Getting a Family Member to Apply for a Visa

[rayne]

I need to go back to Canada to get a Z visa but due to my job, I may not have enough vacation days to spare.

(Note: I am living in Korea at the moment.)

 

Would it be possible to mail my passport to my family and have them apply for the visa? 

 

If so, what additional procedures do I have to do? For example, a written and signed letter of consent to let a family member get the visa in my place as I am unable to due to being in a different country? 

 

I've tried googling but I may not be using the correct keywords as I am not getting the results I was looking for. Any links would be much appreciated! 

 

 

Additional info:

 

- I have an old L-visa in an old passport that are in my parents' possession

- My parents have gone to China many times and have gotten L visas no problem

 

Thanks in advance ^^

[zhouhaochen]

In most consulates you do not have to be physically present to apply for a visa. So you could just mail your passport and have someone do it for you. I know of quite a few people who have done this with visa agencies (make sure you get a reliable one) and it worked without problems, as they routinely apply for visas without the person being present.

I am not sure how it works with a family member, there might be the need for what kind of letter or not (I would suspect the visa officer will decide on that on the spot based on however he feels like).

So, my advice would be to try an agency and they should be able to tell you how it works (this might work at the consulate in one city but not another one - how visas are issued is different in every consulate, even within the same country).

[889]

Note that the current visa application asks for your actual present location. The old forms didn't ask that question, so your non-local presence wasn't highlighted.

[rayne]

My parents applied for their L visas through their tourist agencies even though they were in Canada. They gave their passports to them and the agency did everything (so my parents did not step foot in the Chinese consulate). This happened in January of this year.

 

So I see there's a possibility... but my situation's a but different as I'm getting a Z-visa and I'm not in Canada. 

 

@889 can you link me to where it says that in the current visa application? 

[889]

Just download the visa application: available online at most Chinese embassy and visa agent sites.

[rayne]

I couldn't find the visa application form from the Vancouver consulate site (it directs me to a visa agent... so I think I cannot apply directly?! This is all so confusing) but I found this on another website:

 

http://www.visarite.com/images/china_visa/V.2013.pdf

 

It does not say I have to be there in person.

 

I don't really get what you're saying... you're telling me to go to a visa agent site to find the visa application but that would mean you don't need to go to the consulate in person if you do it through an agent. But before you say I must go to the place in person and apply for the visa in person.

[abcdefg]

You don't ordinarily need to go to the consulate in person. That's why one uses a visa agent and sends thing to them by registered mail.

 

Your family is not your agent and you shouldn't ask them to be. They are just providing you an address of convenience inside Canada, an address to which the completed visa can be returned. They will then ship it to you.

 

Here are application forms as well as a detailed explanation of the process. Also, frequently asked questions and list of what's needed, etc. Easy enough to call them if you need something further.

 

https://www.visaforchina.org/YVR_EN/

 

(Disclaimer: I am not Canadian and my main experience has been with tourist visas, not work visas.)

[rayne]

OK, thanks for all that, it makes more sense.

 

It was confusing to me because most of the time when I go on vacation I don't need a visa thanks to Canada's relations with other countries. I got a working visa for Korea and that was a long process that I had to do by myself and in person so I thought it would be similar with a working visa for China.

 

I was asking about if my parents could do it because I wanted to know if I can mail it to them and they do it.

 

Here in Korea, you have to use a tourist agency to get any type of visa for China and you cannot do it yourself, apparently. I guess it's the same in Canada? 

 

I'm looking online and I see a couple of people in Canada having to use visa agents because there are no Chinese consulates near them. 

 

I haven't found anything about people mailing their passports to Canada while they are overseas though. 

[889]

All I said was that the application requires you to state your current location, Korea in your case. See Question 1.25. That means it'll be clear you're not in Canada when your relative hands in the application. But I do not know if this will present a problem.

[rayne]

Ok, I get it. I misinterpreted that you meant I must go in person.