Going through Lowu yesterday utilizing my very precious 1x entry visa for some emergency factory visit. Here the procedure at the China immigration counter:
ME: Handing out passport to officer
OFFICER: Going through passport - finding the 1x entry visa and making some mark on it - looking at my passport photo - looking at me to make sure me is me.........
OFFICER: Do you have Hong Kong ID ?
ME: Yes - do you want to see it ?
OFFICER: No.
Going through passport again...back to visa page + chopping the entry chop. Turning around to the back of his counter and winking to another officer standing behind the counter.
Please go with him.
2nd OFFICER: Ask me to stand in front of some kind of foldable table (like a camping table) and asked for my passport again.
ME: Giving him my passport
2nd OFFICER: Starts counting my entry chops on around 40 pages in my passport and then give back the passport to me.
I was so blushed about this I even did not ask the guy WHY are you doing this ?
And for whatever reason he did it - it seems he not even took the record about the number of chops he was counting - but I can refresh your memory Mr. Customsman:
69 entries (excluding the one just chopped) - not bad for somebody suddenly coming in with a 1x entry L visa permitted to Shenzhen only.
Then walking away happily with the great feeling of just having 1 page of my passport wasted for a 5 hour visit.
Before me at the counter a woman either Indonesian or Philippina (looking like a housewife) have been "turned away" from the counter - means sent back into the hall. Whatever reason I dont know. A (very) black guy standing next to one of the counters before the yellow line and looking quite desperated - it seems he also had "some problems".
Maybe this 2 have been terrorists ?
HERE THE ANSWER FROM THE SECRETARY OF SECURITY OF THE HK SAR about my questions (from my private email) how to exactly get the famous VISA NOTIFICATION LETTER and other particulars about this matter (the same questions some posts below).
No comment for this answer:
quote
Thank you for your e-mail of 18 May 2008 and I am authorised to give you a reply. I regret that I am unable to answer your questions which are outside the remit of the HKSAR Government and you may wish to seek OCMFA's advice direct (e-mail : fmcovisa_hk@mfa.gov.cn) or visit their website at http://www.fmcoprc.gov.hk/eng/default.htmfor information. Yours faithfully,
unquote
The email address given is not answering ANYBODY + the webpage is NOT giving any answers or correct instructions.
And here some hints about how the "business is affected" - but what is a 5.3% decline of visitors to Beijing in such a fast growing and so prosperous society ? This is very bad (political) marketing and the consultants for the new visa policy should get FIRED, because the effect of this policy is creating an image which is not very helpful for China.
This visa policy will destroy more business this consultants can imagine in their "wildest dreams".........................................Thanks !
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121138172668010789.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
11 comments:
"to answer your questions which are outside the remit of the HKSAR Government"
but we are HK residents - so what the heck is this scandal ????????
Hi Visa Man,
I've been reading your blog for a while. Thanks for all the updates about the recent Chinese visa situtions. Just out of curiosity, what passport are you holding? If you are a US citizen, it's still possible to get a one year multi-entry L visa from within the States from reports. There seems to be a reciprocal agreement between US and China to grant multi-entry visas to their citizens. Maybe this is useful for the business guys who stuck here in Hong Kong with US passports.
Thanks for the info. I am not an US citizien - I am from EU.
Hello,
I stop over every morning by your blog. :-)
That's indeed bad news. I bought a flight ticket in january very cheap (so early because of the olympics), and now it seems that there'll be a lot of problems. (I want to stay more than 30 days in Beijing). Even an L-Visa for such a long time seems almost impossible to get.
Greetings from Munich
Hi Pan Suiyuan - thanks for the gruesse aus Muenchen - its a nice place. Please help to distribute this blog - I am sure sooner or later "something" we can do for a better to this situation
Hi Sun Gai Gweilo,
thanks for you comment again - I have put your link on my blog - I like your page - and I for myself still have to control very much my emotions on this topic - sometimes I think if I would really raise up a real SCANDALOUS BLOG about this -maybe it would be better and "stimulate" some people ......?
Visa Man, I seems clear now that this situation is about illegal emigration and taxation rather than national security. The new rules are to get rid of all foreigners that the Chinese government doesn't want (relatively poor Africans/Indian/Philippino traders and workers). They could have just said so but I have often noted in business that my Chinese suppliers will lie even if it hurts them. It seems the government is the same. It must be a cultural thing. I can deal with the pain for 6 months if they revert to the old situation at that time. This visa situation is just a reflection of Chinese thinking and culture and the same unpredictability and dishonesty in the general population is the reason that my customers prefer to deal with me than with a Chinese supplier directly. As you often say, you have to go to China to catch the mistakes of your vendors and help them make the order. As long as they keep making these basic common errors, we add a lot of value and can make money. You don't need to make a bigger noise than the excellent work you have already done. You won't change a thing because no one gives a damn about little guys like us. Mr. Siemens is o.k. By the way, I confirmed that you can still get the 5 day Shenzen visa at the border.
I must be a very lucky person, or very convincing with my writing, but just sent a message to fmcovisa_hk@mfa.gov.cn and they replied to me in a few minutes.
Has anyone got this Visa Notification letter??
Well things have calmed down a little was able to get my Business F multi. entry visa but they only gave 14 days not 30 like before
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