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davidchu79
Joined: 04 Jul 2007
Posts: 12
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 Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 9:58 pm Post subject: Heading to china on a one-way ticket with a tourist visa?? |
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Hi,
I'm looking to go and teach out in Beijing in October and have opted for the 'get out there and find a job' approach.
I've found a really cheap flight with 'aeroflot' for 240 british pounds but it's only one way.
The returns I've found is for about 650 pounds!
I've heard that they won't let you into the country on a tourist visa without having a return flight. Can anyone confirm or denie this?
Is there any way round it? Could I tell customs that i'm travelling through china, or can I just tell them my plans to find a job there and convert my tourist visa to a working one?
Any advice or tips would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Dave |
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boubou
Joined: 07 Mar 2007
Posts: 61
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Euh, I came to China with a return flight planned for january 31st 2008 on a L visa for only 90 days.... I don't think you'll have problems getting in.... |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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They will let you in but only after a complete body cavity search...
And I have entered and left China no less than 30 times, between going to Hong Kong, Macao, Thailand, and the USA and never have I seen a person stopped for this issue nor have I ever been questioned when entering or leaving about these things...
Now back to that body cavity search... |
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tw
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
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| Posted: Tue Aug 07, 2007 11:41 pm Post subject: |
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| David with all due respect, there are quite a few threads on this topic. In a nutshell, it depends on your point of departure and the airline. Chinese immigration officers AKA the PSB never ask to see your ticket. You should check with the airline first before purchasing the ticket and getting your visa. |
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jwbhomer
Joined: 14 Dec 2003
Posts: 876
Location: CANADA
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fitzgud
Joined: 24 Jan 2006
Posts: 148
Location: Henan province
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:29 am Post subject: |
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| I also would only purchase a one way ticket if I was desperate enough to fly Aeroflot, unless of course you are able to make a bequest of the return part to your next of kin. |
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jeffinflorida
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Posts: 2024
Location: "I'm too proud to beg and too lazy to work" Uncle Fester, The Addams Family season two
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 1:42 am Post subject: |
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Even the Russians don't want to fly Aeroflot... |
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Ahchoo
Joined: 22 Mar 2007
Posts: 606
Location: Earth
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 2:12 am Post subject: |
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| Just tell them you plan on leaving overland to Vietnam. |
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HunanForeignGuy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 989
Location: Shanghai, PRC
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:42 am Post subject: |
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This thread in question, which was suggested to you by a Canadian national, and you are, I believe, a British subject, was written by the United States Embassy in Beijing for the benefits of citizens of the United States of America. It should be taken in the light of the fact that the United States has very, very recently, and once again, tightened its visa requirements for citizens of those countries which are not on the United States Government's "Visa Waiver" list, owing in part to the recent shooting in Virginia perpetrated by a Korean national. This has, unfortunately, had a spill-over effect on visa applications from Chinese nationals and the Chinese in turn have reciprocated, so to speak.
As cj750 wrote somewhere on this Board, there is nothing worse than advice about China from those who are no longer here and nothing far worse than advice from those whose departures from China were, shall we say, precipitated.
I am aware of one teacher whose L visa was converted to a Z visa here in Guangzhou as recently as last Friday, or weeks after the date of this circular. Again, this is China and nothing, or very few things, are absolutely rigid in terms of due process with foreigners. |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:58 am Post subject: |
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At a guess, if people are going to offer anecdotes and hearsay as hard evidence, it doesn't matter where they are. I'd trust the advice of someone in Kunming first, and that of someone who has been there recently second, be they in Canada or Wimbledon.
Someone claiming relative geographic proximity as a qualification wouldn't even feature on the list. |
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HunanForeignGuy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 989
Location: Shanghai, PRC
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:07 am Post subject: |
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| eslstudies wrote: |
At a guess, if people are going to offer anecdotes and hearsay as hard evidence, it doesn't matter where they are. I'd trust the advice of someone in Kunming first, and that of someone who has been there recently second, be they in Canada or Wimbledon.
Someone claiming relative geographic proximity as a qualification wouldn't even feature on the list. |
Let me translate what I said for our kind poster from down under.
1. I personally know the person-in-question who was able to accomplish a change from an L visa to a Z visa last week.
2. I personally was able to look at the paperwork of the person who was, etc., etc.
3. I had dinner with the person-in-question on the day the person-in-question received his Z visa and I was able to note that the L visa has been canceled in his passport and replaced by a Z visa. I saw the passport and I saw the two visas.
4. This is far from anecdotal, my kind sir.
5. And to the OP, remember -- you wouldn't read yesterday's newspaper to find out today's news, would you?
All of the best,
HFG |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 4:14 am Post subject: |
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After reading this -
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| Again, this is China and nothing, or very few things, are absolutely rigid in terms of due process with foreigners. |
I have one important question -
The OP is aiming to work in Beijing (not Guangzhou) - HFG (or anyone else with knowledge on this subject), can you change an L into a Z there????? |
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eslstudies
Joined: 17 Dec 2006
Posts: 1061
Location: East of Aden
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:27 am Post subject: |
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To our kind former NY poster: What on earth made you think I was talking about you? However, a poster enquiring about BJ who gets a Guangdong story must feel slightly let down. We all know [well, most of us do] that the way laws are interpreted and implemented varies from place to place , day to day.
As for reading newspapers, if today's share prices were in yesterday's edition I'd be quite pleased. |
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HunanForeignGuy
Joined: 05 Jan 2006
Posts: 989
Location: Shanghai, PRC
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:24 am Post subject: |
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| vikuk wrote: |
After reading this -
| Quote: |
| Again, this is China and nothing, or very few things, are absolutely rigid in terms of due process with foreigners. |
I have one important question -
The OP is aiming to work in Beijing (not Guangzhou) - HFG (or anyone else with knowledge on this subject), can you change an L into a Z there????? |
Vikuk,
Once again please read and cogitate a bit....
First, the circular that has been widely posted all over this Board concerning the apparent-now inability to convert L visa to F visa was issued by the United States Embassy, and its respective Consulates, of which there is one in Guangzhou, for the benefit of its citizens. What the circular did not address was the fact that this is being done tit-for-tat in response to how the United States is handling, or not handling, Chinese visas.
I made mention of the fact that since the Consulate in GZ issued the same circular, I was "confused" because I am perfectly aware, and something which I explained to our kind poster from the land of Foster's Lager in plain English, I had seen, witnessed, been party to, a conversion of an L visa to a Z visa as recently as last week. Therefore, that part of the statement by the GZ Consulate might be inferred to be inaccurate.
Next, he is a British subject and who knows what rules apply to British subjects at the moment. That is another point that I made.
To restate it again kindly for your benefit, the OP, perhaps by means of this Board, needs to find a British subject who has either successfully or not gone through the visa conversion in BJ.
My advice to him or to her would be to rephrase the question, limit its scope and put it up as a new thread.
Next, as in all things in China, all of this will depend upon the guangxi of the school, once he secures a position.
So if there are British subjects on this Board, living in Beijing, who have gone through this process within the last 30-60 days, might you be so kind as to share your thoughts with us.
HFG |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 7:36 am Post subject: |
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with regard to the very specific question-
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| The OP is aiming to work in Beijing (not Guangzhou) - HFG (or anyone else with knowledge on this subject), can you change an L into a Z there????? |
That last post held a heck of a lot words that, condensed, seem to imply - I can speculate through hearsay but in actual fact I don't know 
I certainly don't know - so posters with specific first-hand knowledge please take over!!!!! |
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