In yet another chapter of the visa saga, it appears that we are now seeing where immigration officers at the border are turning multiple entry visas.
According to the email I received:
But yesterday and today it seems that when they arrived into the Guangzhou station from the HK Train, they were told that their visa would have to be canceled and they would be on their last 30 day stay and they would have to go back home to get an extension or a new visa!!
He said that at least 1 case was someone he personally knew but other 3 were friends of his friends…
Now, this is third hand reporting, so do not take this as fact. Like before, there has yet to be an official document published and the websites I normally check for this make no mention of this.
However, if you are on a multi-entry tourist or F visa, I would say that you can no longer take your visa for granted.
It is clear that the visa policies and immigration procedures have changed/ tightened up, and my suggestion is to keep alert. If you are leaving country, then maybe give a call to your embassy to see if anyone else has recently had problems.
Immigration officers have the right to do what they feel is best, and that includes canceling your visa. So, do your best to be nice and have a fresh shave when going through the border. Yelling at the guy behind the glass and generally throwing a temper tantrum is not going to get you anywhere, but perhaps showing a bit of understanding and courtesy will.
Also, for those who are in country already who are trying to get those invitation letters, here is a report:
Since I am in *&^zhou I went to the local govt. offices here to find out how I could get one for my client in India, and this is a genuine client who wanted to come to place orders last week, and I also had all the legal documents and my Chinese business partner with me with all company license etc…
The only reply I got from them was ‘Sorry, we are not allowed to give visa notification letters to Indian passport holders’ and they wouldn’t reveal which other countries they weren’t allowed to give the letters to. Its really starting to affect the businesses here man, you can actually see the 4/5 star hotels running dry here with no ‘laowai’s’ in sight.
As always, please send me your updates (good and bad). I will continue to follow the situation as best I can.
Stumble it!
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:52 am
I just got back from Shenzhen yesterday after an overnight trip using my F visa and had no problems. I only have a week left on my visa before it expires so I’m not sure if the nice immigration lady let me off or what..
May 2nd, 2008 at 4:38 am
Dezza,
Thanks for letting us know. perhaps with only a week they figured you were already effectively on your last trip.
Let us know how the renewal process goes.
R
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:42 am
Rich:
I must be doing something right…
My 1 year! multiple entry visa, freshly minted in April, has seen me cross the border 9 times and at 4 ports of entry over the last 3 weeks with no issues. I am either luckier than some or perhaps fortunate that mine came from the Consulate in Chicago. Is it possible they are trying to crack down on those who have been effectively living in China on tourist visas for a few years? My visa from Chicago thus may look less suspicious.
Chris
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:58 am
I will be heading in this summer (July) to visit family. Should prove interesting to see what happens with my multi entry tourist visa.
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
I just got back from China on a one year multi-entry visa and I still have it. I too have heard these rumours of visas getting pulled, but have not heard from anyone to whom this actually happened, nor even anyone who could tell me that they knew someone directly to whom this occurred.
May 2nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Thomas,
Hopefully by July you will be in a position of having more clarity. I am pretty sure that whatever policy may be, it will be in place and well advertised by then.
Dan,
Right now, all the persons I know that have been affected are of South Asia/ Mid East origin. I have yet to hear of anyone from US/ EU yet… except the French restaurateur in Beijing, who I suspect was turned away for issues other than being French (although it made a nice quote)
R
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:40 am
Hi Rich,
Traveled from Nanjing to Hong Kong for the holiday and arrived back tonight (May 3rd). I have a multiple entry Z visa and actually went through immigration faster here than in my previous 9 years! Very smooth considering they had the torch relay in HK yesterday.
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Went From HKIA and entered through Shekou port on 3/26,
entered Shekou from Macau on 3/28, entered Shekou from Hong Kong
on 3/28. No problems at all. Each was on a ferry, they gonna make
make you swim back? LOL
May 4th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Len/ Cleve,
glad you were both able to make it in without any problem, and as I said above, the only group I have heard of personally having problems are S. Asia and M East. Perhaps there is something going on with either/ both of those regions that they are specifically canceling visas over..
R
May 4th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Didn’t seem to be any shortage of foreigners at Canton Fair. Was a bit strange that my passport was checked by no less than 3 people when registering and they specifically looked through all the China visas to make sure to note the # on the current one. Spoke with a pizza shop owner in Shenzhen who was starting to get scared about his business that caters to expats, thinking he might loose a lot of customers in the months ahead. No shortage of laowai’s
buying fake stuff at Louwu. Seemed overall business as usual. - this was all in the last week of April
May 4th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Visa problems is real but would like to know if it also affects EU and US people ? I had a few friends from EU whom are worried shit about not getting their Visa renewed.
May 4th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I have a mulitple entry F and no problems. On a recent trip to Beijing I noted that some people had to show more paper, maybe return tickets? Not me though. However, I was reminded that I can stay only 30 days.
Other then that I have doubts that long term F visas get cancelled.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:23 pm
No wonder there seemed a lot of foreigners at Canton fair. I read that they
would not let in anyone with a Chinese passport unless they had a booth.
That’s weird.
May 4th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Len,
Actually that has been a requirement for a long time. For locals to get in, they either had to be exhibiting, or be brought in by a foreign firm/ person.
R
May 4th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Hi Rich:
Not sure if locals means all Chinese, but I have got in with Chinese passport holders that lived in the states. Didn’t recall I had to offer any type of sponsorship. That was a couple years ago.
This is what I read:
Eventually, the party arrived in Guangzhou to have the Chinese accompanying him denied entry to the Trade Show. “They need to show their passports,” Security said blankly. Orders had come down from the Ministry of Defense. This was no drill, either. So, not just my friend’s Chinese staff and associates were unable to get into the Show, but neither were thousands of other irate Chinese who had traveled to the Show to wheel and deal.
http://silkrc.com/chinadialogs/2008/05/05/the-latest-olympics-track-and-field-event-getting-a-visa-to-china/
May 4th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
Also noted that the Lihua facility will no longer be used. That’s good news.
The place was really dated. Compared to HK convention center it looked Mao era.
May 5th, 2008 at 1:48 am
I have been going to Canton fair since 2001 and its a restriction since those days that not all local chinese people can visit the fair. They have to visit either as exhibitors or as translators ( They ask questions to test their english ). Every canton fair there are thousands of chinese trying to get into the fair grounds.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:02 am
I have a friend that was turned back at Shanghai Pudong Airport and sent back to Hong Kong with his multi-entry visa cancelled - but not before he was strip searched and had his computer gone through. He has lived in Shanghai for over a decade.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:14 am
Nrupesh
That was my understanding as well. My partner has a few theories about those who get in. All about placement, a good sign, and dressing up.
Jay
Arg. A few jokes about expats being in China too long and the reputation preceding them come to mind, but those are just my friends. Sounds like a horrible experience for your friend. Was he given any reason?
R
May 5th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Jay,
Can you reveal the origin country of the friend whose visa was canceled? This is the first case I heard of this happening at Pudong… I guess everyone has to be very careful now.
R,
Yep, it is definitely about dressing up and talking nicely to the immigration guys. I have yet to leave or enter China without wearing a tie, that makes all the difference.
Nrupesh
May 5th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
“Yep, it is definitely about dressing up and talking nicely to the immigration guys. I have yet to leave or enter China without wearing a tie, that makes all the difference.”
Or you can wear a tshirt, shorts, and tennis shoes..have a big gut with a camera
and strap hanging on your neck. Then they wil know you are with a US tour group.
May 5th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Now, here it comes from the horses mouth. I came to china in January this year with a 3 months VISA in hand.. and applied for a Work Permit in Guangzhou. Eventually.. it did get rejected.. yes rejected.. then i applied form Shanghai.. and yet another blow… Rejected !! Something is definitely wrong with the two nations.. Probably its about some Bilateral rejection between the two nations.. I and C… my Visa is expiring on 18th of May.. and will apply for a normal Visit Visa again from HK.. lets see.. will keep you guys posted.
CHAO!!
Amit
May 5th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Amit,
Did they give any reason for rejecting the Z Visa/Work permit?
Nrupesh
May 7th, 2008 at 6:46 am
hi,
i have a multiple entry visa issued in hong kong; hoping that this won’t be canceled out of the blue, i still have one question: is it in any way possible NOT to leave the country after 30 days, say by paying an extension fee somewhere inside the country? Any experiences?
jonas
May 7th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
All Visa news now is likely to be bad news, based on current developments only.
If you don’t have a visa already then expect a hard time getting one is my comment.
I work for a translation company in Beijing and my HR department phoned me to ask if I had got a visa through the company (the one I work for), which requires them going to fill in papers for three months.
Guess what my answers was likely to be? (not hard based on what most non-executive people do in Beijing).
Before it was so much less trouble …looks like the government iws expecting people to be a bit more honbest now, but surely it’s a double-sided coin, they must make the system more accessible for people with a valid reason to be here, i.e.
someone wants to employ me over a Chinese person, or that they cannot find a qualified Chinese person to do my job :-/
Just because I am a foreigner I am not inevitably thirsting to go out of my way to land China with a bad name!
May 7th, 2008 at 8:32 pm
It sounded like my HR were asking because another foreigner wanted to start working here, Obviously this visa issue is important to them too. I’d expect maybe things are desperate, given the not too substantial local rate salary I get!
May 7th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Just a note for fairgoers:
This year’s Canton Fair (Spring and most likely Fall) requires all PRC and/or local representatives to undergo a criminal records check and additional documentation prior to procurement of passes. For Local Representatives without Canton Fair’s Invitation for Foreign Company’s Representative Office in China, admission fee (RMB300 / person / day) and relevant documents are required. http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/attend/invitation/index.htm
Translators not officially working for the Canton Fair Liaisons office are not allowed.
Contact via : http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/attend/invitation/index2.htm
They had posted the new regulations and document requirements but have removed the notice; though they are still in effect till further notice.
Canton Fair is now Three Stages
Phase I (Oct 15-19); Phase II (Oct 24-28); Phase III (Nov 2-6)
Check webnotice below for details on exhibition categories affected.
See: http://www.cantonfair.org.cn/en/msg/104notice.htm