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

Oh yeah, they have been asking for bank statement or at least $6,000 cash in various Embassies. My MIL was asked to present all of that. But then PIL's letter of invitation and work permit were enough to get her here without presenting all those statements.

Clearly Bermudans are a high risk for overstaying their visas and trying to immigrate!!

They want to be sure you're not just coming here for the fantastic welfare system. 

Or, Bermuda requires these things of visiting Chinese, so you get the reciprocal treatment.  That happens to Americans.  Prices for visas are much higher for Americans than for countries who charge Chinese less for their visas.

Police check, interesting...

I actually had to get a police check when I got home... to be able to work at Wal*Mart 

Hopefully I can get a copy for free from them

It looks like things might be getting better for those of us on business visas.
Although still a lot of ambiguity.

http://english.sz.gov.cn/ln/200809/t20080923_432402.htm

. Smoking a spliff in uni campus and getting busted to relieving yourself in a side alley on the way home to driving convictions and speeding tickets.
.

Wow! Looks like mum was right in always saying "be sure your sins will find you out"

I think someone up there doesn't want me in China! Actually I'm not a bad old bird really Just because I lacked motivation (read-too lazy)and didn't get a Uni degree and had a mis-spent youth and wrecked my heart? Now my police record wants to catch up with me! Puleese,sir, all I did was grow one magnificent hoochey cooch plant, but I never smoked the stuff. Just idle curiosity really and it was so good,that even the police were greatly impressed. Cost me a week's wages and no conviction recorded! wonder if it would show up? My reason for having it was believed, following a dawn raid on my house and property. Did someone just ask how I got caught? The people I paid to house sit my dog when I was away thought that they would do the "right" thing. Maybe it's three strikes and I'm really out!!

If a conviction wasn't recorded it shouldn't show up.  Depends on what the request is for - convictions of arrests.  Little stuff should also fall off after 10 years.

Agreed, LE, no conviction should mean no record. I had one very minor indiscretion in my (very) distant youth, and as there was no conviction (suspended sentence) nothing showed when I got my police check many years later.
I also agree that little stuff should fall off after a significant time has passed; but does it? We live in a world that is not only becoming smaller, but smaller-minded. Officials everywhere are increasingly officious. Common sense and good judgement remain uncommon qualities.
TIC, YMMV. Check that; everyone's mileage will vary.

We had a teacher arrive here on an F visa.  She has a FEC book now and her visa changed in her passport.  This is in Dalian, Liaoning Province.

Latest word (through my travel agent, via a telephone conversation with her visa-expediting contact in New York) is that China doesn't want to issue (F) visas any sooner than 30 days before the expected date of arrival in PRC. 

My understanding had been that it was a 3-months window.

China's embassy to the US lists 3 visa services.  One of them (Oasis) now has this pop-up when you visit it:

"GOOD NEWS!!!  Itinerary, hotel reservation & visa notification form are no longer required for Tourist and Business visas."

And on the home page:
"Chinese Embassy just changed the visa policy, now everything has just become much easier. Please check the detail requirement in the Visa Type's page.                                 -Sep 22, 2008"


This certainly solves my problem about how to explain that my job is portable and I don't really need vacations in the classic sense to travel, just a lighter than average workload.

The news seems to be very controversial. Looks like Embassies in different countries have different requirements for different types of visa. Here's what I have so far:
1. Beijing starts issuing/extending F visas again within 1 month time
2. In Zhuhai now, if you entered on L visa and plan on changing to residency (dependent's), forget about it. You can only get 6 months SINGLE entry L visa on which you can leave and come back once.
3. The immigration office in Zhuhai has issued some warning to teaching establishments that from January 2009 they will require all teacher's to get some special expert's certificate (seems like old ones will be canceled and new ones issued). However, anyone below 25 and above 60 will not be granted such certificates and whatever they have now will only be valid till end of this year. Nuts, isn't it?
4. ESL certificate is required now in Zhuhai to apply for Experts'Certificate and residency with a purpose of employment. Native speaker or not, you are required to have one.
Now, RUMOUR has that this is going to be imposed on whole of Guangdong province.
I know that till January 2009 things may change 1000 times. Let's hope they only change for the better, not for the worse.

The immigration office in Zhuhai has issued some warning to teaching establishments that from January 2009 they will require all teacher's to get some special expert's certificate (seems like old ones will be canceled and new ones issued). However, anyone below 25 and above 60 will not be granted such certificates and whatever they have now will only be valid till end of this year. Nuts, isn't it?

This one seems to be happening in Hunan as well.  At least the under 25 part.

1. Beijing starts issuing/extending F visas again within 1 month time
2. In Zhuhai now, if you entered on L visa and plan on changing to residency (dependent's), forget about it. You can only get 6 months SINGLE entry L visa on which you can leave and come back once.
3. The immigration office in Zhuhai has issued some warning to teaching establishments that from January 2009 they will require all teacher's to get some special expert's certificate (seems like old ones will be canceled and new ones issued). However, anyone below 25 and above 60 will not be granted such certificates and whatever they have now will only be valid till end of this year. Nuts, isn't it?
4. ESL certificate is required now in Zhuhai to apply for Experts'Certificate and residency with a purpose of employment. Native speaker or not, you are required to have one.
Now, RUMOUR has that this is going to be imposed on whole of Guangdong province.

Where did you find this information? I couldn't find anything like this on the Chinese Website.

The University FIL works for e-mailed it to teachers. Believe me, Zhuhai lives by its own laws. You won't find anything on websites. You tell them about the general rules, they tell you they have their own rules.

The University FIL works for e-mailed it to teachers. Believe me, Zhuhai lives by its own laws. You won't find anything on websites. You tell them about the general rules, they tell you they have their own rules.

Oh, I am speechless.