Tourist visa: Have you ever contributed to charitable organisations? UK

[ftghh67]

I'm filling out my tourist visa and I've up to the question:

Have you belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional, social or charitable organisations?

 

I think I will already have to answer yes to this as I am a member of a professional financial organisation as part of my job. However I was wondering whether this question also includes volunteering at a charity shop? Say with Red Cross or Oxfam? Would someone have to write this down? Do they care about this? I prefer to be upfront about these things but I don't know if it will cause any issues with the visa as apparently China isn't keen on some non government organisations?

 

Thanks!

[889]

Curiously, that question doesn't appear on the visa forms currently used in other places, like Washington D.C. and Hong Kong:

 

http://www.china-embassy.org/chn/lszj/bgxz/

 

https://bio.visaforchina.org/HKG2_EN/generalinformation/downloads/263679.shtml

[mungouk]

If you fill in the online form that generates a PDF for you to print out and sign, then you will only be prompted for the relevant information.

 

 

[889]

But the online form used in the UK seems to be one of those nasty online forms where you can't preview what the form asks: you have to fill in one page before you can go to the next. Are there other inquisitions on the UK form not asked in HK, DC, etc?

 

EDIT: Odd. The question posted by the OP is word-for-word the question asked on Form DS-160, the application for a non-immigrant U.S. visa. Odd because I wouldn't expect China to use a Chinese-copy of an American visa form.

 

https://www.collegepond.com/3893-2/

[ftghh67]

Well all I can say is it's definitely on there. In November 2018 the whole process changed in the UK, we had to start giving our finger prints too. Can anyone tell me what I should be putting?

[TheBigZaboon]

Tourist visa for China, right???

 

You don't say that explicitly, except near the end, and so doubts have been raised...

 

TBZ

[abcdefg]

3 hours ago, ftghh67 said:

Can anyone tell me what I should be putting?

 

I can tell you. I think you are imagining a problem where none really exists. 

 

Quote

Have you belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional, social or charitable organisations?

 

Answer "no" and move on to other projects. If you want to get a visa in a timely manner, just tell them what they want to hear.  

 

They are trying to root out subversive elements. Do you want to cause yourself lots of grief and aggravation by voluntarily feeding your application into the jaws of that machine? 

[889]

This website purports to have screenshots of the online Chinese visa application currently used by the Visa Centre in London (scroll about 2/3 down) and there's no question there like the OP is asking about. It's V.2013 just like the application form used elsewhere.

 

https://russiable.co.uk/getting-chinese-visa-united-kingdom/

 

If there is such a question now, please post a screenshot, excluding personal information.

[ftghh67]

Go on http://www.visaforchina.org.uk/ scroll half way down and click on "tourism visa" and it gives you the full UK form. I am not applying through this website I am applying through the Chinese visa application center in the UK but the questions asked are exactly the same. The v.2013 is old and not used anymore. The whole process changed in Nov 2018, now everyone in the UK is required to fill out this new form and submit their finger prints, only then can you get the visa. 

 

I think it's a very vague question. But I don't see how if I'm putting I'm an accountant that I can get away with saying I'm not in an accounting institute? 

[mungouk]

42 minutes ago, ftghh67 said:

http://www.visaforchina.org.uk/ 

 

Not sure about that website... the official one is https://www.visaforchina.org/ with no UK on the end.

 

Find the Union Flag and choose whether you want to apply to the London, Manchester, Belfast or Edinburgh centre.

As stated earlier, there is an online process which prompts you to enter only relevant details in a web form rather than downloading an empty PDF to print off.  When you're done, it generates the filled-in form as a PDF for you to download, print and sign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ftghh67]

Yes I know Munguk, I am doing the application now, that's how I came across the question...

[TheBigZaboon]

As others have suggested, is this an alternative organization or group? Is it affiliated with the Chinese government, or rather, allowed to handle visa applications on the government's behalf.

 

As I live in a third country, I always use a visa service specializing in visas for China. It saves me endless headaches, even though the price they charge is more than the airfare to Taiwan. In addition, in my case, I provide the information, but they fill in the forms and truck all the stuff to the embassy on my behalf. The connection with the embassy is obvious, as they have their office right beside the police-guarded embassy back door for diplomats and employees. Using these guys has solved a lot of the problems I used to have with visa applications, but I think their connection with the embassy is favored over others, but still unofficial, at best.

 

But this is my experience, and it probably has limited application to the situation others face.

 

TBZ

[mungouk]

32 minutes ago, ftghh67 said:

I am doing the application now, that's how I came across the question...

 

I'm not sure why you mentioned that other website.  

 

Are you actually filling in the online application, web page by web page, rather than downloading the PDF of a blank form?

 

This is now mandatory in some countries, including the UK I think.  (Last time I did it was in Singapore last year, but it was the same.)

 

 

[ChTTay]

1 hour ago, ftghh67 said:

Yes I know Munguk, I am doing the application now, that's how I came across the question...

But the website you told us to look at isn’t the official one. It’s an agency. 

 

It’s vague and you’re not sure. As above, I’d likely say no and get on with it. 

[ftghh67]

Sorry I showed that application form as people were doubting what I was saying was true. I am applying through the official Chinese visa website and I didn't want to screenshot my actual application.