Korean Job Discussion Forums

[namyangjubadger]

Anyone found a travel agency that has found some way around this?

Also, smithy, or anyone else, please let us know about the result of sending it home. I have a friend who's planning on doing that and I think I might also have to do that when I get it back from the American Embassy in a week or two.

[pugwall]

goto HK

[smithy]

I spoke to 5 agencies who all told me no chance. The 6th tried it and gave my passport back to me within 24 hours saying no chance.

I shipped my passport to the UK today. Spoke to the Chinese embassy in London and they said they think it'll be fine...who knows? I'll let you know.

[partymop]

This thing just kicked me in the cajones as well. Can't believe it. I booked 2 tickets (non refundable) last week for my friend and I, was about to go apply for my Visa today when someone told me this. Absolutely ridiculous. It makes no sense whatsoever. And how were we supposed to know this? this Chinese embassy site doesn't have an English option. Apparently this just came in on July 1st.

I suggest the people who this affects write the embassy. I'm sure it will do nothing but it cant hurt. My summer is officially ruined. Thanks asian style bureaucracy!

[D.D.]

Tell them you want to keep the return part of your ticket and get a one way ticket to hk. Its importnat when you get to hk that you dont go into hk. The easy to get past visa office is at the shekou( shenzhen) ferry terminal when you first get off the boat- they wont give a hoot about your arc.

So go around china and then come up and fly back to korea on the return leg of your tickets you cant retund (will need to tell them you are just using the return leg though.)

[partymop]

hmmmm, very interesting indeed. would that seriously work? its a big risk

[D.D.]

it would work easily as long as the company that sold you the original tickets allows you just to use the return leg of your trip. I have sent so many friends to shekou ferry dock for visas. you must arrive during the day and take the ferry before customs in the hk airport.

[jomiro]

ive flown quite a few times to china now. and everytime the travel agent requested a copy of my alien registration card.

i guess they changed the rules to prevent the visa tourism. you know going back and forth between china and korea once a visa has expired. afterall it is cheaper than flying to japan.

[jamo]

I am irate about this. Plane tickets purchased, tours - etc. 4 of us....3 months left, 5 months left and I have 6 EXACTLY had I applied on July4th..I'm two days too late. and bought my tickets through orbitz...the chances of getting a refund - slim.

[smithy]

[kathorine]

You can apply visa by post and quite easily to get visa. And You have 3 months to enter China after they issue the visa
To have more information about visa you can access to : http://www.smiletravelvietnam.com/travelvietnam/vietnamVisa.aspx

[mellow-d]

Does the arc need to have 6 months left on the date you enter China or when you apply for the visa? I've only been here since March but by September, when I want to go, my ARC won't have 6 months left!

So the only other option, other than travelling to HK (which I don't want to do) is to mail home my passport to Canada. Does anyone have an idea how long that would take? It would have to go to my parents on the East Coast-then to the consulate in Montreal-then to my parents and then to Korea!!!!

This blows!

[kiwiinkorea]

[smithy]

Well, my visa has been issued in London. It cost me more than it would have done here, and its been a proper pain in the arse, but at least I got it!

[Traversant]

^ Lucky you had time to do that. I only have two weeks til my flight, so I just had to cancel.