Questions after getting the CSC Scholarship

I was recently informed that I have received the CSC scholarship to study Chinese at BLCU in China via email. As a result, I have a bunch of questions, and I hope somebody has answers!

lodgings

As I understand it, my lodgings will be paid for. However, I don't know where I will be staying etc. Will I need to secure a room before I leave? How have other scholarship recipients dealt with this? Are there specific dorms that CSC scholarship recipients are assigned to? I heard of some kind of scholarship dorm or something, and I'm not sure if this is a rumour or if there is truth to this?

plane ticket

I tried to book a plane ticket to China today, but came up against some unexpected problems. I first tried to book a one year open-ended ticket. Unfortunately, they don't do those any more. I then asked if I could just have a return ticket with a return date of late July/early August 2009, but their computers wouldn't let them book so far in advance (they could only book through June), so I next tried to book a one-way ticket instead. However, I was told that I couldn't book a one way ticket and needed to show that I had a return plane ticket, and that I would have to have a visa first. @__@ Well. My visa application is being mailed to me along with my scholarship letter thing, so I guess I have to wait. How are you guys booking this?

visa

Speaking of the visa, I am being mailed a JW201 form, which I think means that I will be getting an X visa. I am going to ask for a multiple entry X visa, but I was told that I had to go to the Chinese Consulate/Embassy in person to do so, and that it would take a week for the visa to get processed. Is this true? If so, I'm going to have to schedule vacation days from work to get this processed as the closest consulate to me is in San Francisco, and I'm trying to take as little time off as I can before I have to go. I tried asking my contact at the Chinese Embassy in Singapore (as I am a Singaporean citizen, I got my scholarship through this embassy), but he had no answer for me, and it seems like the more I ask, the more confused I get. x.x I'm used to getting visas processed by mail, and I'm more than happy to mail my passport down there to get the visa, so I'm more than a little concerned at the requirement for the application to be in person.

lodgings

As I understand it, my lodgings will be paid for. However, I don't know where I will be staying etc. Will I need to secure a room before I leave? How have other scholarship recipients dealt with this? Are there specific dorms that CSC scholarship recipients are assigned to? I heard of some kind of scholarship dorm or something, and I'm not sure if this is a rumour or if there is truth to this?

you dont really do anything in advance. just get there and upgrade whenever you want within the first week. when you first arrive, theyll have you in 第三, the cheapest of the international housing, which is what csc covers. i stayed in that room for one night before upgrading the next day. the process is a little crazy with waitlists and all, but there are definitely other threads on exactly that issue.

plane ticket

I tried to book a plane ticket to China today, but came up against some unexpected problems. I first tried to book a one year open-ended ticket. Unfortunately, they don't do those any more. I then asked if I could just have a return ticket with a return date of late July/early August 2009, but their computers wouldn't let them book so far in advance (they could only book through June), so I next tried to book a one-way ticket instead. However, I was told that I couldn't book a one way ticket and needed to show that I had a return plane ticket, and that I would have to have a visa first. @__@ Well. My visa application is being mailed to me along with my scholarship letter thing, so I guess I have to wait. How are you guys booking this?

i booked a one-way ticket, but that was because i already had a visa.

visa

Speaking of the visa, I am being mailed a JW201 form, which I think means that I will be getting an X visa. I am going to ask for a multiple entry X visa, but I was told that I had to go to the Chinese Consulate/Embassy in person to do so, and that it would take a week for the visa to get processed. Is this true? If so, I'm going to have to schedule vacation days from work to get this processed as the closest consulate to me is in San Francisco, and I'm trying to take as little time off as I can before I have to go. I tried asking my contact at the Chinese Embassy in Singapore (as I am a Singaporean citizen, I got my scholarship through this embassy), but he had no answer for me, and it seems like the more I ask, the more confused I get. x.x I'm used to getting visas processed by mail, and I'm more than happy to mail my passport down there to get the visa, so I'm more than a little concerned at the requirement for the application to be in person.

from what i understand, you need to apply for it in person and i would never feel comfortable sending my passport by mail. and any chinese visa takes about a week to process... but this is something you need to call the chinese embassy about. it only takes a simple phonecall to get official answers.

and you get the x-visa, but it will be only a single entry because youll get a residence permit after that - and that will let you go in and out of the country. the school handles the residence permit for you after registration. they take your passport and will return it in a few weeks with it all taken care of.

Yueni,

I am going to ask for a multiple entry X visa, but I was told that I had to go to the Chinese Consulate/Embassy in person to do so, and that it would take a week for the visa to get processed.

Are you asking for a multiple entry X because you're thinking of entering and exiting China several times BEFORE securing your 1 year residence permit? If you just want the ability to go in and out during the course of the school year your 1 year residence permit will cover that.

As for getting the residence permit...extrapages, how quickly did your university do this for you? I only have experience converting a 30-day Z visa into a residence permit but when I did that it took some time (3 weeks) and was glad I didn't enter the country too early (thereby having the clock start ticking on my visa) since you have to have the residence permit within 30 days of entry.

Nice thread by the way

yeah. it took the school a couple weeks.

i heard you can do it yourself and get it back sooner, but i know nothing about that.

Ah, I see.

Then people might want to be careful about when they enter China.

Especially if school starts fairly late this semester, like BNU (http://www.bnulxsh.com/news/urgentnotice.htm)

Not trying to fan the flames of paranoia or anything...

Ah ok, I was told to get a multiple entry visa, but if it's just going to be for 30 days while the school processes my residency permit, then I won't worry about it. I do know that I won't be leaving China during that period anyway. Okay, it all makes sense now. =/ I'm just going to have to wait until I receive all the paperwork in the mail so that I can start the process, since I can't apply for the visa without having the scholarship acceptance & school letters anyway. >__< And I guess this means that I'm going to have to wait on buying air tickets to China too.

Where are you flying from? I was able to book a one way ticket from Boston to Beijing on Air Canada today through Orbitz, no questions asked.

Re: Airline tickets and visas, see this and this. Basically China won't care, but the airline might - so it's the airline you should be checking with.

Applying for visas in person: Applications have to be submitted in person - but the person doesn't have to be you. There are visa agencies - random example - that will do this for you, at a price. It's worth getting in touch before you send off your passport as they may be aware of any very recent changes.

Thanks doki doki & roddy. I was going through a travel agent because I had intended on getting a one year open return ticket, and the online ticket sites did not offer those. And that was when I was also told about the visa requirement, so I didn't think to go back to the online ticketing websites.

As to the visa question--it does take one week to process a visa, and it must be in person. Alternatively, I could also have one of my relatives turn it in for me. There is a way to speed up the visa process and that is by paying an additional $20 for a 2 day turn around and $30 for a same day turn around (if the application is turned in before noon that day), so I will probably do that.

I just received my admission letter in the mail today, and I was assigned to dorm 2 (or at least told to report there), so I shall do that and figure out upgrading and so on when I'm in China.

I do have another question, and I'm not sure if anybody knows the answer, but do you know the difference between a 汉语进修生, 普通进修生 and 高级进修生? I had assumed that I would be categorised as a 汉语进修生, since I am going to China to study Chinese, after all. However, the admission letter & visa form categorises me as a 普通进修生. I'm just curious and want to find out what they use in making those distinctions! =) Thanks everybody for your help!

I have some questions regarding health insurance coverage through your school and or the CSC. Is the coverage comprehensive? What did people to for health insurance if coming from the states? Did you purchase supplemental coverage?

I have some medical issues that should be cleared up before I go, but I need to find out whether I'll have affordable access to decent care there. Any and all experiences people have had with the school's healthcare would be really helpful. I know the scholarship covered healthcare, but wasn't sure how much or if it is any good.

Hi! Do you know what kind of medical test ECC stands for?

mateos,

Was/is it part of the foreigner's physical exam? If so are you sure it's not ECG (electrocardiogram)? When I got my health exam done at the provincial quarrantine authority that was one of the tests they ran.

Yes, It's a part of foreigner's physical exam - 心电图- ECC

I found it on the web - " Endocervical curretage (ECC). Often performed during a colposcopy, ECC involves scraping cells from the inner portion of the cervix. Even when the outside of the cervix appears normal through a colposcope, the inner cervix, which can't be viewed, could pose a problem. Adenocarcinoma, for example, is a form of cancer that grows in the upper portion of the cervix and is difficult to detect without an ECC. It is common in young women and spreads quickly. "

Is it possible that they made a mistake and they put ECC in place of ECG?

This might be a silly question, but does anyone know if we have to do an additional physical exam? We all did one for our applications but is there another one when actually applying for the visa? So frustrating, especially since I heard we will go through it all over again once we get there.

Hi mateos,

I think it's a typo on the form. 心电图 stands for ECG.

心电图 [ xīn diàn tú]

electrocardiogram (ECG, EKG)

cardiograph

cardiogram

Reference; http://dict.cn/%D0%C4%B5%E7%CD%BC

ps. Reading the description of the ECC test, I know I've never ever been subjected to it in my life so I'm almost certian you're talking about a ECG here.

Mengaimei,

I don't know if you have to get another medical exam done when you apply for your residence permit. It's my understanding that the regulations vary from province to province. In my last province, I was taken to the local quarrantine hospital to get a new physical exam because the PSB or whoever issues residence permits would only accept certificates from that particular hospital. Still, the situation in Beijing is probably different.

Thanks a lot amphivera.

I have some questions regarding health insurance coverage through your school and or the CSC. Is the coverage comprehensive? What did people to for health insurance if coming from the states? Did you purchase supplemental coverage?

I have some medical issues that should be cleared up before I go, but I need to find out whether I'll have affordable access to decent care there. Any and all experiences people have had with the school's healthcare would be really helpful. I know the scholarship covered healthcare, but wasn't sure how much or if it is any good.

i know of people who got additional coverage on their own because the insurance is really basic. at bnu, you get to visit the primitive clinic on campus (colds, cuts, infections, viruses, etc.). for more serious stuff, you get sent to a bigger hospital and reimbursed.

youll need to get whatever serious medical issues taken care of before you leave for china.

I just received my admission letter in the mail today, and I was assigned to dorm 2 (or at least told to report there), so I shall do that and figure out upgrading and so on when I'm in China.

I am also going to BCLU on a scholarship, but I didn't get anything more than an acceptance letter, informing me that I got the scholarship, and that I should arrive in China at the end of August.

Seeing as I've apparently missed out on some information, were you told anything else? I assume we need to register with the international students office.... Do we just show up there whenever we arrive?

I am in the exact same boat as you Ariane. I got a letter and a visa application form and nothing else. I am planning on going to the embassy tomorrow but am still uncertain what I should actually take with me in order to make the process as quick as possible. Does anybody out there know if I NEED to take anything else OTHER THAN the two pieces of paper (the pre-filled application & invitation letter) and my passport? I want to be prepared as I am traveling 4 hours to do this in person.

Thanks!

Hey guys,

I got a CSC scholarship to study 9 months in Xi'an and I am filling up my physical form. My doctor says that he would not advise my to get a chest X ray since he does not think I need one. Is that absolutely necessary?

thanks!

Dan