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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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 Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject: China Visa requirements changed today |
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I just got off the phone with a travel agent in Seoul and they informed me that the visa requirements have changed.
1) you need 6 months remaining on your Korean visa at the time of issue
2) they need your alien id card whilst the visa is being processed
I have less than three weeks left on my visa and was going to apply for a tourist visa (I am told lasts for 3 months). Is there any way I can get another e-2 visa and then leave within the first week? Or is there any feasible way around this.
I will be applying anyway with my current Korean visa (2-3 weeks left on it) as the travel agents said it would be worth at least trying.
Apparently they received these new guidelines today. |
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Capo
Joined: 09 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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| u gotta fricking joking me! |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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I wish I was. I checked with several other travel agents and they all confirmed the same thing. I was wondering whether the first lady I spoke might have got confused with 6 months remaining on the passport not our Korean visas, but she was correct.
It will be better to apply after the olympics are over.
Either that or go through Hong Kong. |
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Whirlwind
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 4:56 am Post subject: |
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| Doesn't affect me. China is one country that I've never had, and never will have, the desire to visit. If I live for a 1,000 years and never step a foot in China, I'd have no problem with that. Now Thailand, well, that's another story. I can't get enough of that place. Love it. But China? No thanks. |
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moosehead
Joined: 05 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 6:26 am Post subject: |
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it's probably to limit the number of western foreigners coming over to China - you know- bad influence all our exposure to freedom etc
also we take up space that could be used by an asian, i.e., a Korean. 
sounds similar to how K events cannot except foreign credit cards, have only K websites for tkt sales and no E help whatsoever.
I went to an art hall last year to buy tkts for Tom McCrae, an american singer, and they didn't have a box office, only a phone number to buy tkts and no one spoke E.
The employees at the art hall had a terrible difficulty helping me but finally agreed to hold a tkt for me to come to the concert.
Amazing, really. Just the blatant reality, I suppose. |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 3:59 pm Post subject: |
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| moosehead wrote: |
it's probably to limit the number of western foreigners coming over to China - you know- bad influence all our exposure to freedom etc
also we take up space that could be used by an asian, i.e., a Korean.
sounds similar to how K events cannot except foreign credit cards, have only K websites for tkt sales and no E help whatsoever.
I went to an art hall last year to buy tkts for Tom McCrae, an american singer, and they didn't have a box office, only a phone number to buy tkts and no one spoke E.
The employees at the art hall had a terrible difficulty helping me but finally agreed to hold a tkt for me to come to the concert.
Amazing, really. Just the blatant reality, I suppose. |
Mate you are in korea, 99% of the people in korea speak korean. Why would they have someone who speaks english?
Not sure what country you are from (Canada?), but would an event centre there have someone available to take orders from someone that didn't speak the native language and spoke a language which only 1% of the population speaks?
Just be greatful they speak any english whatsoever. |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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Oh my freakin god, this thread could have been about pidgens or roast potatoes and still some kind of Korean bashing / flame war begins (though I have to agree with.... actually better not say).
Please keep this on topic guys as anyone with any useful information could be priceless at this stage, at least to me anyway as im leaving for China in under a month and I still have no visa.
Thank you |
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blackjack
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
Location: anyang
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| Posted: Fri Aug 08, 2008 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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sorry bout that, forgot this is in the travel section.
can't help you with the visa stuff tho |
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I-am-me
Joined: 21 Feb 2006
Location: Hermit Kingdom
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| Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 7:55 am Post subject: |
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Its probably typical korean misinterpretation. What has a korean visa have to do with your home country passport? Best to call the chinese embassy than to trust korean travel agencies.  |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 4:06 am Post subject: |
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| Whirlwind wrote: |
| Doesn't affect me. China is one country that I've never had, and never will have, the desire to visit. If I live for a 1,000 years and never step a foot in China, I'd have no problem with that. Now Thailand, well, that's another story. I can't get enough of that place. Love it. But China? No thanks. |
I think a few years ago I imagined I would never want to visit China. I suppose I was just following the stories I read from other expats. A lot of things written by them made it sound like a lousy country for a foreigner.
Now I'm here, and the ideas or preconceived notions I once had are all useless. It's a huge and diverse country. The cities are not similar like they tend to be in Korea. The people are friendlier. At least where I am, it's more prosperous than I imagined, and more expensive too. There are a lot of Chinese with money it seems.
My mind has changed regarding China. It's a fascinating place. Never mind the government, what can one do about that? Many negative media reports focused on government doesn't tell you much about the people and places.
I think one could spend a decade in China and still want to visit more places. Lots of work too. |
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travel zen
Joined: 22 Feb 2005
Location: Good old Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:41 am Post subject: |
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I'm glad your having a good time Ja. I've never been to Nanjing, but I have travelled North and South. China isn't for everyone and the people I find to be nasty and very unfriendly.
The girls tho, they are everywhere and curious and very liberal with themselves, unlike much of Korea. With all that, I wouldn't want to go to China again (I've been there twice for 3 months) it's a mean/nasty predatory society.
My experience. |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:23 pm Post subject: |
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The same has been asked of various western nationals in other asian countries. I initially thought it was 6 months on your passport and that they had misunderstood. But after checking with other agencies and on Lonely Planet's thorntree forum i think it is correct. I would advise anyone effected by this to keep upto speed on developments to use the lonely planet forum.
I wonderif Asian nationals are having similar problems?
| I-am-me wrote: |
| Its probably typical korean misinterpretation. What has a korean visa have to do with your home country passport? Best to call the chinese embassy than to trust korean travel agencies. |
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mikefields
Joined: 07 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:26 am Post subject: |
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I heard the same thing from my travel agent in Seoul, shoestring travel. She said that the Alien Registration Card needs to have six months left on it before it expires. This just doesn't seem to make any sense though. Why would an ARC be necessary for a Chinese Visa? What if I was just a tourist in Korea and wanted to go to china? I wouldn't have an ARC then. Would I have to go back to my home country and get the Chinese visa from there?
Has anyone spoken directly to the embassy about this? Who can I bribe?
I have this nice two week vacation all planned for Chusok. Shanghai, Xian, Beijing. Any alternatives you folks can suggest? |
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Tjames426
Joined: 06 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Someone needs to visit the Chinese Embassy in Seoul for the real story. |
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endo
Joined: 14 Mar 2004
Location: Seoul...my home
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| Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject: |
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| travel zen wrote: |
| The girls tho, they are everywhere and curious and very liberal with themselves, unlike much of Korea. |
What part of China did you find the women to be the best to hang out with? |
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