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China Visa Debacle
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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This affecting anyone? My 1yr multi-entry visa is soon to expire - and the new limitations on visa issue are a pain in the passport!
Meantime, I've decided to go for the APEC card - anyone heard if there's any new restrictions to China entry with this???
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| posted by Patrick Bateman 39 days ago |
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Yes, I am affected. But the APEC card is virtually useless for China as
1. They take forever to approve.
2. Apec only allowes you to skip the queue, not give you special entry dispensation.
3. In China, everyone ignores the fact that there is a special counter for APEC holders only - so it is just as busy as all the other immigration queues and therefore defeats the purpose.
Only bother getting it if you go to Japan regularly.
Sabrina, don't just stare at it. Eat it.
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| posted by Load Toad 39 days ago (edited 39 days ago) |
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I've got a 3 year visa valid to 2010 so I should be OK but I have to get a new passport next week so I hope the Chinese honour the visa in the old passport - they should do but....
The last dozen visits into China my passport has been scrutinized far more than before and on 4 occaisions the supervisor has been called over - I dunno if that's because my old passport is well battered after it got put through the washer or because I have so many visits to Dirtland.
If they stick with this clusterf**k of an idea to only give single and double entry visas with 30 days validity on the it will be a massive pain in the arse for business and will hurt business in HK and South China. But this is typical of China not thinking things through before they do them.
Weird - last night I was 'round my mates gaff in Bantian after finishing work and at 8.30 two government officials turned up at the door requesting mates passport, reason for living & working in China - then they saw me getting into the vodka and fags and wanted to know what my business was etc. Since we couldn't understand their Mandarin and they couldn't follow Potteries dialect very well we gave them mates big boss Chinese number to call and sort things out. This was the first time that that's ever happened to me in China and was quite a coincidence given we'd just been sat b**ching about Chinese bureaucracy...
You remember the cow roof. I do not Mexico. He is goblin.
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| posted by Load Toad 39 days ago |
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Oh yeah and even the TVB Pearl news is brutally censored when items about the Olympic torch and Tibet are on - that might stop their own citizens knowing what is going on but to foreign visitors it just confirms the Nazis are in power.
You remember the cow roof. I do not Mexico. He is goblin.
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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But - does it 'do-away' with the specific requirement to get a visa? If so, this will be helpful in itself as only 1 month visas are issued at the moment...
I've had no probs going 'up north' recently (Tianjin mostly)...Immigration has been smooth and hassle free.
Am calling our friendly immigration dept now....and am in a holding pattern on the phone....If it's like IRD, they'll keep me on hold then ask me to rate their service automatically!!!!
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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STILL waiting for the imm dept to pick up the phone...my current position is 18
I just figured out why they stop the phone queue at "your current position is 68" - perhaps this belongs in the censorship thread!
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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So - - - here's the down and dirty!
The APEC card needs to be approved by PRC authorities anyhow and Imm Dept in HKG don't know if there's any restrictions on this similar to the new visa restrictions.......Load o rubbish! But will apply anyhow - just another piece of useless plastic in the wallet!
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| 83 Posts |
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| posted by klaus93 39 days ago (edited 39 days ago) |
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i am happy owner from a APEC Card.
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| 1013 Posts |
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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Takes 6-8 weeks to process (pre-Tibet situation) - now it'll prolly take 6-8 months!!!!!
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| posted by Patrick Bateman 39 days ago |
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as i said.
it has no bearing on entry to a country, aside from how long you have to queue.
In China's case. No bearing.
Sabrina, don't just stare at it. Eat it.
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| posted by Mr Rotavator 39 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by Patrick Bateman
as i said.
it has no bearing on entry to a country, aside from how long you have to queue.
In China's case. No bearing.
Except that you don't need a visa if you have an APEC card
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Rotavator
quote:
Originally posted by Patrick Bateman
as i said.
it has no bearing on entry to a country, aside from how long you have to queue.
In China's case. No bearing.
Except that you don't need a visa if you have an APEC card
And I don't want no more passport page stealing visas!
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| posted by jesswill 39 days ago |
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Sorry what is that new restriction China visas? Charles de Gaulle has to renew his in the next two weeks in Yunnan but they haven't told him of anything new (he's on a 6 months f at the moment)
up to not much
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| posted by Load Toad 39 days ago |
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They only offer single or double entry and only valid for 30 days. Supposedly this will run until September.
You remember the cow roof. I do not Mexico. He is goblin.
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| Junior Member |
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| 1013 Posts |
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| posted by hkJay 39 days ago |
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Downloaded the pdf form for APEC card.....
- supposedly the data fields on the form can be filled-in by typing into the 'hi-lighted' areas........
- started filling out the form
- reached the first hurdle . . . . . . the form only accepts your name, DOB, ID# and tel/fax #s, the other 90% to be completed by handwriting......yet another quality e-application form from our esteemed Imm Dept!
I suppose this is an omen of some sort....
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| posted by Juno Watt 39 days ago |
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Yes, they send your handwriting to be analyzed by the graphology experts in Zhongnanhai, to see if you have any latent capitalist-roader tendencies. Expect it back after the Olympics.
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| posted by Patrick Bateman 38 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Rotavator
quote:
Originally posted by Patrick Bateman
as i said.
it has no bearing on entry to a country, aside from how long you have to queue.
In China's case. No bearing.
Except that you don't need a visa if you have an APEC card
Really, I still need a visa. Mind you, I don't think China ever approved me, and I applied over a year ago.
Sabrina, don't just stare at it. Eat it.
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| Junior Member |
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| 1013 Posts |
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| posted by hkJay 38 days ago |
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quote:
Originally posted by Juno Watt
Yes, they send your handwriting to be analyzed by the graphology experts in Zhongnanhai, to see if you have any latent capitalist-roader tendencies. Expect it back after the Olympics.
Better start the groveling now:
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| posted by geraldo 38 days ago |
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I'm told submission without flight tickets and/or hotel confirmations might delay approval. It's a big stupid joke and let's hope they get their heads out of their bumbums soon enough.
Even this morning, at Qingdao International Meehport, my RPG launcher disguised as a lighter was confiscated. How I lit my fag in the coffee shop right next to security check - they're probably still discussing.
It's hard hitting and across two legs. No, it's not Craig Bellamy's golf club, it's the champions league semi-finals
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by hkJay 38 days ago (edited 38 days ago) |
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confiscations at customs has been going on for ages - especially at Shanghai Pudong..... I got a SPATULA confiscated FFS!
Ok, so I admit it looks a bit like a knife - but it's blunt and flimsy.....what was I going to do? Bludgeon or smooth someone to death with it? Or perhaps I was going to spend an hour in the toilets sharpening it in the floor tiles???
to be, or not to be, what was the question?
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| Junior Member |
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| posted by Patrick Bateman 38 days ago |
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that should be confiscated on the grounds of being daft.
Sabrina, don't just stare at it. Eat it.
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