visa run to HK

[panda23]

For those who've done visa runs to HK in the recent past, what's the easiest/least costly way of doing it? I will be needing to get a six month F visa in HK next month in order to study Chinese, and converting my tourist visa won't work because 180 days after my last entry won't cover the entire semester. Can anyone recommend a good agent to use? Finally, how many days should I plan on staying in HK for? Will I be able to get the rush service despite applying from somewhere other than my home country (Canada)?

[trevelyan]

If you want a six-month F visa figure things out before you go to Hong Kong. It's usually possible to get a 3 month visa in HK, but things have been getting tighter. Sometimes the only 3 month visas available will require you to leave the country every 30 days.

As far as logistics go, there'a a Beijing-Kowloon train that leaves Beijing every second afternoon and costs around 800 RMB for a one-way trip. The train takes 24 hours and arrives in the center of Hong Kong about a 10 minute walk from the MTR. Because it arrives in the early afternoon it gives you time to head to the Chinese Consulate and handle any paperwork there or head to Nathan Street and try your luck there. Assuming your visa comes through you can return to Beijing on the next train back in two days. Just be careful about weekends: go down on a Monday or Tuesday as things can close on the weekend.

Total cost should be somewhere around 3000 RMB. 1600 in transit costs, and 600 per day food and accomodation.

[roddy]

Someone reported here getting a six month visa, but we don't know how much it cost. Beijng-Kowloon train is great, but not if you're in Chongqing.

[panda23]

If you want a six-month F visa figure things out before you go to Hong Kong. It's usually possible to get a 3 month visa in HK, but things have been getting tighter. Sometimes the only 3 month visas available will require you to leave the country every 30 days.

how would i 'figure tings out in advance'? call the consulate and ask if a F visa with 180 day stay is available for non HK residents?

The school said they'd convert whatever i got in HK if it didn't have long enough stays, but into a six month X visa rather than F, which means i'd have to do the medical.

Should I be looking into plane tickets back to Canada for my visa run?

[westmeadboy]

Only very loosely related (but might be interesting for people looking for longer term visas)... you can still (as of today) get 90-days-per-stay double entry 6 month tourist visas in Chiang Mai. The "only" requirement is that you already have an old Chinese visa already in your passport. Actually, it seems you could get a multiple-entry visa but because I only had very little space left in my passport, they would only give me double entry.

[roddy]

Good to know those are still an option - had one years ago, a friend who splits his time between Chiang Mai and Beijing relies on them I think.

[yialanliu]

With my limited knowledge of HK visa runs, I've found that sometimes it might be easier to get an L and convert for a fee once you get to the university if possible. If you do that, it's pretty easy.

Also, maybe use your 180days and get upto I bleieve 2 1 month extensions? If that's enough then don't even bother with the visa runs.

I normally fly to HK for visa runs due to the distance though.

[panda23]

while calling the consulate yielded nothing (the numbers on their website either went unanswered or were "busy"), CTS says they can get me a single entry F visa with 180 day stay for HKD1600 with same day service if sent in before 9am. Anyone used these guys before? They appear to be a very big travel company, but given that replies here seem to say such a visa can't be obtained in HK anymore, can this company be trusted to do what they say? I don't want the 30+ hour train ride to Shenzhen to be for nothing in the end.

[icebear]

I think you can trust CTS. Getting F visas locally for a fee used to be pretty common, so it may reflect a temporary thawing in the policy of strictness these last few years. I recall getting a 1 year, multi-entry F in 2007 for around 1000 RMB; and from a guy that did the handoff and next-day return in the metro in Beijing (!)... the glory days!

[panda23]

As far as logistics go, there'a a Beijing-Kowloon train that leaves Beijing every second afternoon and costs around 800 RMB for a one-way trip. The train takes 24 hours and arrives in the center of Hong Kong about a 10 minute walk from the MTR. Because it arrives in the early afternoon it gives you time to head to the Chinese Consulate and handle any paperwork there or head to Nathan Street and try your luck there.

There also seems to be one out of Shanghai with a similar schedule. Are tickets often sold out? To take this train I'd have to connect at Zhuzhou (a 3rd tier city in Hunan) in the middle of the night (4-5 hour layover). Is trying this advisable?

[cvschicago]

I think it depends on the duration of your study terms. If your admission letter says that your study duration is over six months, you can apply for a single entry X visa valid for 180 days. When you get to China, go to local police department for guidance, they can give you a multiple entries for 180 days. That way, you don't have to visit HK so often. If your admission letter is shorter than six months, your choices are very limited: you can get a double entry 90 day X visa. You have to visit HK every three months or so.

I hope that answered the questions/concerns a little bit.

[Brian US]

I just wanted to clear up some questions for my friend with wanting to convert a Z-working visa to a student visa. From looking around, he will need to leave the country for sure? I'm assuming he will go to Hong Kong. He is looking to study for 6 months, so wouldn't it be easier to convert to a travel visa and then get it switched again to a student visa when he shows up at the school?

He was concerned about a travel visa because his grandmother, who is a US citizen but born in China, was refused a travel visa in HK and told she had to return to the US to apply.

[panda23]

I think it depends on the duration of your study terms. If your admission letter says that your study duration is over six months, you can apply for a single entry X visa valid for 180 days. When you get to China, go to local police department for guidance, they can give you a multiple entries for 180 days. That way, you don't have to visit HK so often. If your admission letter is shorter than six months, your choices are very limited: you can get a double entry 90 day X visa. You have to visit HK every three months or so.

I hope that answered the questions/concerns a little bit.

the admission letter says february to july

actually, the chinese banking system is making me return to my home country because they need six weeks to process money orders from abroad, but of course, i dont have that much time

[Saxondale]

I might have to go to HK soon to get another F visa to carry on studying. I'm currently on an F visa but it will expire in February.

This shouldn't be a problem if i have all the right documents from my school right?

[Lost in Mong Kok]

Visit the consult in Wan Chai for your application: http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/bgfwxx/

As long as you have no "black spots" on your passport the process is usually hassle free. The quickest turn around being something like 24 hours although for studying visas it may be slightly different if they need to confirm your position at the school etc.

I've found that people apply at the beginning of the week and pick up toward the end so try doing the opposite if you want to avoid large queues, or get down their early and take a book. You can sometimes find yourself waiting for quite some time.

Have everything photocopied in advance, your form filled in before you arrive to get straight in and seen to.

[Saxondale]

Thanks Mong Kok. My university has put me down to study 1 year on my JW202 form, even though i only want to stay 6 months (i changed my mind last time, so they made it a year just incase i want to stay longer). Is this going to cause any problems when only wanting a 6 month F visa?

Another question, will i have to re-enter China from HK or can i get my visa, travel and re-enter from Korea?

edit: something i just read on the site you linked me to:

4, If you don't reside or work in Hong Kong permanently, you are required to apply Chinese visa from the Embassy or Consulate-General of Peoples' Republic of China in your resident country.

wait what?

[roddy]

That's been up for ages, doesn't seem to be applied. I suspect they just keep it there to point to if they get a problem case they don't want to deal with. The case with work visas seems to be that as long as your invitation letter specifies Hong Kong, you're good to go.

How come you can't handle this locally though? If you're paying up at a proper university, why the need for a visa run?

[abcdefg]

Another question, will i have to re-enter China from HK or can i get my visa, travel and re-enter from Korea?

Although I can't quote a document or link you to a source, I don't think it matters where you enter mainland China from. A China visa is a China visa and it allows you to enter the country. Shouldn't make a difference if you enter from Korea instead of from Hong Kong.

[Saxondale]

Thanks for the replies.

Roddy, what do you mean by specify hong kong? i'm currently studying in qingdao and require an F visa because i'm only studying one term (they don't issue anything else for studying less than 6 months). I'm wanting to do some traveling before the next semester and since my F visa is only single entry, i will need to go to HK to apply for another F visa for next semester. I was hoping to do this in Korea (i'm traveling there), but it seems like i can't.

edit: because my school has put down 1 year on jw202 form, will i be able to apply for an X visa in HK? My school is being useless and just keeps telling me to go back to England to do it. Even though i'm only planning to study for one more semester, being able to get a residents permit gives me much more flexibility, since i have plans to travel. But if an X visa might cause problems, i'll settle for the F.

[roddy]

Isn't there an invitation / enrollment letter along with your JW202? Does that say where you should apply? I'm extrapolating from work visas here though.

I'd expect you to not have any hassles, and if you do, get a tourist visa and come back and sort it out. I'm still a bit surprised you can't just do it there.

Incidentally, if you fancy doing an end of year report on Ocean University, that'd be just fantastic....