The Hong Kong Visa Topic

[mandarinocks]

How long did you get mate? Like 3 months.... Have to leave every thirty days things like that...

[jdmkoch]

Z visa is a work visa. Mine will be valid as long as I have a legal job and a valid permit. Typically the permit is good for one year and to renew just got to make sure you are not dying (med check) and you still have a job (current stamped contract) and go to the local PSB for the renewal If you are running back and forth so often why not just teach English to avoid constant running in and out of the country and make a few bones while you are at it?

[ChTTay]

Firstly, thanks for the great feedback! I am sure that will be vital information for a lot of people...

Secondly,

If you stay on the walkway on top you can go straight into the China Resource building without leaving the overhead walk way. When you need to turn right, left, right and then you will see a sign for the building directing you to turn right. You will be one floor above ground (2nd floor for my fellow Americans)

Any chance you could clear these instructions up a bit? "When you need to turn right..." - when is that?

All I can really remember is walking straight down the walk way to the end. At that point I can either go into an office building, walk left down some steps or walk right down some steps. I would turn right, go down the steps, then walk straight 5 minutes to the visa office building.

How do I keep going above street level?

[skylee]

I think jdmkoch was talking about another footbridege (the one linking China Resources Bldg over Gloucester Road), not the one linking the Wanchai Subway Station and the Immigration Tower. There are several footbridges over Gloucester Road.

PS - But in fact you can go from the MTR Station to China Resources Bldg without going down to the street level. Leave the Station at Exit A5, walk along the footbridge up to the end and then get into the office bldg which is Immigration Tower. Keep to the right and keep walking. A shorter footbridge will take you to Central Plaza. Keep to the right and there is an exit on the right connecting the footbridge that links with China Resources Building.

It is actually easier to go down to the street level, unless the weather is bad.

[jdmkoch]

Skylee got it about right. I exited through the A5 exit of the WanChai station. For the first two turns follow the signs for the ferry (or the morning rush of people to the ferry) which is through the two buildings (the first branch take the right fork, second branch take the left fork) and when you reach the third branch take the right fork and 100 or 200 meters later you will see a sign for the China resource building with an right arrow at a three way intersection. Across the third way footbridge into the building is a restaurant called "fritters" (can someone confirm or correct the name of the business for me) if my memory serves me correct. One last detail that would of help me find the office more quickly, once on the ground floor, looking into the building, the line for the visas is out the left RIGHT doors with the big line of people!

I found it easier to take the footbridge since it avoid traffic and finding a place to cross. I tried going street level per directions but was not sure where to drop to street level and stumbled into the building by luck. Though my few trips to the building help me learn the route quickly Any help, feel free to ask!

Edit: Left, I meant my other left sorry.....

[skylee]

That restaurant is called Frites. The route described in #45 is quite long, going through Immigration Tower, Central Plaza, the Convention and Exhibition Centre complex, and Great Eagle Centre-cum-Harbour Centre before reaching China Resources Building. I used to take this route (and it is a pleasant / easy walk) before I realised that the route on the street level is much more direct.

[mandarinocks]

Cool cheers mate. All of the schools I've seen that want english teachers their minimum requirements are

Degree

1 year teaching experience

TESOL certificate.

[Kiwi63]

My Visa Application Experience

Date of application:

2 November 2013

Nationality:

New Zealand

Consolate or Agency:

Sunrise Agency

Visa applied for:

6 month business visa.....but computer said no. The golden days are over.

Documents required:

Passport. They can take a photo there.

Cost / Service:

850 HKD Next Day Rush Service for a 30 day dual entry

Reason for application:

Touring China and doing "voluntary" work.

Previous Visa History:

Two three month L visa's and two extensions plus one 6 month F visa from Forever Bright. This was my last visa.

Problems:

The Chinese government have changed the rules. No more 3 or 6 month visa's unless you have a Hong Kong ID card. You can get one, but there is a 14 day turnaround. As a New Zealander I can get a 1 year business visa from Forever Bright but you have to jump through a bunch of hoops eg. Stay in Hong Kong for 14 days to get the visa, have 20 days left on your Chinese visa. The reason for the changes is the Chinese government is clamping down on illegal workers.

In the end I got a 30 day dual entry for 850 $HK.

Suggestions/tips/comments:

[biterdi]

So... I have a F type visa with a 30 days period. I am currently in Shanghai, I arrived the 7 on November. I want to stay 6 months but I can only renewal once and it will be for another 30 days. Is there anything I can do? Does the Hong Kong thing work for me?

[ChTTay]

Depends on your circumstanes and, i would say, luck.

It doesn't seem like long F type visas are being given that often now (based on these posts) buy per kiwi63's post it looks like it cam be possible through agencies.

If you want to stay for that long, can't you get an X or Z visa?

[Kiwi63]

I would email Forever Bright and Sunrise agencies stating your nationality and what visa you want. They will quickly let you know what you can get and the price. Good luck.

[Ludens]

My second F visa is expiring in two weeks, and I'm planning to go to Hong Kong to get an L visa, so that my school can get me a new 1 year X visa. I'm not exactly clear what documents are needed for me (Dutch citizen, been in Beijing for 1 year, been to China 3 times before that in the last few years) to get an L visa in Hong Kong. Most people here seem to only provide their passport and pictures, but the official website seems to say I also need:

- Proof of legal stay or residence status
- Documents showing the itinerary including air ticket booking record (round trip) and proof of a hotel reservation, etc. or an invitation letter issued by a relevant entity or individual in China. The invitation letter should contain:
(1) Information on the applicant (full name, gender, date of birth, etc.)
(2) Information on the planned visit (arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, etc.)
(3) Information on the inviting entity or individual (name, contact telephone number, address, official stamp, signature of the legal representative or the inviting individual)

I'm living and studying in Beijing, and can certainly not provide all these documents. Can anybody shed some light on what documents are really needed for an L visa?

[ChTTay]

When I was in HK, just before I started this thread, i was with a few people getting L visas and they had no problems. They just needed passport, photos and the application. However, they were genuine tourists going for a week or two.

Can't your school provide assistance on this?

Why don't they just send you to HK to apply for the X visa, rather than get an L then convert it?

[Kiwi63]

Hi Ludens,

You can get a L visa in Hong Kong. I recently got a 2 week L visa and only provided passport and picture. The longer L or F visa's are harder to get as the Chinese government has changed the rules. Talk or email the agencies as to what you need. It's very variable depending on individual circumstances.

[Ludens]

Thanks for the fast responses!

 

ChTTay: That's a good question, to which I don't know the answer. My university says it's easiest to first get a tourist visa and then change it to a student visa.

 

Kiwi63: That's good to hear. Did you apply through an agency? How much did you pay? I'm planning on applying directly to the consulate.

[Kiwi63]

I applied at Sunrise Agency, Hong Kong. I paid 850 $HK for a 2 week single entry. That was all I could get as they said I had spent too long in China. The consulate is ok but they often ask awkward questions especially if you have A LOT of China visa's in your passport.

[kpbanana]

Hi guys,

 

Another personal experience to add to the list.  I thought the entries I read were extremely helpful so I wanted to share my own.

 

 

Date of application:
post-October holiday, 2013

Nationality:
USA

Visa applied for: 
Double entry, L visa.  Previously on Humanitarian visa (aka Conversion from X visa to L visa, 30 days maximum stay - CANNOT be extended)

Consulate or Agency:
First tried the agency upstairs.  Was told they could get me a 14 day L visa for 1600 HKD.  Told them to shove it.  Applied on my own downstairs.

 

Documents required:

Application

Photos

Photocopies (passport and previous visa)

Itinerary (Flights in/out)

Invitation Letter (plus copies of Inviter's passport and current visa)

 

Cost / Service:

1400 HKD for 2nd day service

Reason for application:
Ostensibly for travel/tourism

 

Previous Visa History:

>15 visas over 7+ years, assortment of Z, L, X.  Carrying 2 passports - completely full old passport and brand new one that I got in China that week.  New passport only had a China exit stamp in it, nothing else.

Problems:
Initially turned away for lacking invitation letter.  Make sure you have one!  Even a handwritten one will do, as long as they provide their passport number and address and an itinerary that matches the application.  After presenting invitation letter, was told that they could only give me a single entry 30 day visa.  Told in no uncertain terms if I wanted to stay in China, get another student visa or get a job.  Fair enough.

 

Suggestions/comments:

I had multiple issues going on, with new (blank) passport, old passport full of visas, unextendable humanitarian visa, etc etc.  I think the key to even getting the single entry, 30 days was my itinerary included plan to visit girlfriend then "go home to America".  Consulate people were firm but fair.  Hard to call yourself a tourist after 7+ years!

Note: go to the office on a Friday if you can - completely empty.  I went back on Monday morning to pick up my passport and there were about 500 people jammed into that room.  The line to get photos taken alone took an hour (I knew a guy in line).

 

 

Leaving the country next week.  Hope this is helpful!

 

[snakepitter]

Hi guys,

 

thanks a lot for all those helpful comments so far. Since the Chinese government changed their Visa policy this year, I'm a bit nervous about my trip in Februar 2014. It's both amazing and confusing how many different information you can find on the internet these days. Phew.

 

So that's my issue: I'm from Germany and I wanted to travel from HK to Bejing with my girlfriend for a month. Since there's no time to apply for a visa in Germany (we'll be coming from Vietnam) we hope to get one through the mentioned agency (Sunrise Int’l Travel). I've already wrote them an e-mail, but I'm not quite sure about getting an answer at all. Anyone from Germany/Europe who applied for a visa during the last months/weeks?

 

Thanks a lot!

Chris

[Matty]

snakepitter, I'm not sure about after the September changes, but I think it mostly depends on how long you've spent in China before.

 

If you've been in China on a tourist visa (maybe F-visa too) this year you may have trouble, if you've not been to China this year I don't imagine you'd have any great troubles.

 

Then again I can't be sure and this is just sharing my semi-outdated knowledge.

[ChTTay]

I was there 3 months ago ish but after all the changes... I was with people who had never been to China before and who wanted to travel their between 2-4 weeks. They all went to the embassy and didn't encounter any problems. It's not a guarantee you won't but as the above says, it probably depends more on your own visa history. China want tourists, just not people who get 10 tourists visas and who could potentially be doing other stuff than being a tourist while in China.