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The Hong Kong Visa Topic


ChTTay

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Hi - sorry if this has been covered, but I searched and couldn't find the answer. When applying for a Z visa for myself and S1 visas for my wife and two kids (all Canadian), do I have to get anything translated and notorized (eg. marriage cert or kids' birth cert)?

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Hi - sorry if this has been covered, but I searched and couldn't find the answer. When applying for a Z visa for myself and S1 visas for my wife and two kids (all Canadian), do I have to get anything translated and notorized (eg. marriage cert or kids' birth cert)?

I've seen lots of different answers to this. For the FEC, you only need copies and translations, not notarizations.

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Hello, I'm looking to get my visa renewed and hoping I can get some advice here.  My current work visa runs out on July 31st.  I'm looking to study in China later this year but have been told by the university that I will only be able to arrange my new visa towards the end of August.  I was, therefore, planning on going to Hong Kong (I want to go anyway for a holiday) and re-entering on a tourist visa until it was possible to arrange my new student visa.

 

My question is, how feasible a plan is this?  If I have to wait in Hong Kong to arrange my student visa I might have difficulty getting hold of the documents I need from the university.  I've been living in China continuously for 4 years (5 work visas).

 

I have a British passport.  If there is any other information I've left out, let me know.

 

Thanks in advance for any help! 

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Hello, I'm looking to get my visa renewed and hoping I can get some advice here.  My current work visa runs out on July 31st.  I'm looking to study in China later this year but have been told by the university that I will only be able to arrange my new visa towards the end of August.  I was, therefore, planning on going to Hong Kong (I want to go anyway for a holiday) and re-entering on a tourist visa until it was possible to arrange my new student visa.

 

I wouldn't recommend that, that's asking for trouble. I'd go to your local PSB and ask them for their recommendation, the earlier the better. As long as you're legit they're usually pretty helpful and can probably set you up with something. Remember to always be really friendly, polite, and thankful to government people. They work much better when they feel appreciated and hate you if you try to blame them for something.

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I'd check with the University if they can actually convert your L visa to the relevant X visa also. If they can't then this is immediately a "no go".

As for documents, the University could post them anywhere in the world so it wouldn't matter where you were as long as they accepted deliveries. However, if you were just getting an L visa you wouldn't actually need documents in HK.

It seems like you'd have to stay in HK for 2-3 weeks too. It's not a cheap place.

I'd ask your University first then head down and ask the PSB.

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Matty offers some good advice. It is always best to ask the PSB first to see what can be done. If you are on a Z, there is no extensions without the sponsoring employer offering an extension. If you are working on a different class of visa then you could extend it one time only at the PSB as long as you have more than 7 days remaining on your current stay. As said before, the sooner, the better when it comes to visa issues. Typically HK will issue a tourist visa as long as you have 2 or more prior visas in your passport. However, it is at their discretion to issue a visa or not.

 

For references for the law please look at this great source! I always turn here when I run into problems and want a solution...

 

http://lawandborder.com/faq-new-china-visa-law/

 

After you find a solution, do share! It is always nice to have first-hand accounts posted...

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Wow, thanks for the prompt help guys.  I'll go down to the PSB now and ask about it.  When you guys refer to PSB do you mean the place where I go to get my work visa?  Whats this place called in Chinese?

 

Thanks again, I'll let you know how it goes...

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Wow, thanks for the prompt help guys.  I'll go down to the PSB now and ask about it.  When you guys refer to PSB do you mean the place where I go to get my work visa?  Whats this place called in Chinese?

 

Yes, the place you got your visa. It's called something like the 公安局出入境管理局 gong an ju chu ru jing guan li ju. Or just 出入境管理局 chu ru jing guan li ju. Entry and Exit Bureau or something.

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So, I asked at the PSB and they said that with "special circumstances" they can give me a maximum 30 day extension, but even that would be from the date that I requested it, so if I wanted to stay until August 31st, I'd have to go to the visa office and request the extension on July 31st - the last day of my current visa.

 

Without "special circumstances" there's basically nothing they can do, including being unable to switch to a tourist visa.  It would appear that I'll have to leave the country and apply for a student visa overseas.

 

The university I'll be studying at tells me there is no way of arranging the visa any earlier than at the end of August.  I don't have any experience with student visas, but I find this a little unlikely - surely they can just give me the necessary documents (proof of acceptance?) and then I just get the visa with that?  But like I said, I have little experience and imagine there might be a whole host of other difficulties I don't know about.  Does anyone else have any experience?  I don't want to email them back and say "I don't think you're trying hard enough to arrange my visa!"

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What city are you in? Have you considered seeing if any other schools there have a holiday program that could perhaps get you another short term study visa to cover the holiday period?

 

Don't forget to tell us the city.

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I live in Shenyang and will be moving to Chengdu to study.  I hadn't really considered any other options at all as, until I read this thread this morning, I assumed I'd be able to get a visa in Hong Kong.

 

I imagine the worst case scenario at this point will be that I'll have to get the University to either directly, or through another contact, post me the necessary papers in Hong Kong and I apply for a student visa there.  I assume there wouldn't be any difficulty with this?

 

It's a shame, but would be less hassle than going all the way back to the UK just for the sake of a month's gap in my visa.

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I imagine the worst case scenario at this point will be that I'll have to get the University to either directly, or through another contact, post me the necessary papers in Hong Kong and I apply for a student visa there.  I assume there wouldn't be any difficulty with this?

 

I never like leaving China like that. Last time the rules changed the day before I arrived in Hong Kong and they told me I couldn't get any visa for China there, not even a student one due to me having spent too much time in China over the past year on a tourist visa. It's always best to settle it here.

 

I imagine the worst case scenario being that you stay in Hong Kong for 3 weeks, spend a ton of cash there and find you still can't get a visa. Them telling you you have to go back to your home country to apply.

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I see what you mean.

 

Do you know of any short-term courses in central or southern China which can give out visas without too much hassle?

 

How reasonable is it for the university to tell me they can't help me with my visa in advance?

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Like everything else in China involving non-citizens, it needs governmental permission. In this case, the hold up is not likely with the school itself but the school processing the JW201 or 202 (issued by the Ministry of Education). They are likely telling you the time they are able to post themselves. To apply for the visa you need the admission letter and the JW form. 

 

As for a short-term student visa, I would try to find a certified Chinese school. Who doesn't need to improve their Chinese? It has been my experience, many places will push you to enter on a L visa instead though. Best of luck!

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