FAQ about Chinese Visa Application

Do I need a visa to China (not including Hong Kong & Macau)?

 Foreigners are generally required to apply for a visa before departure, but some aliens needn't if they come to Mainland, for example, ordinary passport holders from Singapore, Brunei and Japan enjoy free access for up to 15 days.

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 Where can I submit my application?

 Aliens should apply from Chinese Embassies or Consulates. Each Embassy or consulate has its own consular districts. Usually, applicants are required to lodge their application to the relevant Embassy or Consulate according to consular districts. For example, if you live in Idaho, you should submit application to Chinese Embassy in USA.

Applicants who reside or travel away from their country can apply at a local Chinese Embassy or Consulate.

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Can I apply for a visa at entry ports?

 It is very difficult to get a VOA at the entry ports; however, you can get it in real urgent situations

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Can I get a visa on arrival to Shenzhen or Zhuhai?

 Shenzhen and Zhuhai are the Special Economic Zones; they can issue a special economic zone visa to aliens at the entry ports. Shenzhen issues 5 days Single-Entry at the entry ports. Aliens can also apply for 3 days Zhuhai one at the entry ports.

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 When is the best time to submit my application?

 Please apply only 1 or 2 months (at least 2 weeks) before your planned date for visit. If you apply for it too late, you may not have enough time for the application. If you apply for it too early, it may become invalid before your departure. Generally, the validity of a single-entry one is 3 months, counted from the date of application.

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Where can I get the Application Form of the PRC?

The easiest way is to download the China Visa Application Form of PRC from internet, but the form is in PDF, you should have installed the software of Adobe Reader. The form is also offered by the embassy or consulate for free.

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Do I need to make an appointment to submit application?

  It depends upon the embassy or consulate. More than 90% of the Chinese embassies and consulates don't ask applicants to make an appointment. However, you need to make an appointment at Chinese Embassy/Consulate in Nigeria. The CVASC has been in operation in UK, Italy, Australia, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, which also requires applicants to make an appointment in advance, so check with your nearest embassy or consulate before you go there.

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If I can't go to the embassy or consulate in person, can I entrust someone else to submit my application and pick it up on my behalf?

 Yes, the application can be presented by someone else, such as your friends, relatives, or travel agency, but the form should be completed and signed by yourself. Someone else can pick up it on your behalf as long as he can show the "Pick Up Form". 

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Can I send my application by mailing?

 More than 98% of Chinese embassies and consulates don't accept application by mailing. You should visit the official website of Chinese embassy or consulate to check whether it accepts application by mailing or not. Even though the Mail Service is available, the embassy or consulate is not responsible for the loss or damage of your passport and other documents due to mishandling by mail service.

[ Source : http://blogs.rediff.com/thailandvisaforindians/2016/05/27/faq-about-chinese-visa-application/ ]

Quick Takes on U.S. & China Visa Law News

China’s Twilight Years (The Atlantic, June 2016): China today boasts roughly five workers for every retiree. By 2040, this highly desirable ratio will have collapsed to about 1.6 to 1. A demographer at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences predicted that in another decade or two, the social and fiscal pressures created by aging in China will force what many Chinese find inconceivable for the world’s most populous nation: a mounting need to attract immigrants.

Students at Fake University Say They Were Collateral Damage in Sting Operation (N.Y. Times, May 6): The Department of Homeland Security says it set up the University of Northern New Jersey as a sting operation to catch some 22 corrupt brokers who arranged for about 1000 fake students to get real U.S. student visas. But some of the “students,” who now face deportation, claim they thought the school was real and tried to attend classes.

Canada Cites Espionage Risk from Two Huawei Employees, Saying It Plans to Reject Their Immigration Applications (S. China Morning Post, May 4): These Canadian immigration denials emerge amid a swirl of unsubstantiated international spying concerns about the firm.

China is Attracting International Students, But What Are the Policies in Place to Help Them Stick Around?  (Global Times, Apr. 21): International students have few legal internship opportunities and are shut out of the job market by the rule generally requiring 2 years’ postgraduate experience to get a work China visa.

Why China Isn’t Hosting Syrian Refugees (Foreign Policy, Feb. 26): Liang Pan summarizes why–for foreign policy, ideological, domestic population policy, domestic ethnic policy, and other reasons–the Chinese government hasn’t taken in Syrian refugees.

Airline Rules for Traveling While Pregnant  (Travel + Leisure, Feb. 8): It turns out some airlines are surprisingly lenient while others are more strict about letting pregnant women fly.

30,000 North Korean Children Living in Limbo in China (Guardian, Feb. 5): Since the 1990s, hundreds of thousands of North Koreans have fled across the border to China, many in order to survive famine in their homeland. Many of the women refugees have been vulnerable to abuse and sex trafficking. Up to 30,000 children born to North Korean mothers and Chinese fathers are now effectively stateless. Although the Nationality Law recognizes children born in China to one Chinese parent at PRC citizens, these parents rarely register their children because the mother’s identity would have to be revealed – and she would be deported back to North Korea. As a result, the children have no access to schooling or health care.

Weddings from Hell: the Cambodian Brides Trafficked to China (Guardian, Feb. 1): There’s a pattern of Cambodian women lured to China by promises of work but then sold into forced marriages. Even if they manage to flee China and return to Cambodia, reintegration is difficult.

[ Source : http://lawandborder.com/quick-takes-on-u-s-china-visa-law-news/ ]

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