Job Discussion Forums

[11:59]

As anyone who has read a recent edition of the SCMP and/or who has been to a visa agency and/or foreign embassy in HK well knows, most if not all visas for Mainland China have been suspended (even Z visas), even for Hong Kongers who own property and/or businesses in China. However, as the British consulate has been stressing, this is not stated anywhere in writing; that is, there is no documentation to this effect. Rather, it is a conclusion they and other bodies have drawn from the fact that 99.9% of recent applications have not so much been rejected, as more have not even been processed.

[North China Laowei]

[jimoin]

Well I'm told that in the last 2 days they made a new rule that they cannot write on the invitation letter that you can get the visa changed in Hong Kong. They must write the Chinese embassy in your home country. So it seems almost certain I can't get the visa changed in Hong Kong. Unfortunately I've already bought a non-refundable return ticket to Shenzhen, only found out about this invitation letter thing the hard way. Once again, China appears to be paved with gold when in fact it is only the path to financial ruin, or at best to treading water.

[North China Laowei]

[jimoin]

Ok, specifics.

I come from Australia and hold an Australian passport. My school has been dealing with the Dalian government, whichever department gives them the invitation letter. They have been told in no uncertain terms that the invitation letter cannot say that I can apply for the visa in Hong Kong, it must say I should apply for it in my home country's Chinese embassy. Apparently this is a new rule and only came in over the past couple of days. Of course, it wasn't announced - just fell to us guinea pigs to find out through trying.

The visa agent Shoestring Travel in Hong Kong tells me I absolutely must have it written on my invitation letter that I can apply for the Z visa in HK. Don't see why they'd lie about that since they could make money out of me if I turned up with the letter. On top of that, the Chinese visa office in HK says on it foreigners are required to go to their home countries to apply for visas. http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/bgfwxx/default.htm

If you have any evidence to the contrary I'd welcome it.

Cheers.

[arioch36]

I think I know this was the original intent of the invitation letter, that you had to be in your home country. If you are in China, technically they should not, as a rule, give you an invitation letter to come to China (because if you are in China, you are already in China). The going to Hong kong was always a loophole. This is my understanding. It sounds like they are closing this loophole.
This is based on a conversation a couple years ago with someone from the Education office.
I do not offer it ss any proof of anything, but it would be interesting to hear from some others in their home countries whether the letter is specific to their home country. My guess is that the invitation letter to you in your home country still not country specific, rather a memo has gone to Macao, Hong Kong that they can not issue z-visas unless it specifically says Hong Kong is okay. So you could do your z-visa in Oz Uk or US
I am willing to bet money on this, but no willing to bet my z-visa

[jimoin]

This whole things is extremely confusing and frustrating. The problem is in China, it is never clear which rules are really strict and which ones are flexible. In this Confucian society the law does not apply equally to everyone. So everybody is trying to find a backdoor type way of getting around this visa nonsense, and no one can give a clear answer on whether or not that is possible because it would implicate them...

[North China Laowei]

[North China Laowei]

[jwbhomer]

[North China Laowei]

Really good question, JWBHomer.

1. A "Z" visa is issued for entry into the country within a 30-day period now. It has only one valid entry. It is a sticker that is affixed into the passport.

2. Then, upon entry or return into the PRC, the passport is taken to the PSB, along with the results of the medical, and all the other requisite papers, and within 1-day to 3-weeks, a new sticker is affixed into the passport that says in Chinese "residence purpose". The purpose is indicated as "to work in "X" administrative district" but the purpose of the work is no longer indicated. The residence permit assumes the carry-over from the Z visa. It is generally good for whatever period of time that the employer has requested, but under current pre-great event rules, for a period not to exceed twelve-months. The residence permit, under the current rules, serves as an automatic exit-and-reentry permit for the duration of its validity, with one BIG caveat however. Re-entry within the final seven days will usually either trigger a refusal or very close scrutiny as under the current rules renewals of residence permit are to be done within seven calendar days of the expiration date only.

3. Yes, it is sticker in the passport, very akin to the Z visa but with different information.

4. These are the Shanghai rules. I have no idea what the Hunan rules are. It is a place that just never garnered interest for me. Sorry to all the Hunanites on the board.

5. Legal -- I have always been legal here but some situations are just more fraught with danger than others. End of story on that line.

Hopes that answers your questions.

[jwbhomer]

Useful information, NCL. It seems they keep changing the rules and forms as they go along. The key thing, evidently, is to make sure you can go exit and re-enter China freely using whatever is in your passport. I was fortunate in that I worked for two decent universities who always made sure I had the proper papers.

[jimoin]

I'm not intending to set off a general panic, just telling people my situation which is that Hong Kong visa agents have told me I cannot get a Z visa unless my invitation letter states I can do it in HK. But Dalian will not or cannot write that on the invitation letter, so it seems I cannot get a visa there.

[North China Laowei]

[jimoin]

The link you posted appears to have been blocked. Looks like China is doing its level best to ensure foreigners trying to get visas remain as confused as possible.

I work for a school which is legally fine to hire teachers, I have the experience and qualifications for a Z visa. The Hong Kong Chinese consulate says on its websites foreigners are required to go back to their home countries. I assumed visa agents were out to make money, so if they had any chance at all of being able to get me my visa they would have told me to come along to HK and pay the money. Did you get the Z visa despite an invitation letter saying you should go back to your home country? Or did your letter say that you could do it in HK? If the case, then that's very different. It does appear you can get a Z visa in HK if the invitation letter says you can apply there.

Of course I'm not able to give precise information because nobody knows for sure what's really going on. It could well be that HK is just trying to discourage too many foreigners from going there for visa applications, but in fact they are still doing them. It could even be that HK will do the applications regardless of whether they say HK on the invite letter or not. All I can say is based on what I have heard. I'm not awfully keen on going all the way to HK to apply for a visa when they could very well refuse to process it outright, and insist I go back to my home country. But they do not answer phone calls and no one seems to know for sure whether they will or not process it for my situation. I am curious why you are so certain, at least if not for my situation then in general, that HK is still doing Z visas for foreigners when their website says otherwise.