Job Discussion Forums

tyroleanhat · Joined: 21 Oct 2013 Posts: 209 Location: Austria / China

Hi,
I am doing my Doctorate in the US, and now that I have almost 4 months of summer break I am back here in the forum and back with the questions Smile

Apologies if my questions seem unorganized and if some of them were asked before, but I was hoping to get a better picture in my case from the insiders here.

I will play 3 official (paid) concerts in China (remember I am a pianist).
The concert agent told me to just get a tourist visa. Wouldn't it be better for me to be on a business visa? - which of course would be more work for him to write an invitation letter for me. Which I would guess is still much easier than the Z-Visa procedure, right?

After my concerts I want to travel China for a month and visit some Universities for a short performance. (The University visits are more just for fun and to get new potential connections for the future. If I don't charge anything, I am safe, right? Or is it not a big deal to ask for a bit of travel expense reimbursement from the unis that would invite me?)

I will also visit my former University, and many ex-students already expressed that they want private lessons while I am here. Of course they would be discrete about it, but is it still risky for me?

My next problem is that I won't be able to stop by my home country, so I need to get the tourist/business visa in the US (I have 5 weeks until my flight) - or I could also get it in HK, where my flight will go anyway. Is it possible to get it immediately the day I arrive in HK? Probably the Business visa not so easily? (I guess even for a Chinese tourist visa it is not like in Korea, where I would just enter the country and they would give me a 3-months stamp into my passport).

Any clarification or recommendations or warnings would be greatly appreciated.

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Under current classifications an F visa would be the way to go officially I believe. As you probably know the F visa had been the business visa before the M visa was introduced. But now the F visa is for noncommercial visit. The F visa is cultural exchanges, study tours, etc. Think you only get one or two entries with it which sounds fine with your plans. You get 30-90 days for an F. Definitely don't want to go the Z-visa route as a major expense and effort now. Not sure how hard it is to get a an F in a third country. I would imagine harder than before as all the other visas are. Yet seems to be a favorite with the illegal teaching crowd so best one of them chime in.

tlkdmc · Joined: 31 Mar 2015 Posts: 51

I'm sorry, but Ph.D. level education and you don't know how to ask your university or other sponsor for this supposed tour how to get a visa? People in this forum are non-qualified teachers teaching English.

This concert agent or something is in and of itself shady as far as I can tell, as is this story.

It doesn't rub the right way that Ph.D. level individual playing some renowned world-tour as a pianist doesn't have an actual organizer or professional level manager to arrange visas.

Strange

tyroleanhat · Joined: 21 Oct 2013 Posts: 209 Location: Austria / China

1. it's not a renowned world-tour
2. The manager is not a superstar-manager, you got that right. Still I accepted, because I have time for it, and I love China and I think it can include some good chances for my future career in China.

So what's wrong about a musician who has not much experience with visas (except some very bad experience trying to call embassies for information) asking some valid visa questions in a forum of people who could clarify important points for me?

As I wrote I asked the agent. His answer was, it's best to get a tourist visa.

If your answer wouldn't sound that attacking, I would like to take your advise of that this practice to suggest a tourist visa is very shady of him.
But I will gladly wait for other answers to confirm that.

Also I was hoping to have some light shed on the other questions of my post..

Son of Bud Powell · Joined: 04 Mar 2015 Posts: 179 Location: Since 2003

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

I agree, Son. Strange, indeed. tyroleanhat is asking perfectly logical questions.

mike w · Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 2:56 pm Post subject:

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Son of Bud Powell · Joined: 04 Mar 2015 Posts: 179 Location: Since 2003

jimpellow · Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 913

Anyways, let's take back the thread from those in need of antipsychotic medications. You may want to contact a few visa agencies in Hong Kong about it, and the costs, requirements and needed time to process it etc.

I really don't think it is any harder to obtain than a tourist visa which has become more difficult too. You would then have the correct visa though the private classes would be illegal, yet this is a rare case where I would say go for it as the risks are extremely small as long as you do them in a restaurant etc...

The_Kong · Joined: 15 Apr 2014 Posts: 349

tyroleanhat · Joined: 21 Oct 2013 Posts: 209 Location: Austria / China

I am editing this post, because I did some research in the meanwhile, getting some answers, even the internet is full of contradicting information about Visas.

I worked in China for 5 months on a Z-visa last year. From what I understood in the forums, people who once worked in China are more at risk being denied a tourist visa, because they are tending to do illegal work in their visits.
Its probably safest to get the visa in my home country, but since my stay there is too short, I will probably try it here in the US or in HK.
My logic tells me its safer to do here in the US with an agency - instead of coming to HK and having all that last-minute uncertainty..

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

Many visa services available in Hong Kong. One of the better known ones is Forever Bright in Kowloon. You can find their site here:

Forever Bright

Getting the visa in Hong Kong is so much easier than any consulate, but there could be a problem getting on the plane at your point of departure if you don't have proof of onward travel (an air ticket out of Hong Kong or China) and/or no China visa before boarding. Some airlines are sticklers for this before allowing passengers to board.

tyroleanhat · Joined: 21 Oct 2013 Posts: 209 Location: Austria / China

thanks 7969 - I edited my post above yours - would you agree it is easier and safer to get my tourist visa through an agency here in the US, as opposed to getting it in HK when I arrive?

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

It's easier and cheaper to get the China visa in HK, but it will probably be safer if you get it in advance and remove any uncertainty. North American airlines can be prickly about letting you on the plane with no onward ticket or visa for your destination. Asian airlines generally don't seem to care, and I'm not sure about European airlines (it always varies). If you call them up they can usually tell you their policy.