL

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #12 on: September 15, 2019, 03:27:09 PM »
I have seen nothing on the website for the China Consulate in San Francisco (my assigned consulate). Today, I searched through more visa agencies for China and some state there is a requirement and some state there isn't a requirement for in-person fingerprinting at the consulate. I further read on a TEFL website that Chicago started requiring fingerprinting at the consulate last year with the consulate in San Francisco following shortly after that. The consulate in San Francisco did not answer the phone when I tried to call. It looks like I will be keeping my L visa going until 2025 and working elsewhere.

Looking forward to reading future responses.

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #13 on: September 16, 2019, 07:14:00 PM »
Friday was a Chinese holiday, so I'm not surprised the phones weren't manned.  You may also want to try the Embassy directly.  If your Chinese is good enough, calling the Chinese language line is usually more accurate on confusing questions than the English speaking number.
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CWL

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Re: Coming back to China (and getting my visa abroad)
« Reply #14 on: September 17, 2019, 04:33:32 AM »
Sorry, but my post was a cut and paste job.  I typed it sometime last week. 
Even though I am in the U.S., access to the Saloon has been intermittent. 
Something about not being able to find the server, blah, blah, blah, ....
I had tried to call the consulate back in August several times. 

Oh well.