PSB refusal to convert X/Z visas to residence permits.

[onebir]

I've heard of two recent cases of this, one of which resulted in someone having to leave China at very short notice, and considerable expense. I wonder if anyone knows of others?

 

Both cases I know of concerned Israeli passport holders; apart from that I'm a little sketchy on details; I'll post here if I get more.

[LinZhenPu]

That sounds very interesting. It begs the question, if the PSB refused them residence permits, then why weren't they refused visas in the first place?

[onebir]

My guess: the local PSB is clueless about what's going on in the Middle East while the Chinese Embassy in Israel isn't.

 

I don't think either got any official clarity on the reasons for the refusal, but I'll try to get some of their guesses.

[onebir]

Actually I guess this could be a problem for anyone from the Middle East, or a Muslim country, or even with devout Muslim appearance interested in studying on a residence permit, or working, in China: Embasssy grants visa, local PSB refuse to extend.

 

Kind of ironic the two people involved were from Israel - which tends on the whole to be victim rather than perpetrator of terrorism. (Unless you define it as a "state terrorist", but even so I don't think that's what local PSBs are thinking of. Especially as in some places they probably fit that bill themselves...)

[LinZhenPu]

Man that really sucks. Some other countries that they're not a part of have a bunch of terrorists and they get the shitty end of the stick. Shouldn't the embassy in Israel be doing something to try to rectify this?

[onebir]

I guess it sucks a bit more than the majority innocent people from countries with terrorism/other issues running into similar guilt by association problems - since it's guilt by mistaken association It does kind of make a mockery of long-term visas issued by the Chinese Embassy in Israel. But I suspect no-one wants to be branded a trouble maker.

 

Maybe they read Chinese Forums

[roddy]

Do we know where these cases were?

 

Definitely unusual for the PSB to second-guess the Foreign Ministry and refuse to issue a residence permit.

[onebir]

What I've discovered:

1) Shanghai area (Jiangsu, Zhejiang?). Senior manager with 10 years in China.

 

Eventually resolved.

 

2) Shandong, student at kungfu school that claimed it was a campus of a local un, and could therefore offer X visas. Turned out school-uni relationship was via guanxi. So problem may not have been PSB per se. School admin may have told inconsistent story to the local PSB due to fears re middle east (+ ignorance about Israel's position there). Uni-PSB relationship may also have been at odds. (PSB began doing frequent spot checks of foreign student passports at uni last year, 'due to' one student losing his passport, which wouldn't appear to justify that.)

 

No real explanation was given.

 

Plans to return on 90 day tourist visa in second passport.

[roddy]

Sounds like a couple of isolated incidents, to be honest, rather than a trend...

[onebir]

You can tell the difference between a couple of isolated incidents and the start of a trend?