Applied for 30 day tourist visa, received 60 day tourist visa

[LinZhenPu]

Hi all,

 

I received my passport in the mail from the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Sydney the other day.

 

I had applied for a single-entry 30 day tourist visa, but the visa I have been granted is a single-entry 60 day tourist visa.

 

I am not aware of any recent agreement that Australian passport holders are now eligible for a 60 day tourist visa for China.

 

I am very glad, but should I be worried? Could this have been due to an administrative error? Were the embassy staff just in a good mood that day and decided to give me a bonus? Could there be any other reason why I would be granted a 60 day tourist visa despite the fact that my intended length of stay on both the visa application form and my invitation letter was only 30 days?

 

Thanks!

[stapler]

Don't worry. I think back in 2012 I applied for a 30 day visa and they gave me a 60 day. I'm thinking that if your stay is exactly 30 days they just bump it up to 60 to give you leeway.

 

Australians can get up to 90 days IIRC.

[LinZhenPu]

Oh well, next time I'll apply for 90 days.

My stay isn't exactly 30 days, more like 27 or 28.

[vellocet]

If it's in your passport, it's legal.  I don't know why you'd be worried.  It's not like they're going to stop you on entry.  I once applied for a 180 day F visa (back in the good old days when they handed them out like candy) and received a 90 day visa instead.  I pointed out the error, and they said it was no error.  I said, 为什么？ to which they replied 没有为什么。  I learned something that day.  They'll do whatever they want, and 没有为什么 is a valid response to questions.