fast visa re-entry applications?

[chasingOblivion]

I'm planning on going to Japan for the National Holiday, 1 Oct. - 8 Oct. Unfortunately, I only have a single entry F visa and need to get this changed so I can come back!

I went to the PSB yesterday with all the forms (residence permit, JW202, etc.) to get an extension, only they needed a stamp from my university on the application. Taxied back in a hurry to get this, except predictably the university offices were closed.

It takes 5 working days to get a visa and the lady at the PSB said there was no way to expedite this. If I hand in the application on Monday, she says it won't be ready in time. She said if I had an urgent reason, they might be able to get it done slightly faster; but she didn't seem certain and there's a good chance she was saying that mainly to make me go away

2 questions:

1. From an earlier post by Roddy:

You should be able to get a re-entry stamp from the PSB - basically it allows you one out-and-in trip without invalidating your current visa. Costs around 300RMB, last I heard (which was ages ago, so check with the relevant authorities.) These are perhaps less commonly used now that residence permits double up as multi-entry visas, and there might have been changes I don't know about.

In what way can residence permits be used as multiple entry visas? Where can I find out more about this? I have a (temporary) residence permit from the police as I live in an apartment off-campus ("registration form of temporary residence")

2. In case residence permits can't be used as multiple entry visas, is it likely that I'll be able to obtain a (tourist?) visa at the airport in Beijing on my return? i.e. is applying for a visa at the airport in Beijing the same process as applying at the PSB, except presumably "same-day" / instant? How long will it take them to issue one and for how much? A friend who comes to Beijing quite often says that it's not always open however - does anyone know the opening times for this? Sunday evening is probably not a likely time for it to be open right

Finally, in case the above idea sounds a little risky (for one, I have classes starting on Saturday and ideally don't want to spend Sunday / Monday in the airport in case of delay / visa issuing desk closure), does anyone know a better way to ensure I can re-enter the country when I return on Sunday evening? Does anyone know any agencies who can expedite a visa re-entry application?

Thanks all for your help and opinions.

[liuzhou]

a) A "registration form of temporary residence" is not a residence permit. A residence permit is a page in your passport which looks like a visa and acts as multi entry visa. I'm guessing you don't have one of these.

B) Tourist visa on arrival at Beijing is not an option.

c) Before the introduction of the 'residence permit in your passport', the ¥300 re-entry visa took between 3 and 5 days. (BTW the ¥300 applies to UK passports, my Spanish friend got hers for ¥100! Price depends on nationality - reciprocal agreements and all that!)

[chasingOblivion]

Thanks very much for that. Clears up a lot.

300RMB charge for me! I guess it's kinda fair.. I think Chinese nationals get charged £50 for a tourist visa to the UK.

Any ideas on how I can expedite a re-entry stamp?

Thanks again

[liuzhou]

Any ideas on how I can expedite a re-entry stamp?

Bribery? (sh)

[chasingOblivion]

I'm desperate. I'll do it.

Anything else in case some nice crisp bills won't cut it?

[roddy]

I'd ask the PSB if they can turn it around quicker, showing proof of need - ie plane ticket - if possible. Might also be worth phoning round some visa agencies to see if they can offer a faster service. Not much you can do beyond that to be honest.

[roddy]

Any chance of an update on how this worked out?

[chasingOblivion]

Hi guys,

Sorry for the late reply, didn't realise there was a request for follow-up.

Thanks all for the advice. In the end, things were solved without any drama (or needing to pull out those crisp bills I had ready...): went to the PSB early the next day all prepared to state my case, but the lady at the counter told me it'd be ready the day before the National Holiday, i.e. just in time.

Everyone seemed to be working unusually professionally (not that I've been there that many times anyway however), so maybe this was China reacting to pre-National-Holiday demand by being a little more efficient (or is that just a daydream?). On the other hand, this could also just be a case of "[in China...] always ask for a second opinion".

Japan was great. Thanks again everyone!