I have a Mainland China working visa (from when I was located there before), but I now want to renew it (but as a multi-entry 1 year tourist visa). I’m a little concerned that the existing visa will expire in the next week or two, after which I might be unable to apply for the 1 year visa?
A) Is getting this 1 year tourist visa based on my working visa possible or does it count as a new visa?
B) Does it need to happen within my existing period length?
C) Can I get this done anywhere in Taipei or am I going to have to go to HK?
I have a Mainland China working visa (from when I was located there before), but I now want to renew it (but as a multi-entry 1 year tourist visa). I’m a little concerned that the existing visa will expire in the next week or two, after which I might be unable to apply for the 1 year visa?
A) Is getting this 1 year tourist visa based on my working visa possible or does it count as a new visa?
B) Does it need to happen within my existing period length?
C) Can I get this done anywhere in Taipei or am I going to have to go to HK?
Thanks,
Alex[/quote]
You could have a passport full of visas, but once your working visa expires that’s it. You’ll just have to get a new one. The fact that you managed to get one before doesn’t make it any easier or more difficult to get a new one after this. So, you can apply during or after the period your working visa is still valid, it won’t change a thing. Either way, you can’t do it from Taiwan unless you pay someone to send it to Hong Kong for you.
[quote=“ALT83”]Hi guys, I have a Mainland China working visa (from when I was located there before), but I now want to renew it (but as a multi-entry 1 year tourist visa). I’m a little concerned that the existing visa will expire in the next week or two, after which I might be unable to apply for the 1 year visa?
A) Is getting this 1 year tourist visa based on my working visa possible or does it count as a new visa?
B) Does it need to happen within my existing period length?
C) Can I get this done anywhere in Taipei or am I going to have to go to HK?
Thanks, Alex[/quote]
Are you legally resident in Taiwan? If so travel agents can help you to apply.
However your wish of getting a multiple entry one year visa may not be granted. This is because the PRC government has in most cases stopped issuing them as too many foriegners are living and working in China without work permits.
I have a good friend living here and married locally, he can only get a PRC visa which allows 2 entries and is restricted to 30 days each time.
Yep, as STV already pointed out, almost any travel agent in Taiwan can arrange a mainland China visa without you having to go to Hong Kong in person… Alternatively you can just fly to HKG Airport and take the TurboJet ferry to SheKou or FuYong and get a landing visa on arrival… The maximum they’ll give you is a 6 month multiple entry… They are being a little tighter on who gets what these days, but if you’re prepared to pay for it 6 month multiple entry is easy enough to get… Hope you’re not a yank though, it’s significantly trickier for US citizens to get China visas due to tit-for-tat bureaucracy…
I’m technically not resident in Taiwan - I’m just here on holiday A LOT
My main concern was whether to get the 12 months multiple entry (which I heard they have reintroduced since the Olympics), I needed to apply within my existing visa time otherwise I’d have to go back to square 1… but if it doesn’t matter, then I’ll probably just apply in HK next time I’m there - I go every 3 weeks or so.
Last time I went was all too recently unfortunately, but the last time I got one of these “landing visas” was about 6 months ago for sure… The “landing visa” is only available at FuYong or SheKou ferry terminals and nowhere else in China that I have found… “The landing visa are not landing visa they are convenience service for come to China business man” is what I was told last time I asked about how come they were not available in Shanghai or HKG/LuoHu or Beijing or any of the other major points of entry… They’re real enough though, get off Turbojet at FuYong, get your bags, stop at China Travel Service window on the left before immigration, hand over cash, passport, photo… Wait 10 mins… 6 months multi… I’ve personally done it at least half a dozen times… Maximum 6 months, and doesn’t work for US passport holders…
6 Months ago? Days before the olympics? Not wanting to question the truthfulness of that but… Showing up at the border days before the olympics and getting a 6 month multiple-entry visa, whereas getting a visa anywhere else was a major hassle at that point, even impossible if you were not applying in your home country? Seriously?
August 8th was 6 months ago?.. What kind of calendar are you using?.. I can’t remember when exactly the last one I got was, but it was certainly earlier this year before the olympics sometime and as I said it was the last of a long line of many 6 month multiples I’ve gotten on arrival from FuYong Turbojet terminal… If you think I’ve got the inclination to spend my time deliberately sabotaging strangers on the internet who want to get China visas, you’re sorely mistaken…
The 12 month multiple visa’s are being difficult to obtain for anybody who has already been in China on a previous Z, F, or L visa. Too many illegal works and overstayers. New rules in place for fines as well.
What ever you call it if you don’t hold a valid ARC or you are not a citizen then you are not a resident in Taiwan so travel agants here cannot help you perhaps.
Fortunately I am and I have a 5 year multiple entry resident doc for China. That’s why it’s been so easy for me to make so many trips to China this year. As for Plasmatron he is also resident here. Thats another reason he may have been given a multiple entry visa because he is a genuine visitor to China. Thankfully direct flights will make a big difference as I may need to spen at least one week per month in China.
It’s those who abuse the visa’s ( most expats in China work on visitor visas ) that the crackdown occurred. You will find that you may need to jion the queue in HK. I personally know Plasmatron and he’s not one for making up fanciful stories. He’s been living in Taiwan for many years and visits China on regular business trips.
I wasn’t in any way trying to imply that someone is making up stories - just wanted to know the how and why because it’s definately not such a straightforward ordeal for most ‘regular’ people. Wouldn’t want the original poster to show up at Shekou and be denied entrance. Just checking the conditions, is all…
I called the CTS at Hong Kong airport last week to check for a future trip, and it is certain that many NON British/US passport holders can get a 5-day ‘Shenzen visa’ at the border, although even this possibility has only very recently been reinstated. Otherwise, getting a visa in Hong Kong takes 2 working days with no same-day service available at the moment. According to CTS.
You’ll not be able to get an extension to your Z visa (technically your residence permit) without actually having a sponsoring company do all the work for you in China. Multiple-entry F visas are getting harder to get in HK and tend to be for those with HK ID cards - the 6-month ones anyway. I’ve not heard of anyone getting a 12-month ME F visa recently, even HK residents. If you’re Australian, you might be able to get an APAC travel card if you have the requisite contacts in OZ to process one. That would allow you 30 days at a time.
On the F-visa situation. Satellite TV says there are many foreigners working illegally in China on F visas. However, I would like to point out that people setting up companies in China, and those sent over to supervise sub-contractors or suppliers have no means of obtaining work permits and Z visas because there is no entity to employ them. In the first example, the employing companu has not yet been set up, and in the second, they are not employees of their suppliers, but their employer abroad does not have a local PRC entity which can employ them. I would not count these people as “working illegally”.
I would agree though that part of the difficulty in getting F visas now is the large number of people in Shanghai and Beijing just “hanging around” on F visas and working. This is more a tax issue than a visa issue as of course these bods don’t pay China’s crippling rates of income tax. That’s more likely to be the government’s thinking when wanting rid of them. I don’t think previous F visas are going to preclude anyone from getting a new one if they fit the criteria, but I do know that those who get them by paying travel agents in Hong Kong to bribe officials in border stations at She Kou and Shen Zhen are having difficulty, and F visas issued inside China are now frowned upon. My missus has an L (tourist) visa issued in London and it can be extended for up to 6 months. Now this is single-entry and cost £145, but they also do multiple entry F visas in London, but they are extremely pricey (over £200). If you have the proper docs, they will also do 12-month visas. In this case, and if your company is paying, a trip back to your home country to get a year’s F visa might be an idea, especially if it coincides with a family reunion visit.
Simply stated, the PRC has gone off HK quickie issued-inside-China visas and prefers you go home to get one. If you do, then from my experience there’ll be no problems. Similarly, if you apply direct to CTS in HK with all the correct paperwork, there should be no problem. This would probably be the case for a Taiwan application as the visa will be issued by the Misnitry of Foreign Affairs (i.e abroad) and not the Zhu Hai or Shen Zhen border police. [The point was, visas issued inside China could be valid for a stay of 6 months, whereas MOFA visas were only for 30 days at a time over a 6-month period. So, useless for actually living in China on, but good enough for legitimate short business trips.]
Yes that is another issue with expats whose companies send them into China to do consultancy or quality control work. However these people are genuine visitors in that they are not running companies in China nor being paid in China.
However, when I was there and met up with again Lord Lucan, many of my new clients were in fact doing business in China with no real company licence or tax payments. I think you are aware of what I mean. Poor old Wino Pete our Aussie wine supplier had an accident and had to go back to Australia for surgery but he also was in China running a business without a Z visa or a copmany licence. Much like many foreigners who came to Taiwan many years ago.
I ran a business with a business licence for 12 months in Taiwan my first year here but no ARC for 12 months, before getting an ARC that still didn’t allow me to work lol.
China was so lax about this situation before the Olympics but it all changed by mid year. I still enjoy going into my “mother” country. Now that the PRC & Taiwan peoples stay in the same immigration queues it does lead to some funny situations in my case.
I can’t remember when exactly the last one I got was, but it was certainly earlier this year before the olympics sometime and as I said it was the last of a long line of many 6 month multiples I’ve gotten on arrival from FuYong Turbojet terminal… If you think I’ve got the inclination to spend my time deliberately sabotaging strangers on the internet who want to get China visas, you’re sorely mistaken…