A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)

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xwarrior

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #540 on: May 18, 2012, 09:47:02 PM »
Unsure if this is just a Shenzhen or Guangdong or even nationwide thing, but just got home from some work training & the guard of my building stopped me to fill in a police form, checking visas & res permits, basically checking up on where I live. Not sure if this is a regular occurence or directly related to the Beijing incident of late but I am possibly expecting a knock on the door in the next few days!

There is an old adage that 'whatever happens in Beijing the other provinces will follow.'

The checking may not be in exactly the same shape or form as Beijing, but I am sure there will be something happening, sometime, everywhere in China. 
I have my standards. They may be low, but I have them.
- Bette Midler

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #541 on: May 19, 2012, 02:09:35 AM »
Cruisemonkey, not surprised! Stoopid airline at the airport wasn't going to let me on the plane because I only had a 1 way ticket, with z visa. They didn't even know the rules. I told them I've been doing it for 7 years but they didn't believe me, until the checkin counter clerk called her superior. She got the okay, then charged me extra for 1 small extra bag (even though I was well under weight). She was obviously having a bad day!
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cruisemonkey

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #542 on: May 19, 2012, 03:25:39 AM »
At the risk of going off topic, airline baggage rules are something of which all newbies - and vetrans - should be aware. I've flown A LOT over the years but in the last six months things have changed drastically. Read the fine print (or try to decypher the airline's website) in your contract with the carrier so you don't have any nasty  surprises at the airport. They've gone 'psycho' on overweight and/or pieces. One kg in the wong bag could cost you more than the friggin' ticket if you can't get rid of the weight or move it to another bag... I'm talkin' astronomical figures (depending on the carrier).

When I left Korea last Sept. (after 6 years one accumulates a fair bit of 'stuff') I flew to Copenhagen through Dubai on Emirates. Checking-in at Incheon, I was overweight by 1.5 kg in one checked bag... and the other was 'maxed out'. If I had not been able to transfer those 1.5 kg to my carry-on bags I would have had to purchase a 3rd checked bag at a cost of $1100.00 USD (or leave it in K-land)!

When I was coming to China from Canada, I found out Air Canada now only allows one, 'free' checked bag on international flights   aoaoaoaoao (I didn't fly Air Canada).

One should not let the Chinese 'travel mafia' - all in cahoots with the Embassys/Consulates - book one's ticket(s) before you have a visa. They don't care you're moving half-way around the world on a semi-permanent basis... you're just another tourist 'ripe for the taking' to them.
The Koreans once gave me five minutes notice - I didn't know what to do with the extra time.

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Escaped Lunatic

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #543 on: May 19, 2012, 04:59:46 PM »
An occasional visit from one's friendly neighborhood PSB isn't anything to be too worried about.  I fill out piles of papers ever year, but they've been known to come by and check on me every now and then.

Yeah, the airlines have been getting worse and worse about bags.  I barely beat the purchase date deadline last year on a change from 2 free checked bags to 1 free checked bag on a trip from HK to the US.  On the way back, some weasel tried to charge me extra and I had to explain reality to him.  This year, I'm going to have to travel light.
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Stil

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #544 on: May 19, 2012, 06:44:42 PM »
All of this doesn't bother me in the slightest. I'm legal. If you are not.... Why not?

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xwarrior

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #545 on: May 26, 2012, 02:54:56 AM »
Stand by for some form of backlash:

Confucius confusion: Teachers at Chinese institutes must leave US

"US authorities have said all Chinese teachers lecturing at Confucius Institutes in the United States must leave the country before the end of June for visa violations. Chinese authorities are negotiating with their US counterparts over the matter.

The Department of State said on May 17 that Chinese teachers who entered the US on a J-1 visa, the non-immigrant visa issued to exchange visitors taking part in programs that promote cultural exchanges, must wrap up their teaching activities at the institutes before the end of June and leave the country. Visas will not be re-issued for those who need to apply for proper visas in China in order to return to America.

Hong Lei, spokesman of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Chinese authorities have opened negotiations with the US side in the hope of continuing the program of normal cultural exchanges.

Teachers with a J-1 visa are not allowed to teach in American elementary or junior high schools but are eligible to deliver lectures in authorized educational institutes above junior high school level. In many US schools, Confucius Institutes are the main sources of Chinese language learning. The move by the institutes to recruit students from kindergarten to senior high school age has violated the visa regulation..."

http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20120525000119&cid=1101

Not sure what the authorities will do - but I am pretty sure they will do something. Might even lose the use of the apocryphal bicycle mentioned in so many contracts.  aoaoaoaoao
I have my standards. They may be low, but I have them.
- Bette Midler