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Visa issues in Hong Kong

 
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klasies



Joined: 04 Mar 2003
Posts: 178
Location: China

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 5:11 am    Post subject: Visa issues in Hong Kong Reply with quote

Hi there you all

I would like to tell you a story and would appreciate all comments from those of you in the know. My son came to China 4 years ago to join my wife and me. We are South African, although he joined me from London where he had been working for two years. He was 18 at the time. When he arrived, the university where we were working changed his L visa to a Z visa, the same as our daughter.
The Z visa was because they were my dependants who were staying with us. After several months he went to Shenyang. He got a contracted teaching job. He kept his Z visa and was given the red book and green book. After working in Shenyang for a year he moved to Dalian, where he again signed a year contract with a school. His Z visa remained in effect and his new school changed his red and green books to their school.
After completing his year contract he went back to South Africa for a holiday. On leaving China he had to hand in his green book and naturally forfeited his Z visa. When he came back to China he got a 30 day L visa from the Chinese embassy back in SA. He joined us in Dalian and after two weeks went to Hong Kong and got a 1 year multientry F visa (no problem) and came back to Dalian. We have since taken a position in Hainan and he came with us. With the passage of time it was necessary to go to HK again and get another F visa. Before leaving he contacted a visa agent in HK, only to be told that the regulations have changed as from August 15th and that a South African could no longer get L or F visa for any reason. (This was due to some incident in SA in which 10 Chinese tourists were rob and killed and the SA authorities did not offer a good enough apology)
Everyone at the local PSB in Hainan has said that this is only a temporary setback and that relations btwn the 2 countries will improve and the situation with return to normal soon, but were unable to say how soon.
This did not auger well for my son cause time was running out on his F visa. By using my current boss's connections we managed to get him a 30 day L visa, notwithstanding the political situation btwn our two countries.

Any ideas on what I could do. The local PSB has said that they can not put him on my new working visa (not a Z, but the new working visa) cause he is too old.
I have sent him to Shanghai to get another teaching position. He has just less than 30 days to get a position and get a working visa. He will therefore be in Shanghai for the next year teaching. If he is unable to get a teaching position, his only recourse would be to return to SA until the situation is resolved.


Any and all comments would be appreciated

Regards

Klasies
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Mideatoo



Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 424
Location: ...IF YOU SAY SO...

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 5:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry to read all your stress.

Going for broke and just an idea, keep him here without a visa and send him back to the PSB soon after the situation gets better between both countries.
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:57 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Repeat post deleted!

Last edited by Roger on Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:00 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 12:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yes, Andre, such things do happen, and not too infrequently judging by newspaper news!
Has it occurred to you that your son was given, in Dalian, a resident's permit and a FEC without valid reasons? Normally changing your employer means you get a NEW work visa, a new resident's permit and a new FEC...

I suppose this is going to be a temporary glitch. The Chinese are pressuring quite a number of countries to treat their nationals on holiday abroad in a preferential manner - in Malaysia there was a problem over halal food versus non-halal food at a restaurant; the chefs and waiting staff used pig drawings to overcome linguistic barriers in their attempt at identifying food for Chinese as compared to food for Hui Muslims in their tour group; the Malaysians had to pay a pecuniary compensation and apologise...The CHinese always extract some goodie in exchange for the reestablishment of normal business...

SInce you got a new visa/resident permit sticker in your passport I don't see why your son cannot get the same while already in China. I think the consualtes abroad and the tourist agencies in Hong Kong get DIFFERENT instructions to those the local PSB do! Give it a try in Shanghai - but make sure it is LEGAL this time!
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ryleeys



Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 1101

PostPosted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 1:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I can't help much with the visa situation... us Americans get the short end of the stick too.


But I would like to say that I think it's great that your Asian teaching experience is a family thing. My mother and sister are both teachers in the States, as I will be, and it's a great bond. So good luck with everything... sorry I can't offer more than some words of encouragement.
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Volodiya



Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roger wrote:
Quote:
Has it occurred to you that your son was given, in Dalian, a resident's permit and a FEC without valid reasons?

There is nothing to suggest even a hint of illegality in what has occured in the OP's situation, that I can see.

The OP explained that his son was given a Z visa as his dependent, initially- perfectly legal. Later, his son took a job and got documented for it with a red book and a green book. The son changed jobs, and apparently got documented for that, too, saying his documents had been changed to the new school.* The son is now "between contracts" and is looking for work- which he must find, if he is to be documented to stay in the country, on the basis of his employment.

Roger also wrote:
Quote:
SInce you got a new visa/resident permit sticker in your passport I don't see why your son cannot get the same while already in China.

Roger, read his post again and you'll see that the son is now too old to be treated as a dependent for visa purposes.
____________________
*It's not fair, it seems to me, to read "illegality" into those words, especially if you don't bother to inquire further.
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Volodiya"]Roger wrote:
Quote:
.

Roger also wrote:
Quote:
SInce you got a new visa/resident permit sticker in your passport I don't see why your son cannot get the same while already in China.

Roger, read his post again and you'll see that the son is now too old to be treated as a dependent for visa purposes.
____________________
*It's not fair, it seems to me, to read "illegality" into those words, especially if you don't bother to inquire further.


Volodiya,
this is not the first time you have jumjped to wrong conclusions!

In my suggestion to the O.P. I did NOT in any way hint that his son should be issued a resident's permit as a dependant of his father in Hainan.
Rather, my hope is that his son will be treated by the Shanghai PSB in exactly the same manner the O.P. has been treated in Hainan - issuance of a resident's permit because the applicant already is in the mainland.

It would be tragic for him to have to quit China for an indeterminate period due to political circumstances totally beyond his control!
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 5:36 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Volodiya"]Roger wrote:
Quote:
.

Roger also wrote:
Quote:
SInce you got a new visa/resident permit sticker in your passport I don't see why your son cannot get the same while already in China.

Roger, read his post again and you'll see that the son is now too old to be treated as a dependent for visa purposes.
____________________
*It's not fair, it seems to me, to read "illegality" into those words, especially if you don't bother to inquire further.


Volodiya,
this is not the first time you have jumjped to wrong conclusions!

In my suggestion to the O.P. I did NOT in any way hint that his son should be issued a resident's permit as a dependant of his father in Hainan.
Rather, my hope is that his son will be treated by the Shanghai PSB in exactly the same manner the O.P. has been treated in Hainan - issuance of a resident's permit because the applicant already is in the mainland.

It would be tragic for him to have to quit China for an indeterminate period due to political circumstances totally beyond his control!
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Volodiya



Joined: 03 May 2004
Posts: 1025
Location: Somewhere, out there

PostPosted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 6:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Roger wrote:
Quote:
Rather, my hope is that his son will be treated by the Shanghai PSB in exactly the same manner the O.P. has been treated in Hainan - issuance of a resident's permit because the applicant already is in the mainland.

I think the father indicated his own visa status is based on his employment. If not as a dependent, you haven't, then, suggested why the son, who isn't employed, should be given the same treatment as the father.

As for your suggestion that the son should be given a visa because he's already on the mainland, I suppose there are many here who would like it if "physical presence in China" were the only requirement for a residence visa.
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Mideatoo



Joined: 19 Jul 2005
Posts: 424
Location: ...IF YOU SAY SO...

PostPosted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 2:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Volodiya - Roger

WE SHOULD MARRY YOU TWO!
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