Need help with Chinese visa

[zacyz]

Hello friends, my situation is a bit different. I am a naturalized US citizen and currently serve in the US military. I am trying to get a Chinese visa so I can go visit my family in China. But according to the policy, I would need to send in my previous Chinese passport with my application. My problem is that my previous Chinese passport was shredded by the army due to some miscommunication. Now I don't have required documents to apply for a Chinese visa. Any help or advices will be very much appreciated!

[simpleasy]

I would ask for the army to write out an official letter to explain why you no longer have your previous passport, and attach it to your visa application.

A better idea might be to call the visa center to explain your situation. I assume they will tell you exactly what to do.

[Lu]

Or contact your local Chinese embassy/consulate to explain the situation. You won't be the first who doesn't have their old passport anymore, and they'll know what kind of documentation you'll need to solve this. Good luck!

[Nathan Mao]

Make sure you contact your unit's Security Officer before contacting a Chinese embassy/consulate.

[zacyz]

Nathan, do you think the security office can issue an official memorandom to explain my situation? And do you think being in the military would affect the chance of me getting a Chinese visa?

[Nathan Mao]

I've never had any problems getting a visa; you shouldn't, either.

I also have never been able to notice that I've been watched/followed, but in your situation it seems more than likely.

But I don't see how a letter from the security office of a US military unit could help you with China.

China must have some way of dealing with people with lost/stolen passports, tho. Their main goal is to make sure you are you, and not entering under someone else's identity. It is safe to assume they keep a database of all entries and exits, and 99% of the time no one ever looks at it. But with you having been a Chinese citizen, I've heard that China does not recognize the concept of revoking citizenship, so they will still consider you a Chinese citizen, subject to their laws. Make sure you remain in contact with the closest US Embassy or Consulate.

[zacyz]

Nathan, thank you for your reply. To my understanding, the reason Chinese embassy is collecting Chinese passport is because the government needs to cut the edge of the passport so people cannot use them anymore, it is a way to enforce the policy on dual citizenship (which I believe is not being recognized by the Chinese government). And also they needs previous Chinese citizens' information so they can unregister us from the national database.

But like what you said, I doubt a letter from the military would help with anything.

[Nathan Mao]

That makes sense.

[Nathan Mao]

Army, right?

What's your MOS?

[Lu]

I've heard that China does not recognize the concept of revoking citizenship, so they will still consider you a Chinese citizen, subject to their laws.

It's the other way around, actually: China doesn't allow dual citizenship, so if you get another citizenship you have to revoke your Chinese citizenship.

However, you're right that to the Chinese government, if you're ethnically Chinese you never stop being Chinese, passport or no. In official speeches, overseas Chinese are consistently mentioned in the same breath as Hongkongnese and Taiwanese, and you often see harsh sentences for white-collar crimes committed by ethnic Chinese, where non-Chinese with the same passport are sent off much more lightly. Can't think of any names at the moment, but there were several cases a few years ago.

[Nathan Mao]

That's what I meant: not that they accept dual citizenship, but that even if you revoke your citizenship for another, they still treat you just as you described.

But for the most part and for most people, it is transparent...it isn't like they harass you just because you are originally Chinese. It's only if you break a law that the trouble begins.

[roddy]

This has come up a few times over the years - these topics are old, but may provide some ideas. 

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/22757-lost-chinese-passport-now-need-a-tourist-visa-in-us-passport/

http://www.chinese-forums.com/index.php?/topic/31842-visa-issue-for-us-naturalized-citizen-help/