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

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Ruth

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #420 on: January 04, 2009, 01:21:57 PM »
Odd about HM's and his father's medicals.  I'm in the same province and have had to get one each year upon renewal of the FE certificate.
If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #421 on: January 04, 2009, 03:17:28 PM »
Just got our new shiny visas till June 30th. Why so short? Cause they wouldn't give 1 year visa without ESL certificate. So HM is getting his soon. In fact with recent developments and ESL certificate requirements we were lucky we got visas at all  bibibibibi Though our passports were in immigration for 2 weeks and instead of Dec 15th visas date Dec 30th  uuuuuuuuuu

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Schnerby

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #422 on: January 20, 2009, 10:48:37 AM »
How long does it take for the uni to apply for all those certificates/letters they need for me to get my visa?

My papers are with them (as of Monday) and I need to get my visa by Friday the 6th (I leave Monday the 9th).

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #423 on: January 20, 2009, 04:33:25 PM »
They will have to get them this week as next week is Spring Festival and everything will be closed, but should be able to do that if they know what they are doing. I imagine the Chinese Embassy where you are applying for your visa will also be closed so that gives you Mon 2 Feb - Fri 6 Feb to get your visa, if you have papers back by then, so pretty tight....

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Lotus Eater

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #424 on: January 20, 2009, 07:44:52 PM »
If you have your invite letter from your institution, then you can pay a hurry up fee at the Chinese Embassy in Oz.  My daughter hadn't quite gotten round to getting her visa to China 2 days before her plane left  bibibibibi bibibibibi bibibibibi bibibibibi.  The Chinese Embassy in Brisbane told her to rock up early the next day, pay extra and she had it in hand by 1:00pm that day.

Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #425 on: January 20, 2009, 09:22:00 PM »
What Lotus said: that letter of invitation is all you need to apply from your end.  All they have to do is compose it and hit send, then you're in control.  bfbfbfbfbf  But there's always that Spring Festival wildcard, wherein the country shuts down (early, too- a comedian once said that Communism is like what would happen if an entire country was run by the post office).

Worst comes to worst, you can rush a tourist visa.  Well, you can in Suzhou, can't in Shanghai- it varies. 
And there is no liar like the indignant man... -Nietszche

Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task. -William James

englishmoose.com

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Schnerby

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #426 on: January 22, 2009, 07:55:54 PM »
OK, so I knew about the holiday coming, but hopefully they should get something this week to send back to me. The EMS satchels take about 6 days to get between us, so that leaves a week. I believe I can pay the rush fee, and I happily will if it makes the visa appear.

This letter of invitation, is this something the school writes? If so, and I can get a visa based on this letter, I would be set. I might go and harass the poor guy for such a letter...

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Schnerby

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #427 on: January 22, 2009, 08:05:21 PM »
Update!
They have thre work permit, and are applying for the visa application letter. He is going to phone the responsible people to try and get it before the holiday.

I hope this happens soon...

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Schnerby

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #428 on: January 29, 2009, 01:06:49 PM »
It is simply getting too close to the deadline for comfort. Unless the papers are in the post (and the FAO just hasn't let me know), I will have to get a tourist visa. I only have next week, as I leave on the 9th.


Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #429 on: January 29, 2009, 03:54:15 PM »
If they can't get the papers to you on time I would ask for an assurance in writing that they will pay any costs associated with changing your tourist visa to a work visa, as this will most likely involve a trip to Hong Kong. And make it clear you won't start teaching until you have the correct visa so they aren't tempted to mess around. If your flight is transferrable at all the better option is to stay home until you have the Z visa as making a HK trip would be expensive. FIngers crossed they start moving and it all comes together for the 9th.

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Schnerby

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #430 on: January 30, 2009, 01:00:12 AM »
If only they had started a month earlier this would be so much easier...

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George

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #431 on: January 30, 2009, 02:09:38 AM »
TIFC, Schnerbs. Get used to it! agagagagag
The higher they fly, the fewer!    http://neilson.aminus3.com/

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DaDan

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #432 on: January 30, 2009, 02:48:37 AM »
I got; in Shanghai Dec. 20th `08

 6 month F multi without 30 day or any time restrictions on length in country,
 
 U.S. passport 4500 Yuan. & one pic.

he posted my passport to me bout 12 days after I gave him my pssprt, 2 days before I expired.
My second this type from him & I've turned 5-6 others on to him with no trouble from any.

PM me if interested in his contact details.
me pappy sayd... 
Once ya get past the smell... ...:P ... `You got it licked...

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old34

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #433 on: January 30, 2009, 04:08:57 AM »
Wot George said.

Plus, it's CFNY here so everything has been closed down until today. And last week, they were getting ready for CFNY so nobody wanted to do much work from Jan. 22-25.

If they got the work permit on the 22nd and immediately took it to the FEB and applied for the invitation letter, it's been sitting in the local FEB office since Thursday. It (the invitation letter) will probably pop out tomorrow. Assuming the FAO is in town and not on some Spring Festival excursion (the rest of the proles here have the holiday off until next Sunday), s/he can pick it up at the FEB, pop it in the mail (suggest UPS or DHL and tell them you'll pay the extra charge when you get there if they hesitate-it's worth the comfort) and you should have it in your hands before next Monday. Which leaves you a week to get to the Chinese consulate to get your shiny Z visa. Seems short, but 7 days in our time is like 49 days in dog Chinese time. Plenty of time to get it done.

As George suggested, start getting used to it.

What you want to avoid is coming here on an L-visa and then (trying) to get it converted.
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. - B. O'Driscoll.
TIC is knowing that, in China, your fruit salad WILL come with cherry tomatoes AND all slathered in mayo. - old34.

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Schnerby

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Re: A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall... (THE VISA NIGHTMARE!)
« Reply #434 on: January 30, 2009, 12:15:32 PM »
The EMS took 10 days to get to me last time and 7 to get from me to them.

I (am supposed to) leave in 10 days, and I'm leaving on the Monday morning, so there isn't really time to post it now if it hasn't been posted already.

I know, TIFC, but it still aint fun...