Trip from China to Hong Kong

[Willy The Londoner]

A friend of mine planned to take his girl friend to Hong Kong for a few days break.  He assured me that she had the necessary visa and after staying with us over night they set of to the ferry port.

However on arrival at the ferry terminal the foreigners desk was shorter and he went through ok.  He then waited for his girlfriend to pass through the Chinese desk.  However she did not.  They would not let her through.  Apparently the six month visa booklet that non Guangdong residents get is only valid for traveling with a tour party.

My friend being on the wrong side of the desks was not allowed back to his girlfriend as he had no entries left on his visa as he had intended to apply for another visa when in Hong Kong.

It took a lot of negotiations before they eventually agreed to cancel his exit stamp and allow him back to his girlfriend.  They were lucky that one of the female officers took control of the situation and many hours and several missed ferries later (and I believe a few RMB's to facilitate changes to visa's and ferry tickets) they were both allowed to go through together and board the ferry.

It is worth remembering that if the ladies home is outside Guangdong then these six months visa's to Hong Kong need to be counter signed by a travel agent who is permitted to organise tours to HK. That will be at a price of course.

Willy

[shaun]

It's always something.  Fortunately I've been pretty lucky every time I've been to China.  I even took Peggy to Hong Kong.  But then she is a Guangdong woman.

[IrishGuy65]

My last full day in China, Lisa and I went to Hong Kong. No real problems.  We took the ferry from Shunde.  For an extra 70 rmb, we rode first class on the way back, LOL.  She never rode it before... nice comfy chairs in a private room, free bottled water and snacks for the 2 hour ride. She said it was too much when we got the tickets.  When we got in the room, she was surprised we got so much for so little.

Sorry to hear about your friends.  Fortunately, Lisa is in Guangdong province so there is no problem.

[Willy The Londoner]

'It never rains but it pours'

A follow up to my original posting.

My friends arrived in Hong Kong and spent three great nights in an expensive hotel right on the sea front.  Everything was fine and dandy. 

As mentioned my friends visa had expired as left Zhongshan as he had already used up the last of the permitted entries back into China.  But, he, having made the trip to Hong Kong on five previous occasions and renewed his visa at an agents office in the airport terminal they set off on Tuesday morning to do just that.

But as often happens in China things change almost overnight.  Although he had renewed his visa at that office five times previously he was told new restrictions were brought in a month previously and they are only able to issue visa's for travel groups.  He was told that he needed to go to the Chinese Embassy in Hong Kong and apply from there.

He had two flight tickets booked for the early evening the following day to return to China as his girl friend was due back at work on Thursday.
Having arrived at the Embassy he asked for a 12 month multi-entry visa and they told him that he could not have one.  They said if he made an application that may be able to assist him for a shorter period.  Anyway he spent all day at the embassy talking to many officials and filling in many form.
He explained to them the problem he had in that he had a apartment in China etc etc.  They told him to come back on Friday to see what their decision was.

So on  Wednesday he put his girlfriend on a plane back to China. He stayed alone in the luxury hotel for two more nights and then went back to the Embassy on Friday to hear, hopefully, some good news.

There to his dismay he found that he had been granted a single entry 30 day stay visa. They advised him that they no longer issued visas for longer stays for people traveling to Hong Kong or Macau for that purpose and that 30 day single entry was the best that anyone could get in the future.  They told him that the only way that he could get a longer visa was to go back to his homeland in Europe and re-apply from there for a longer visa but in the meantime he could return to China but he would have to leave China by the end of the 30 day period.

So now he is back in China but he is making arrangements to travel back home in the next 4 weeks. Taking advice from the Chinese Embassy staff in Hong Kong he is going to marry his long term girlfriend when he gets back and therefore will be able to do all future visa applications at the PSB where he lives.

So for all those who had considered using this method of renewing visa in either of these places then you may have to make other arrangements as it appears now that 30 days is as long as they will issue now.

Willy

[JohnB]

It looks as if I need to address this revised China visa requirement sooner than later. 1st thing I did was to look at the visa agency I normally use http://www.freechinavisa.org/touristvisa.php Their customer service requirements have changed. I can no longer enlist their services as I am just outside their required geo- graphic area. Very unfortunate as this visa agency was by far the best of the 3 agencies I have utilized.
I noticed one interesting thing on 'freechinavisas' website...'single- entry/ double entries/ multiple entries' are all the same fee for U.S. citizens, $140. In comparison, 'other' countries the number of visits is pro- rated. The 'single' entry, of course, the cheapest.
My wife is a Chinese citizen and if I petition the Chinese Embassy via whatever visa agency, I wonder if any considerations are due. I think I remember 2 months if I am not mistaken. I have had no trouble getting the multiple entries/ 12 months on my 3 prior occasions. Maybe this too will be an unexpected change.
My China entry would be the usual “L” visa. Returning to America on a monthly 'visa turn-a-round' would be cost prohibitive.   

Currently I am thinking of 'much longer than a month' stays in China. My original intent was to exit China for the day, visit Macao/ Hong Kong and re- new the visa, and return to China. That situation is ideal, but no more from what I understand.
So, what method works, if there is such a thing now?

[Willy The Londoner]

John

As I am married to a Chinese Citizen I never have to leave China to renew my visa. I get it done at the local PSB.

I am sure that in your position you could get yours done that way. So make enquiries next time you are here.  This may have to be in the area where your wife is registered.

I get 12 months multi-entry without any problem.

Applying for a 12 month visa from the USA will be the same as it ever was so unless you are coming here to stay longer than a year then nothing should change for you.

Willy

[JohnB]

Willy,
thanks much!
I had to Wikipedia "PSB" (I hate acronyms). 1st thing to pop up was "Brazilian Socialist Party", so I know it wasn't that.
As it is, "Public Security Bureau, the name for police station in Mainland China".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSB
Onwards & upwards, Liaoning Province...then again, if we lease an apartment in Zhuhai or Zhongshan, that area, would Jing be
considered a local resident by China law with the purpose of PSB?

[Willy The Londoner]

Willy,
thanks much!
I had to Wikipedia "PSB" (I hate acronyms). 1st thing to pop up was "Brazilian Socialist Party", so I know it wasn't that.
As it is, "Public Security Bureau, the name for police station in Mainland China".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSB
Onwards & upwards, Liaoning Province...then again, if we lease an apartment in Zhuhai or Zhongshan, that area, would Jing be
considered a local resident by China law with the purpose of PSB?

Not the Police Station but the office where everything official happens!

When we first got married my wife's ID was was registered in Hunan Province and she had to go there to get a change made . It took about a ten days before a new ID card was issued but from then on it was no problem when we was renting.   I had left my renewal a bit late and as the ten days was going to be beyond my visa expiry date I popped over to Macau and ordered a 30 day visa from there, spent a pleasant evening/night in the Casinos had a meal there and collected my visa the next morning and came back to China. Then returned to the PSB when her new ID card was ready and then carried on with my 12 month application.   I found Zhongshan a much easier PSB Office to deal with.

Willy

[Iceland]

A friend of mine planned to take his girl friend to Hong Kong for a few days break.  He assured me that she had the necessary visa and after staying with us over night they set of to the ferry port.

However on arrival at the ferry terminal the foreigners desk was shorter and he went through ok.  He then waited for his girlfriend to pass through the Chinese desk.  However she did not.  They would not let her through.  Apparently the six month visa booklet that non Guangdong residents get is only valid for traveling with a tour party.

My friend being on the wrong side of the desks was not allowed back to his girlfriend as he had no entries left on his visa as he had intended to apply for another visa when in Hong Kong.

It took a lot of negotiations before they eventually agreed to cancel his exit stamp and allow him back to his girlfriend.  They were lucky that one of the female officers took control of the situation and many hours and several missed ferries later (and I believe a few RMB's to facilitate changes to visa's and ferry tickets) they were both allowed to go through together and board the ferry.

It is worth remembering that if the ladies home is outside Guangdong then these six months visa's to Hong Kong need to be counter signed by a travel agent who is permitted to organise tours to HK. That will be at a price of course.

Willy

Yes, this was a very frustrating experience and I kicked myself there for a few minutes for not letting Lili go first through the desk because I thought it would be impossible to get my stamp cancelled. I thought I would have to leave her there stranded which was an awful feeling and situation. But the officer in charge and on duty at this time turned out to be a very nice and helpful guy, spoke very good English, understood the problem fully and I was very surprised when he let me go back in. And the young lady who then helped us get the right papers and stamps for Lili was even nicer. We paid 200RMB for it and we were on the next ferry to HK, so we actually stalled for only around 3 hours because of this.

But as Willy said, if you ever are in the same situation, make absolutely sure your Chinese girlfriend is allowed to leave the country as an individual. Prior to this trip, I asked Lili several times if her HK-visa (which she surely had in her passport and was valid) was 100% certain and she was always sure, so she didn't even know this could be a problem herself ... and I of course had no reason to doubt her. But now we both know!