The Hong Kong Visa Topic

[ChTTay]

***Note that as of September 1st 2013 China made major changes to their visa law. Any information from forum members before this date may no longer be valid/accurate.***

 

***Z (working) visa applicants, please note March 2015 reports that invitation letters for applying in Hong Kong may be a thing of the past. If you have up to date info, please do share it.***

 

 From towards the end of page 2, most of the feedback is post-September. The information below about location and how the visa process works inside the visa office should still be valid.

I just went through the experience of getting a Visa in Hong Kong for the third time. Each time is slightly different and each time I spend a number of hours on the internet looking for people in similar situations who have been through the process before me. As (almost) everyone here is really helpful I thought it would be a good idea to make this topic so that people who have been to Hong Kong for a visa (both successfully and unsuccessfully) can feedback with the information. Also I remember the first time I went and finding a lack of information out there, even simple stuff like directions to the office.

Anyway, I hope this is helpful...even if no one else adds any information

Visa Office Address:
3rd (Visa Section) 4th floor (Chinese Travel Document Section)
China Resources Building
Wanchai
Hong Kong

PH: 3413-2424
Website: http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/
Opening times: 09:00 - 12:00 and 14:00- 17:00

Directions:

> From Wanchai MRT station.

- Find exit "a5". This exit should take you up some stairs and onto a fairly big footbridge that takes you over the streets below.
- Follow this footbridge all the way to the end. At the end of the footbridge you should turn right and go down the stairs.
- At the bottom of the stairs just keep walking straight along Harbour Drive for about 3 - 5 minutes. There is a sitting area on the left, just before you get to a footbridge and car overpass.
- Don't go up to the foot bridge, just walk to left of the steps and continue straight on, crossing the roads and going under the overpass. Don't turn left down Fleming either.

- When you emerge from the overpass, the building in front of you is the China Resources Building that houses the visa office. From here, just continue straight along Harbour Road for 2 minutes. The visa office building is on your left. The lobby has fully glass walls and is all very modern. There should also be a sign outside saying "visa office". This is actually the new Visa Office (as of 10th June 2013) which, if you are familiar with the old one, is just 2 minutes further up Harbour Road from the old location.

How the Visa Office works:

If you get to the visa office before the opening time (advisable) then you will stand outside and queue to get in. Usually one of the security guards will come outside fifteen or twenty minutes before and start handing out visa forms. When they open you have to go through security and have any small bags, phones etc scanned (like at the airport). You cannot bring any large bags, food or drink with you into the visa office.

When you think you have filled your visa application completely, one of two guys will check it over for obvious errors. If everything is okay, they will give you a number for a place in line. It's likely you will have time to kill at this point. This would allow you to make any photocopies you forgot about, go to the bathroom etc but just don't miss your number being called. Once your number is called you head over to the designated window and hand in all your documents, passport etc. The visa person will check your application and documents straight away. If there is a problem you can fix immediately (e.g. A photocopy), you can do it then go straight back to the same desk. If there is a major problem you will have to come back another time. If everything is okay, you are given a receipt which states how much you should pay as well what time you can collect your passport. You pay on collection. Payment should be in cash, HK dollers.

Bring this receipt when you go to collect your passport/visa and take it back to the guys that checked over your application and gave you a number. They check your receipt then give you a new number ticket for the Bank of China window where you pay the visa fee. The Bank of China window gives you a new receipt stating you've paid. You then have to wait for your number (the same one as used for the BOC window) to get called again. Take this to window number three once it is called and they will give you your passport back.


What is in the Visa Section

The Visa Section is a large, long room with application windows on the left hand side. In front of these are rows and rows of chairs where you can sit and wait for your number to be called. Numbers are announced by an automated system as well as being displayed on an electronic screen. As well as seats, there are standing desks available for people to fill out their visa forms. There is a small sectioned off area near the entrance with two staff members stood behind a barrier. They check your application form and give you a ticket. There are also toilets, a water cooler, photocopy facilities and a passport photograph booth.

Recommendations:

- Arrive at least 30 minutes before they open to avoid a lengthy wait. Consider arriving an hour early if you want to be one of the first ones in.
- Make photocopies in advance of all the documents you might need copies of and your passport before you go.
- Bring a pen and a back up (more if you intend on making friends) as none are provided in the Visa Application office. In the past, there were a very limited number available but now they don't provide any at all.
- Bring passport photographs.

Useful places around the Visa Office
- Public toilet
There is a public toilet in the small seating area on the left just before the overpass.

- Stationary Shop and Supermarket
Walk past the visa office until you see the China CITC Bank International on your left. Take the left just before this and there is a stationary shop (incase you forget to bring a pen) next door as well as a Vanguard supermarket.

Agencies
There are various agencies that offer visa services for China in Hong Kong. Some of the more well known ones are below. Since the visa changes that came on September 2013, more and more people are reporting that agencies cannot provide much better visas than at the consulate. It still might be worth a try though, depending on your circumstances. They still can offer advice about the documents you need etc too.

- Sunrise Int'l Travel Co. Ltd, 東明國際旅行社
Rm.4008, 40/F., China Resources Building, 26 Harbour Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong
TEL:(852) 2890 9698 FAX:(852) 2895 3892
http://www.chinavisa.com.hk

- Forever Bright
http://www.fbt-chinavisa.com.hk/

- CTS
http://www.ctshk.com/english/useful/chinesevisa.htm

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Your Visa Application Experience

I thought of some headings that people could use when they (hopefully) feedback about their visa experience. It just seemed like a good way to make sure people give a more complete picture and also so that others reading can find relevant information they need quickly/easily.

Date of application:
When did you apply? Information from after September 2013 would be the most helpful because of the changes that came into affect then.

Nationality:
Where are you from? Different costs and slightly different rules are possible for different nationalities.

Visa applied for:
What type of visa did you apply for and what were you given? If you were rejected, say why.

Consulate or Agency:
This could impact which documents are needed, speed, cost etc If agency, what did you think of them? Do they have a website etc?

Documents required:
Different ones are needed for different purposes. What did you have to hand in? Did you need something you didn't have with you or perhaps something no one else seemed to need? Did your invitation letter mention Hong Kong specifically? If so, Which province/city in China did you get it from?

Cost / Service:
How much was the visa? Did you pay for rush service or normal? Was rush service available to you?

Reason for application:
e.g. Business trip, employment, teaching, travel...

Previous Visa History:
Is this your first visa? If not, what did you have before and how many?

Problems:
Any problems at the visa office? Did they suprise you by needed 'x' document or turn you down for having 30 tourist L visas in your passport?

Suggestions/comments:
Anything that is not written in the above guide/summary that would be useful to others about the visa process in Hong Kong.

If you have updated information, more information or spot any errors please post!


Edit 25/7/13 Added question about invitation letters and if they specifically mention HK, as well as province/state where letter was granted.
Edit 27/7/2013 Visa Payment and some agency information
Edit 28/8/2013 Added Sunrise Visa Agency info
Edit Jan 2014 Added note about Sept 2013 changes and also changed the info on visa agencies

[ChTTay]

My Visa Application Experience

Date of application:

22 June 2013

Nationality:

British

Consolate or Agency:

Consulate

Visa applied for:

Z visa

Documents required:

Government Letter of Invitation, Working Permit, Passport, 1 x Passport photo, Medical Examination

My invitation letter mentioned applying in Hong Kong specifically. I got it in Beijing.

Cost / Service:

660 HKD Next Day Rush Service

Reason for application:

Teaching English. My recent residence permit was for the purpose of study and it was not possible for me to transfer from study to work or to get a Z visa from within China. My work originally thought it woukd be possible as they recently helped some employees transfer from work to study after their contracts had finished.

Previous Visa History:

Have had a Z visa and X visa before this. As well as a couple of L visas. All of them within the past 4 years.

Problems:

In the afternoon session there were no cups available at the water cooler!

Suggestions/tips/comments:

The whole process took around 1 hour 45 minutes including queuing for 35 minutes before it opened. I think as long as you have everything you need and arrive early you can be in and out quickly. Even more so if you found the visa forms online and filled them in at home. I lent my pen to a guy who looked close to tears.

[roddy]

Good stuff, I'll make this a sticky.

Edit: Perhaps something else worth covering is, if you have an invitation letter, did it specify 'apply in Hong Kong', and which province / city did you get it in. This has, i think, been an issue.

[ChTTay]

Done!

[skylee]

I have no input to this thread. But I walk past that queue outside the visa office during lunch time several days every week, and would like to wish all visa applicants good luck.

PS - that stationery shop is quite good. There is an escalator outside the stationery shop and if you go up there (the place is called Brim 28) you can find many nice eating places/ restaurants.

[abcdefg]

First hand reports like this are very valuable. So much of what finds on the internet is second or third hand. Thanks for writing it up and glad it worked out like you had hoped.

[valikor]

What payment options are available? Can I pay in cash? If so, should I use Hong Kong dollars? Or can I use USD/RMB/other?

Last week the Istanbul consulate said that they accepted USD (cash). This was before they told me I wouldn't be allowed to apply.

Whether or not the visa fees themselves are to be paid in HKD would probably make a big difference for people when deciding how much money to exchange upon arrival.

[abcdefg]

What payment options are available? Can I pay in cash? If so, should I use Hong Kong dollars? Or can I use USD/RMB/other?

Cash. HKD only.

http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/zgqz/blsjfy/

[valikor]

Passport: American

Visa history: around 10 previous visas (almost 4 years total), including F, L, and resident permits (with student status.)

Applied for: tourist visa

Date: July 29, 2013

No agency used; directly applied

Result: rejected (wouldn't even look at either of my application forms)

Reason: been in China for too long. I was told that I can only apply for a work visa, and (maybe?) that this could/should only be done in the US.

Documents needed: unknown, since they wouldn't look at my application materials.

Also:

A South-African passport holder I spoke with (has family in China) was applying for an F visa. He has been living in China. He said that they called his family (in China) to confirm the information on his application, and called the hotel which he is staying at in Hong Kong to confirm that he had provided correct information. They ended up not accepting his application today because he didn't have round-trip plane tickets booked, and (maybe) hotel bookings in China.

A German passport holder who I spoke with, who has lived in China for 1 year (with 2 work visas during this time) was granted only a 14 day, single-entry L visa. He wanted an L visa of longer duration, obviously. They didn't ask for any documents from him (tickets, hotels, etc.). He thought he was very unlucky until he spoke with me. He and I had the same possibly grumpy visa officer, and this may have contributed to our bad luck (she apparently got angry at him when he asked why he could only be given a 14-day visa, and asked him whether or not he realized that she could deny him right at that moment.)

Also: for the guy that did get a visa, no express processing was available. The quickest option was 4 days.

[Guest realmayo]

This is in HK?

Edit: sorry, realise it must be.

[valikor]

The first agency I spoke with said this can be resolved; I did inform them that I had already been denied. One year or half year F visas are available for 6800/4800 HKD, respectively.

I will probably do this, and in 4 business days will let you guys know the result.

[abcdefg]

This is an interesting (and scary) thread. Am following it with great interest. Appreciate the updates.

[roddy]

Valikor, if they didn't take your forms, you maybe don't have an official refusal on your record? Which is actually halfway decent of them, they could have taken the forms and your money then refused you.

around 10 previous visas (almost 4 years total), including F, L, and resident permits (with student status.)

Sounds familiar - part of my reasoning for leaving China a couple of years back was that some day my visa situation was going to be unsustainable, so I might as well stroll out rather than be pushed.

[skylee]

Oh you are in London now!

[Sarevok]

One-year and half-year F Visas do sound interesting, despite being so expensive (more than a double of the pre-July price), since it seemed those were not possible anymore. My current F Visa (from HK) expires in September and I'll be going home for a few weeks. I already took some steps towards getting a《外国人就业许可证》prior to my departure. If that won't go through and I thus won't be able to get a Z Visa at home, another HK trip might be in order... hope that it will still.be possible, be sure to report.

[valikor]

Update:

I got my visa.

Details:

At consulate-- around 7/29/2013

Applied for L visa, with 8-10 previous visas (including L and F and X) over 4 years

Denied due to "being in China too long"; told I could only apply for a work visa. It was suggested that I don't come back.

Through an agency (Sunrise Int'l Travel Co. Ltd, 東明國際旅行社; same building as the visa center, on the 40th floor） 7/30/2013

Guy there told me it would be "very easy" to get a visa;

Paid 4800 HKD for a 6 month F visa (60 days per entry)

No documents required (just a photo; they prepared a business card for me)

Visa issued; Took 3 days

Visa says it was issued in Macau

12 month ones were available for 6800 HKD.

[carlo]

Wow. These travel agents have found a great business model.

[xuefang]

Wow, 4800HDK for 6 months only! Seems like I should postpone my graduation as my tuition fee for 'thesis writing only' is 800RMB and student visa for one semester is 400RMB.

[mandarinocks]

Hey guys. Went to Hong Kong about 5 months ago to renew my visa. New absolutely nothing about it. Still don't. My girlfriend and her two friends were with me. I couldn't speak a lick of the language. Nowadays my mandarins getting pretty cool... Anyway I digress.

Ummm basically they lightheartedly coerced me into lying on the application saying everyone does this don't worry. The lady who worked there also helped me (lie).

So I made up a false business name and whatever.... Paid about 5000 hk$ and was out of there with a 6 month multiple entry visa.

Was shi--ing myself every time I went through customs....

Unbelievable. So who knows what will happen next time.

[mandarinocks]

Oh sorry. I got it the next day. The visa.