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

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Mr Nobody

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #300 on: August 06, 2008, 04:35:00 PM »
USAnian friend converted L to Z and residence permit at the local SinoCanadian language mill that purports to be part of the local uni, without problems.

It only goes to show. Here in the sticks, rules be different.
Just another roadkill on the information superhighway.

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #301 on: August 07, 2008, 01:41:42 AM »
Just got my Z visa from the Brisbane consulate yesterday. No probs whatsoever, nothing different. 4 days, same $30, took my travel docs (which showed doing a land crossing again from Hong Kong to Guangzhou, nothing booked to get across) and school docs etc. Piece of cake and told them 'see you next year'!

Met a few Olympic families in there as well rushing their visas through...
10 easy steps to stop procrastination.

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Riz

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #302 on: August 07, 2008, 06:37:33 AM »
Stil knows how worried I was about the job and visa. Having heard the stories at this place, I had made up my mind to face whatever happens.And Then, I discovered a retard liaison and a shitty college where no one wanted to go. I am leaving this thread today.We will shoot the breeze somewhere else soon folks.
"I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals."
Short and funny quotes, Winston Churchill.

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Mr Nobody

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #303 on: August 07, 2008, 08:10:01 AM »
I was told recently by someone who should be in the know (junior PSB dealing with visas) that much of the visa issues are actually targeted at USAnians.
Just another roadkill on the information superhighway.

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #304 on: August 07, 2008, 08:13:17 AM »
But it seems to be layin' 'em low across the board.
I know Australians, Canadians, British, South Africans, Germans, Danes...all kinds of people who have had to make quick temporary or permanent retreats home.
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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Mr Nobody

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #305 on: August 07, 2008, 08:22:44 AM »
I bow to your greater knowledge. It was a rumour anyhoo, but she (a cute PSB) told me so. I haven't had an issue, and the friend I know who did convert was USAnian, and he didn't have an issue, so maybe I should just hush my mouth.
Just another roadkill on the information superhighway.

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #306 on: August 07, 2008, 08:27:18 AM »
No, please, Mr. N...we just live for blather here. agagagagag

China has always had something of a boner for US citizens...probably in no way related to the incredible expense and difficulty to which Chinese citizens are subjected to for US visas. So there may well be some truth to it.

What a bunch of soreheads... asasasasas
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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Mr Nobody

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #307 on: August 07, 2008, 08:33:46 AM »
Oz is about as difficult for them to get in, but our visas to get into china are around half the price of USAnian ones, and I am told less trouble.

Don't know why.

Maybe something to do with sending shipments of rice when they were having famines back in the dim distant past, but this is a guess. A vague one.
Just another roadkill on the information superhighway.

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Raoul F. Duke

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #308 on: August 07, 2008, 11:36:53 AM »
It's just much more difficult and expensive for Chinese to get visas to the USA than it is for other countries. And here's why:

Greyhound scraps ads after Canada bus beheading
By ROB GILLIES, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 2 minutes ago
 
TORONTO
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Greyhound has scrapped an ad campaign that extolled the relaxing upside of bus travel after one of its passengers was accused of beheading and cannibalizing another traveler.

The ad's tag line was "There's a reason you've never heard of 'bus rage.'"

Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said Wednesday a billboard and some tunnel posters near a bus terminal in Toronto are still up and would be removed later in the day.

"Greyhound knows how important it is to get these removed and we are doing everything possible," Wambaugh said. "This is something that we immediately asked to be done last week, realizing that these could be offensive."

Vince Weiguang Li, who immigrated to Canada from China in 2004, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of 22-year-old carnival worker Tim McLean. He has yet to enter a plea.

Thirty-seven passengers were aboard the Greyhound from Edmonton, Alberta, to Winnipeg, Manitoba, as it traveled at night along a desolate stretch of the TransCanada Highway about 12 miles from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Witnesses said Li attacked McLean unprovoked, stabbing him dozens of times.

As horrified passengers fled the bus, Li severed McLean's head, displaying it to some of the passengers outside the bus, witnesses said.

A police officer at the scene reported seeing the attacker hacking off pieces of the victim's body, eating them, and claiming they tasted "like Hormel maple-flavored bacon," according to a police report.

Wambaugh said the ads only appeared in Canada and that some in Ontario and western Canada have already been removed. About 20,000 inserts of the Greyhound ads were scheduled to be put into an Alberta Summer Games handbook but they stopped the presses.
"Vicodin and dumplings...it's a great combination!" (Anthony Bourdain, in Harbin)

"Here in China we aren't just teaching...
we're building the corrupt, incompetent, baijiu-swilling buttheads of tomorrow!" (Raoul F. Duke)

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DaDan

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #309 on: August 07, 2008, 05:01:53 PM »
But we're getting way,   offtopic   here.
This thread is about the changes in visa rules, and the problems they are causing.
It's not about the usual methane-breathing help we tend to get with this stuff.

We'd love to hear your horror stories. In a new thread.

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me pappy sayd... 
Once ya get past the smell... ...:P ... `You got it licked...

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #310 on: August 07, 2008, 07:47:36 PM »
Here're my recent findings. If you obtained a new passport from your Embassy in China, you MUST and I repeat MUST transfer your old visa to your new passport if you are going to use it again for coming back to China (now I am perplexed on whether it is 100% necessary to do so if you aren't). Even if you are leaving the country for good immediately, they won't care. Your country most probably won't care for it but the Chinese authorities won't let you out of China.
This is what bites me the most cause I can't transfer my current visa hence I have to waste a month in Russia applying all over again for my new passport while I COULD get it here and spend only few days in Russia or more to my liking.
Fair warning: try your best not to involve yourselves with any visa agents or anyone who wants to do you visa for a favor/money/car import. Some day it may just as well get back to you as a boomerang and hit you where it hurts at the least expected moment.  agagagagag
« Last Edit: August 07, 2008, 08:38:48 PM by cheekygal »

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Rajin

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #311 on: August 08, 2008, 05:15:41 AM »
Yes, indeed. My passport as of last August was a good 40-50 dollars more than my fellows Brits' were, although I've heard that it's come down quite a few notches since then.

My Z visa was renewed without incident. I live in Xiangtan, pretty small time government, and my boss seems to have quite a few connections.

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #312 on: August 08, 2008, 05:30:12 AM »
Yes, indeed. My passport as of last August was a good 40-50 dollars more than my fellows Brits' were, although I've heard that it's come down quite a few notches since then.

British passports cost 120 pounds (240 US$) these days. Which is ridiculous! The British government says it's because of all the new technology, but a French passport is only 40 pounds (80 US$) and has the same technology.

I have a choice between the two, so I know what I'm getting next time round...

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Stil

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #313 on: August 08, 2008, 05:45:34 AM »
British passports cost 120 pounds (240 US$) these days. Which is ridiculous! The British government says it's because of all the new technology, but a French passport is only 40 pounds (80 US$) and has the same technology.

I have a choice between the two, so I know what I'm getting next time round...

Pay the 120. Do you really want to be considered French!

Passport in Canada is $87 CAD. Exact change only.

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #314 on: August 08, 2008, 05:47:55 AM »
British passports cost 120 pounds (240 US$) these days. Which is ridiculous! The British government says it's because of all the new technology, but a French passport is only 40 pounds (80 US$) and has the same technology.

I have a choice between the two, so I know what I'm getting next time round...

Pay the 120. Do you really want to be considered French!

Well that's something you keep to yourself... oooooooooo