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

In relation to all this, I wanna ask a stupid question (not sure if anyone know the answer yet though)- I normally come to China through Hong Kong, as it's the cheapest option from Australia. Usually fly in, catch the bus over to Guangzhou, then train or cheapie flight from there to wherever I'm getting to.

Anyone know if this (ie. land crossing) could be out of the q now?

Did the land crossing today at Luo Hu (sp?). Got waved through all the way. Everyone was very polite on both sides. The Chinese immigration dude looked at my visas for about 2 seconds, looked at me and stamped my passport. HK side: very pretty lady at immigration, very kind, asked me how long I would stay in HK. 3 days. She gave me 6 months.

No worries for customs on either side. Although there was a heavy presence in HK. Mainly loking for Hk ren I think. They were all waiting round that area, not the foreigner side.

Hope this helps.

I'd recommend to anyone that has a choice, don't live in a country where the Visa situation is hostile or unstable unless you are ready to leave at any time.

This is very wise advice indeed...but I don't feel that China's visa situation has become hostile. Some individual functionaries related to the process ARE hostile, but they were that way long before the new laws took effect.

As much as we all, including myself, have suffered from these events, it can be easily argued that they are not intended to be punitive, but rather are badly-overdue and much needed reforms. Let's face it, guys...a lot of us have seen considerable benefit from the laxities and loopholes of the old laws, but those in authority and many locals probably don't see these as benefits for them.

A lot of people have been working here illegally. Many of us bitch about "illegal migrant workers" in our home countries; why should we expect the Chinese to make this easy to do forever here?
A lot of people are being hired as teachers who, at least on paper, have no credible argument for being hired as teachers. We've all seen people with no teaching background etc. turn into dynamite teachers, but when examining incoming people "on paper" is about all the Chinese have. I just can't see raising the bar for employment here as being necessarily a bad or hostile thing.
Increasing numbers of people are coming to China and...doing nothing. At least nothing except party and mess the local ladies. I love doing both of those things myself (   ) but at least I earn a near-living and maybe give something back for my presence here. Folks, in the big picture the Chinese don't really want us here in the first place. They just feel that they need us to aid their development. Why should they let foreigners come here to just goof off and raise hell?

I don't LIKE  all the new visa rules myself, but at least up to a point I can't really disagree with them. And I don't see them as the kind of hostile action Mrozark cites.

Friend of mine had been teaching here in the same university for 5 years.  She's headed home at the end of this semester - the call of the Euro is stronger than that of the RMB.

Her visa expires this week - her contract at the end of July.  So university is getting her a tourist visa for her remaining month of work!  She has put in writing that she holds them responsible for any negative consequences of this move!

A friend of mine arrived this week from the UK and he though that they had only given him a 2 month multi entry visa so he would have to leave and come back after a month.  Adter checking it this morning they have actually given him a 4 month double entry visa, so he will have to leave and come back after 2 months.  They are not being a strict as I thought and have heard from other people.

 

Her visa expires this week - her contract at the end of July.  So university is getting her a tourist visa for her remaining month of work!  She has put in writing that she holds them responsible for any negative consequences of this move!

I think that's probably a very wise move on her part.

The tourist visa costs 150Y, the residents permit 400Y - so it is saving people money.  BUT - because the US has made it more expensive for Chinese to go there, the Chinese Gov't has retaliated in kind, and the tourist visas for the USAnians are costing close to 1000Y.

I received my new FEC book and passport with new Z visa today.  Both are good until July 31/09.  Foreign Experts book has letters SAFEA,as background on the pages of the book. My blue resident/apartment address paper is glued into the back of my passport.

Wish I had mine.  FAO said "ming tian."

Ruth,
How long left on yours?

Quote from: mrozark on June 25, 2008, 08:48:00 AM

I'd recommend to anyone that has a choice, don't live in a country where the Visa situation is hostile or unstable unless you are ready to leave at any time.

This is very wise advice indeed...but I don't feel that China's visa situation has become hostile. Some individual functionaries related to the process ARE hostile, but they were that way long before the new laws took effect.

As much as we all, including myself, have suffered from these events, it can be easily argued that they are not intended to be punitive, but rather are badly-overdue and much needed reforms. Let's face it, guys...a lot of us have seen considerable benefit from the laxities and loopholes of the old laws, but those in authority and many locals probably don't see these as benefits for them.

A lot of people have been working here illegally. Many of us bitch about "illegal migrant workers" in our home countries; why should we expect the Chinese to make this easy to do forever here?
A lot of people are being hired as teachers who, at least on paper, have no credible argument for being hired as teachers. We've all seen people with no teaching background etc. turn into dynamite teachers, but when examining incoming people "on paper" is about all the Chinese have. I just can't see raising the bar for employment here as being necessarily a bad or hostile thing.
Increasing numbers of people are coming to China and...doing nothing. At least nothing except party and mess the local ladies. I love doing both of those things myself (   ) but at least I earn a near-living and maybe give something back for my presence here. Folks, in the big picture the Chinese don't really want us here in the first place. They just feel that they need us to aid their development. Why should they let foreigners come here to just goof off and raise hell?

I don't LIKE  all the new visa rules myself, but at least up to a point I can't really disagree with them. And I don't see them as the kind of hostile action Mrozark cites.

Point well taken. And I don't think the visa situation is hostile in China, yet. Not easy for Americans, though. No breeze-through at LuoHu for us. And, although at border crossings around the world I am treated as such: I am not my government.
Having said that, I stand corrected. I guess I've gotten a bit burned out on Asia in general, and its showing up in my conclusions and judgment. Statement withdrawn and replaced with: "I'm tired of Asia."

It's pretty difficult to get visas for many countries - the US in particular if you are Asian or Middle-eastern.  This is not just an Asian phenomena.  I think we come across as a bit arrogant when we figure we should be able to just waltz in to any country and say 'Hey, I'm here, let me in".

Having said that I love travelling in countries where I get the visa at the border, saves so much mafan - although to be fair these are only tourist visas!

Send two email to the visa service I used on my last trip asking about multi-entry visas for next year.  So far, no answer.   

Fascinating.  They answered and claimed that other than a slight increase in paperwork requirements (like round trip tickets), multi-entries were not a problem at all.

This place gets the visas straight from the embassy in DC.  Are they leading me down the primrose path, or do they have an inside track???

I love the tit for tat 'this country does this so we'll do it to' thing.

We should be the same.  For instance, all sites like sina, 163, youku, etc, should all be blocked in the UK, for the 'benefit' of Chinese overseas students in Britain.  After all, these sites undermine the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth 2 and our wonderful stable motherland.

There doesn't seem to be any obstacles re. visa in Denmark. See, we're the happy people, prone to spending oodles of moolah when travelling, so everyone loves us
I called the Chinese embassy and they said that getting a 1 year multiple entry Z visa would be no problem. Just waiting for those dang documents.

I love the tit for tat 'this country does this so we'll do it to' thing.

We should be the same.  For instance, all sites like sina, 163, youku, etc, should all be blocked in the UK, for the 'benefit' of Chinese overseas students in Britain.  After all, these sites undermine the glorious reign of Queen Elizabeth 2 and our wonderful stable motherland.

Tit for tat doesn't help anyone, but if there is no reciprocity in visas etc - why shouldn't country A apply to same rules to the citizens of country B, if country B applies them to A? 

Blocking sina, 163 etc would have to be for the benefit of British students in Britain.  Our sites in China aren't blocked to prevent us  from being undermined, but to "protect" their own citizenry.  So we would have to block them to prevent British students from seeing the joys of communism!