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bluethree
Joined: 20 May 2009
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 Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 11:11 pm Post subject: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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I'd like to go to China but i'm on a tourist stamp in Korea at the moment. I've called one travel agency that said I couldn't get a China visa, but are there any ways around this? I've heard of people occasionally getting a visa with less than 6 months on their ARC but unfortunately nothing about being on a tourist visa.
Any other countries where I can do it on a tourist stamp? I want to travel around Asia so going to another country first isn't a problem. |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:29 am Post subject: Re: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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| bluethree wrote: |
I'd like to go to China but i'm on a tourist stamp in Korea at the moment. I've called one travel agency that said I couldn't get a China visa, but are there any ways around this? I've heard of people occasionally getting a visa with less than 6 months on their ARC but unfortunately nothing about being on a tourist visa.
Any other countries where I can do it on a tourist stamp? I want to travel around Asia so going to another country first isn't a problem. |
Getting it while you are in Hong Kong is just about your only option other than going home (sending your passport to the Chinese embassy in your home country).
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Jake_Kim
Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 12:49 am Post subject: Re: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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| bluethree wrote: |
I'd like to go to China but i'm on a tourist stamp in Korea at the moment. I've called one travel agency that said I couldn't get a China visa, but are there any ways around this? I've heard of people occasionally getting a visa with less than 6 months on their ARC but unfortunately nothing about being on a tourist visa.
Any other countries where I can do it on a tourist stamp? I want to travel around Asia so going to another country first isn't a problem. |
Do you have any prior Chinese visa & entry record within the last 2 years? Or is it your first time applying for one? |
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bluethree
Joined: 20 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 1:22 am Post subject: |
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| First time. I went to HK very recently and would've preferred to do it elsewhere...oh well. No Chinese consulate in Guam is there? I might be flying there for a job interview in February. |
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Jake_Kim
Joined: 27 Aug 2005
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 4:41 am Post subject: |
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| bluethree wrote: |
| First time. I went to HK very recently and would've preferred to do it elsewhere...oh well. No Chinese consulate in Guam is there? I might be flying there for a job interview in February. |
Ouch. First-timers have no chance with the consulate in Seoul without 6+ months valid ARC.
There is no Chinese mission in Guam, as you can see on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website. |
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bluethree
Joined: 20 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 5:35 am Post subject: |
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| Would Macau have the same policy as HK then? If not, I'll just wait until I line up my next job. |
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chungbukdo
Joined: 22 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:10 pm Post subject: Re: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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| bluethree wrote: |
I'd like to go to China but i'm on a tourist stamp in Korea at the moment. I've called one travel agency that said I couldn't get a China visa, but are there any ways around this? I've heard of people occasionally getting a visa with less than 6 months on their ARC but unfortunately nothing about being on a tourist visa.
Any other countries where I can do it on a tourist stamp? I want to travel around Asia so going to another country first isn't a problem. |
I've heard the Bangkok Chinese embassy does it. I met with some travelers who did that, but they were European and not from my country. |
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Sireno
Joined: 19 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 2:28 am Post subject: |
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Any news on the outcome of this thread?
I'm in a similar situation. I am in Korea as a tourist, I'm American, and want to go visit China. No ARC yet. Either I need to send my passport back to America or have an ARC, correct? What about when I'm doing my Japan visa run for the E2, could I also go to a Chinese consulate there for the travel visa? |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Mar 18, 2013 3:06 am Post subject: |
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| Wouldn't you think that the Chinese government would have the save policy regarding visitor's visa in Japan as they do regarding visitor's visa in Korea? |
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Sireno
Joined: 19 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:19 am Post subject: Re: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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| ttompatz wrote: |
| bluethree wrote: |
I'd like to go to China but i'm on a tourist stamp in Korea at the moment. I've called one travel agency that said I couldn't get a China visa, but are there any ways around this? I've heard of people occasionally getting a visa with less than 6 months on their ARC but unfortunately nothing about being on a tourist visa.
Any other countries where I can do it on a tourist stamp? I want to travel around Asia so going to another country first isn't a problem. |
Getting it while you are in Hong Kong is just about your only option other than going home (sending your passport to the Chinese embassy in your home country).
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I am trying to get to China by the end of May, do you think it's feasible at all in my situation? I am in Korea and doing a visa run to get an E2 the 1st/2nd week of April. Must I go to Japan for this?
**What would I need to do in Hong Kong to get the Chinese tourist visa?**
OR Could I do the visa (E2) run in Hong Kong AND at the same time get the Chinese tourist visa?
**Lets say I must go to Japan, return to Korea on April 15th, and submit my materials to immigration to get an ARC. **
OR Could I send my passport home to the US, get the visa, and have the passport with visa sent back to me in Korea?
**Is it illegal and a horrible idea to be in a foreign country without my passport?** |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 6:03 am Post subject: Re: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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| Sireno wrote: |
| I am trying to get to China by the end of May, do you think it's feasible at all in my situation? |
What's so important about the end of May? You're planning on being in Korea on a year-long contract, are you not? There will be some off time (assuming you're not going to be working for one of the more notorious outfits).
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| I am in Korea and doing a visa run to get an E2 the 1st/2nd week of April. Must I go to Japan for this? |
You have a couple of choices for the visa run. If your new boss is paying for the visa run, you go where the boss sends you. On the other hand, you may be able to get the boss to simply pay the price of the cheapest destination and then you pay the rest for the destination of your choice.
Of course, you'll also have to sort out in advance the issue of you not returning to Korea immediately upon picking up your visa. Oh, and don't forget that getting the visa isn't a same-day proposition: you drop off the paperwork including leaving your passport at the Consulate one day and then pick up your passport the next day with the nifty new visa affixed.
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| **What would I need to do in Hong Kong to get the Chinese tourist visa?** |
Here is a page I just found with a quick web search. Follow the links on that page for information.
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| OR Could I do the visa (E2) run in Hong Kong AND at the same time get the Chinese tourist visa? |
Yes, you could do that. But see above about leaving your passport at the Consulate.
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**Lets say I must go to Japan, return to Korea on April 15th, and submit my materials to immigration to get an ARC. **
OR Could I send my passport home to the US, get the visa, and have the passport with visa sent back to me in Korea? |
You'd be better off getting the visa in Hong Kong through a travel agency there.
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| **Is it illegal and a horrible idea to be in a foreign country without my passport?** |
It is not illegal to not have your passport in your possession if you have a valid reason. One such reason is if the passport were damaged and you needed to have a new one issued. The US embassy would send your application, along with the damaged passport, back to the US for you to have a new passport issued. The new passport would be returned to you. Obviously, you would not be able to travel anywhere outside of Korea while you await the new passport's delivery. Another valid reason is if you have submitted your passport along with a visa application to a country's Embassy/Consulate. Some countries require that be done through one of their missions outside of Korea because either they don't have a mission in Korea or they're into "regional processing" for visas and other services.
So, I'm asking again, what's the rush? What's so imporant about May? Remember, that you're talking about starting work in April. The boss will likely expect you to be working all of April, all of May, etc., except for bona fide holidays and your contracted vacations.
FYI, here are the Korean holidays for the life of your contract (assuming a 1 April 2013 start date and 31 March 2014 ending date):
- May 17 (Friday) - Buddha's Birthday. This one will be a 3-day weekend.
- June 6 (Thursday) - Memorial Day. Generally, you only get the day of the holiday off, so you'll have a day off on Thursday, be back at work on Friday, and then have your regular weekend free.
- August 15 (Thursday) - Independence Day. See above about Memorial Day being on a Thursday.
- September 18, 19, and 20 (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday) - Chuseok, aka Thanksgiving. You hit the jackpot with this one. There are two holidays that you get the day before, the day of, and the day after. Chuseok is one of those two. In this case, that turns out to be a 5-day weekend. Be advised, though, that it's also a major holiday in China.
- October 3 (Thursday) - National Foundation Day. Yep, another Friday work day between the holiday and the weekend.
- October 9 (Wednesday) - Hangeul Nal, aka Alphabet Day. Well, at least it's not a single day between the holiday and the weekend. Also of note is that it's a newly re-instated holiday.
- December 25 (Wednesday) - Christmas Day).
- January 1 (Wednesday) - New Year Day
- January 30 and 31 and February 1 (Thursday, Friday, Saturday) - Seolnal, aka Lunar New Year. This is the other holiday that has the bonus two days appended like Chuseok does. In this case, it turns out to be a 4-day weekend.
- March 1 (Saturday) - Independence Movement Day. Well, you already have Saturday and Sunday off, so this one's esentially a non-issue.
You can see that there are a couple of chances for you to fly to Hong Kong for a long weekend, get yourself a visa there through one of the tourist agencies, and then get yourself back to Korea. |
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lemak
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 10:20 am Post subject: Re: China visa on a Korean tourist stamp |
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| Sireno wrote: |
| ttompatz wrote: |
| bluethree wrote: |
I'd like to go to China but i'm on a tourist stamp in Korea at the moment. I've called one travel agency that said I couldn't get a China visa, but are there any ways around this? I've heard of people occasionally getting a visa with less than 6 months on their ARC but unfortunately nothing about being on a tourist visa.
Any other countries where I can do it on a tourist stamp? I want to travel around Asia so going to another country first isn't a problem. |
Getting it while you are in Hong Kong is just about your only option other than going home (sending your passport to the Chinese embassy in your home country).
. |
I am trying to get to China by the end of May, do you think it's feasible at all in my situation? I am in Korea and doing a visa run to get an E2 the 1st/2nd week of April. Must I go to Japan for this?
**What would I need to do in Hong Kong to get the Chinese tourist visa?**
OR Could I do the visa (E2) run in Hong Kong AND at the same time get the Chinese tourist visa?
**Lets say I must go to Japan, return to Korea on April 15th, and submit my materials to immigration to get an ARC. **
OR Could I send my passport home to the US, get the visa, and have the passport with visa sent back to me in Korea?
**Is it illegal and a horrible idea to be in a foreign country without my passport?** |
I don't really understand. If you will have a fresh E-2 visa and ARC which presumably is valid for a year why can't you just get the Chinese tourist visa in Korea..?? The restriction is only for people with less than 6 months remaining on their Korean ARC. |
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Sireno
Joined: 19 Mar 2010
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 9:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Jake_Kim wrote: |
| bluethree wrote: |
| First time. I went to HK very recently and would've preferred to do it elsewhere...oh well. No Chinese consulate in Guam is there? I might be flying there for a job interview in February. |
Ouch. First-timers have no chance with the consulate in Seoul without 6+ months valid ARC.
There is no Chinese mission in Guam, as you can see on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website. |
Is this 6 months left on the ARC very strict or would they just look at my Canadian passport instead? Problem is, I renew my contract every June. But February vacation, leaves me with less than 6 months on the ARC. (Maybe, I have 4 months left.) Just wondering. Also, do you have to book these things through a Korean travel agency or can you do it through an online site like expedia and they'll give you a visa there? |
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ttompatz
Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Location: Kwangju, South Korea
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| Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| Jake_Kim wrote: |
| bluethree wrote: |
| First time. I went to HK very recently and would've preferred to do it elsewhere...oh well. No Chinese consulate in Guam is there? I might be flying there for a job interview in February. |
Ouch. First-timers have no chance with the consulate in Seoul without 6+ months valid ARC.
There is no Chinese mission in Guam, as you can see on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website. |
Is this 6 months left on the ARC very strict or would they just look at my Canadian passport instead? Problem is, I renew my contract every June. But February vacation, leaves me with less than 6 months on the ARC. (Maybe, I have 4 months left.) Just wondering. Also, do you have to book these things through a Korean travel agency or can you do it through an online site like expedia and they'll give you a visa there? |
Book it when you have 6 1/2 months remaining on your ARC.
Visas have a validity of 90 days (meaning you have to enter within 90 days of getting your visa) - at about the 3 1/2 month remaining on your ARC point.
If you book your flight on-line you will need to go to a travel agent here to get them to get your visa for you (you;ll need to give them your passport, application and a passport photo (or 2).
Canadians are cheaper than Americans when it comes to the cost of the visa but still have the same restrictions.
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