visa run to HK

[Saxondale]

I'll definitely do a write up on OUC. I'll compile my previous posts and add bits onto them.

I'll go back and talk to the visa people next week, but they said I had to leave. so are you saying that my current visa (f, 180 days, single entry) would normally be allowed an extension or reissue within China? If that's the case, the new one will most likely be a single entry one right? would that single entry be marked off as soon as I get it, even if I get it within china?

If I didn't want to travel, I could do all this within china? my school just made it sound like I had to leave no matter what.

Also, getting a tourist visa and changing it is impossible according to them.

[roddy]

I would have thought so, but these things really do happen locally. It really could be that your university messed up somehow, so the PSB are making things difficult for them. You could maybe head down to the PSB yourself and ask them what would be needed.

For a new F visa issued in China, you would ask for 0,1,2, or multiple entries and get charged accordingly. Similarly outside of China, although 0 entries would obviously not be much use.

[Saxondale]

Roddy, the guy at my university said i could only get a single entry F visa...but you're saying i have a choice of choosing the amount of entries i want?

[Saxondale]

what affect is 春节 going to have on the HK visa office this year? need to start planning this visa run!

[icebear]

what affect is 春节 going to have on the HK visa office this year? need to start planning this visa run!

They will be closed that week, and processing times may be worse the week before and after.

[Saxondale]

So i have my JW202 form, letter by the university accepting me and a couple of passport photos. is there anything else i need to bring?

for the duration part, my school put me down for 1 year. is this going to cause any issues when i ask for an F visa?

also, i'm getting constant mixed messages from people, some people telling me it can't be done in hong kong...the contact centre for the visa office in hk is just one really long recording with many options, i never managed to get through to an actual person to clarify things.

[Cat Jones]

Why aren't you applying for a one year X Visa (student visa)?

[Saxondale]

My university said i MUST go back to England to do that...which is why i'm looking at getting an F visa. Is this actually true or is my university misinforming me once again? If i can get an X visa, do i need to provide a medical to get the X visa?

[ChTTay]

I lived in China on a Z VISA then decided I wanted to study at Tsinghua. A few days before my Z Visa ran out I hopped on a plane to Hong Kong, went to the VISA office that morning and applied for my X visa to study. No problems.

I think I just had the JW202 form, Acceptance letter, copies of everything, passport photos ... I definitely had a full medical check up done by that point but can't remember if I needed that or not. I think I did.

I can't recall if the letter of acceptance mentioned HONG KONG or not and I'm not at home for another week to check.

Hope that helpsp.s. I'm English also.

[Saxondale]

How long ago did you do that ChTTay?

[ChTTay]

I have just finished my first semester ... so it must have been September 2012.

[Saxondale]

how long did the process take and how much did it cost?

thanks

[ChTTay]

I presume you mean the VISA process and not the medical...

The express service in HK takes 24 hours. If you apply in the morning, you can pick up the next morning. If you apply in the afternoon, pick up the afternoon of the next day.

I can't remember the cost but i didn't think it was that much. It would be better to pay for the express, 1 day service and leave Hong Kong quickly than to hang around for longer. I found HK pretty expensive.

You don't have to pay in advance so as long as you have access to money then it's no problem. You hand in your passport, forms, photocopies etc then they give you a receipt with the price you need to pay. Go back the next day, pay the fee at one window, move to another window and pick up your passport.

[Saxondale]

Thanks for that.

Well one of the visa agents is saying i can only get a 30 day single or double entry L visa...are they just saying that so i get them to do it? they've quoted 2615HKD for a multiple entry 6 month F visa, which is a lot of money. They also say i need a medical form if i want an X visa, but my one is out of date.

[Cat Jones]

Can't you get the medical done and apply for the one year X visa?

[Saxondale]

This is what i'm thinking but i'm getting a lot of conflicting information, especially from my school. they told me i can only get an x-visa from england. but I'm going to get a medical done on monday anyway and see what happens. i'm much more confident since you got this done in hk.

this might sound stupid, but is it worth the risk changing the medical exam date on my previous one....? trying to keep this visa as cheap as possible.

[ChTTay]

It's not worth the risk, just get a new medical.

[Saxondale]

So i just did my medical and will get the results in 2 days. I'm planning on flying to Shenzhen on Monday, staying a night, going over to HK in the morning and do a rush service on the visa so i can leave the next day.

So here's what i'm bringing (with photocopies of course):

JW202

Invitation Letter

Medical

Photos

Anything else i have to bring?

edit: actually, looking at the flight prices again, i might just fly straight to hk. I'm planning on only getting a one way ticket just in case i have problems with the visa. do they require to see a ticket going into china when you do the visa?

[ChTTay]

Bring a couple of pens. Im not joking, they provide about 1 for every ten people at the visa place.

On my way into HK they just stamped my passport for however many days they give you (3 months?) but no questions.

[Saxondale]

Thanks.

So i got my results today and everything is fine apart from one thing. It says "Abnormal Routine Urinary Test", nothing more. You think this will cause a problem? I did get the certificate.