Job Discussion Forums

[L188FE]

My FAO says I will receive my working permit and invitation letter in a few days. I will need rush service (one or two days) to get my Z visa. Can anyone recommend a visa agent based on recent, personal experience? I live in Florida.

[Bud Powell]

Travel Document Systems is one very good, knowledgeable service. It's NOT a travel agency.

http://www.traveldocs.com/

Their website has a page dedicated to just about every country you can think of that provides visa and other pertinent information.

Choose "China" to the right. If you are a US citizen, click onto "Working/Residents Visa for China Click Here to Apply", then select your state (Florida).

Everything you need to do is listed on that web page.

Apparently, China is now (once again) asking for proof of jurisdiction, so you'll have to send in a copy of a document in order to prove where you live. Apparently, your designated consulate is Houston, so you'll have to send your documents to TDS' Houston office.

You might want to call their Houston office at 866-797-2600 to verify that nothing has changed.

[L188FE]

Thanks for the reply, Bud! Here is what I've learned so far:

1) Yes, you are right. TDS says the Chinese have dictated that USA citizens must apply ONLY through their regional consulate. Because I live in Florida, I must apply through the Houston consulate.

2) The Houston consulate does not offer any kind of expedited service. TDS is unable to assist with my rush application.

3)Other consulates DO offer expedited service, and some other visa agents say they can get my Z visa issued in one business day even though I live outside the jurisdiction.

My new question: Does anyone have recent, personal experience with VisaExpress.net, VisaRite.com, or similar entities?

[Bud Powell]

I was surprised to see that you had to go through a jurisdictional consulate and give proof of residence. I wonder how well-enforced that is. At one time, applicants from different states had to jump through different hoops such as authentication. Applicants from some states didn't have that challenge.

Did you call VisaRite? Maybe they'll tell you something different and make good on it. I have no direct experience with them, but I know several people who have used the service. Call them up. They may be able to work outside of your jurisdiction.

All of that jurisdictional cr*p and proof of residency was supposedly nullified by China's signing onto the Dayton Accord and the Hague Agreement in 2004 and before.

[Buckeye Bob]

Word of caution here... If you use a foreigner visa agent be sure it is not one that is based in China because in 2013, the C hinese government outlawed "foreign visa agents" in China and if you use one and he/she is busted, you and all of his/her clients will get deported.

[Bud Powell]

[Buckeye Bob]

[Bud Powell]

Oh, now visa agents aren't to be trusted? Do you know what they do? Unless one lives in a city that has a Chinese consulate, he must either drive to the consulate, wait a couple of days in a motel while his paperwork is processed, then drive home.

A visa agent takes the paperwork to the consulate for the applicant and then picks it up and returns it to him.

Bucko, your obsessive compulsive behavior in this forum is degrading its content. Find something else to do.

[Buckeye Bob]

[toteach]

A friend in Georgia walked into the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco and go her Z Visa in person, despite it not being the one that folks in Georgia are supposed to go through. Any chance you could do a walk-in at your closest consulate or embassy? It worked for her...

I had good luck with Travel Document, but I wasn't in a hurry.

[Bud Powell]