China Visa

[GoVolsTB]

Our friends live very close to New York and will be obtaining their own visas at the consulate in New York City. We live in Tennessee and our actual consulate is Washington DC.

 

Does anyone know if it is possible for our friends to obtain our visas for us in NYC? I know a family member can obtain a visa for another family member but I don't know if there is any limitation on who can obtain visas for another person.

 

Also, does anyone know if you MUST obtain the visa at the consulate that your state is assigned to? I know there is a visa service in Houston that claims they can obtain visas for anyone in the 50 states so I would ASSUME (you know what that does!!) that would apply to individuals too.

 

Appreciate any help....

[pbnjrockette]

We obtained our Visa thru a mail-away service called GenVisa (recommended thru our travel company. Simple to use...filled-out form, attached photos--Visa and passport returned in a few weeks by Fed Ex.

[bcnvcanada]

I was in D.C.on business a couple of weeks ago, and thought that I would obtain my visa there for a forcoming journey. At the embassy, I was told that I would have to go to(home) location. So the answer that day was No.

[surfsidemary]

We obtained our Visa thru a mail-away service called GenVisa (recommended thru our travel company. Simple to use...filled-out form, attached photos--Visa and passport returned in a few weeks by Fed Ex.

 

I did the same using Zeirer Visa Service in Washington D.C. Simple-the form is on line at their website with full instructions. it doesn't seem to matter where you live.

[ksps cruise fan]

I was in D.C.on business a couple of weeks ago, and thought that I would obtain my visa there for a forcoming journey. At the embassy, I was told that I would have to go to(home) location. So the answer that day was No.

 

Unless you were the person I heard get turned away either of the days I submitted my paperwork/picked up my visas in DC, I can add another turn-away anecdote. I believe the young lady had driven down from Pennsylvania, but that's only from memory; I know this occurred more than a couple of weeks ago.

[ell52]

If you apply in person, you must use a particular Chinese consulate visa office. For example, I live in Vancouver, so if I apply in person, I must use the Vancouver office. I cannot use the Toronto office.

 

However, if you use a visa service, they will send it to the correct visa office.

 

For US jurisdictional areas, by state: --> http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t84229.htm

 

 

Hope this clarifies things.

[janina]

We used Washington Passports and Visas, you can find them online. Fill out the form and mail in along with payment and your passports. You will receive them back in 5 days. We have used this company for many years, always reliable.

[Command Chief]

If you go on line and type in Chinese visa you should have several agencey that will take care of it for you. They are uselly local and they will meet with you to help you fill out your documents ensure they are complete and then send them to a counter part in DC. All said and done they should do this in a short period of time ( 4 to 5 days).

 

Hope this helps.

[roothy123]

We got our visas in person at the DC consulate. It was amazing to see how many couriers came in with packages and put them in a box at the side of the room. While we waited for our number to pop up (around 30 minutes) there must have been at least 10 people coming in with packages for "the box" - and the box was emptied once by consulate staff while we were there! Just for the record, in case someone in the DC area is wondering, on a Monday in late August, it took about 45 minutes total to apply, and the visas were ready for pickup in 3 working days. There was metered parking across the street.

[ksps cruise fan]

We got our visas in person at the DC consulate. It was amazing to see how many couriers came in with packages and put them in a box at the side of the room. While we waited for our number to pop up (around 30 minutes) there must have been at least 10 people coming in with packages for "the box" - and the box was emptied once by consulate staff while we were there! Just for the record, in case someone in the DC area is wondering, on a Monday in late August, it took about 45 minutes total to apply, and the visas were ready for pickup in 3 working days. There was metered parking across the street.

 

Assuming you have all the paperwork done correctly, the DC consulate is a pleasant, efficient place. If you aren't supposed to be filing in DC or are lacking some paperwork, your mileage will vary!

 

The only success story I observed of someone getting a visa in spite of problems is that of a cruise employee for Azamara leaving in two days for the start of his contract. He had left his current letter of employment at home. The folks at the consulate began by insisting that the man had to drive home to Richmond to get the original even though this was the man's second year of employment with Azamara including port calls in China, all of which was substantiated by documentation in his passport. The employee kept being persistent and, eventually, the consulate was willing to accept a FAX of the man's employment contract from Azamara corporate offices. Listening to this play out certainly made the waiting time pass quickly.

 

Also note, that the consultate shuts down for several hours for a lunch break.

[roothy123]

[quote

 

Also note, that the consultate shuts down for several hours for a lunch break.

 

Good point about the lunch. We got there around 10:30, so it wasn't a problem. Another note I would add is to make sure you go to the consulate (basically near Georgetown) and not the embassy.

 

It sounds like you had more to make the time pass than we did!! There were two gentlemen at one window for at least ten minutes, and their application wasn't going as smoothly; however, we could not hear what was going on. We took a lot of documentation (itinerary from Viking, airline res info, etc.), and were very careful to fill out the forms correctly (for example, parts of dates in correct order). We had no problems, and found the experience pretty easy and pleasant.

[ksps cruise fan]

We took a lot of documentation (itinerary from Viking, airline res info, etc.), and were very careful to fill out the forms correctly (for example, parts of dates in correct order). We had no problems, and found the experience pretty easy and pleasant.

 

We had added considerable independent travel both before and after our cruise out of Beijing so weren't sure whether we needed a double entry or multiple entry visa. I brought along every piece of documentation we had in our posession. I essentially handed this huge stack over to the employee at the consulate and said just tell us what kind of visa we need. Apparently, that was an invitation to sell us the most expensive visa available: unlimited entry for one full year. We were told that we qualified for this special visa as Americans. We laughed about having been so blatantly taken advantage of, but this was a welcome relief compared to our stressful experience getting visas over a decade ago.

 

At the time, I wrote curriculum for arts organizations in DC that students would use on school field trips. Without thinking of the implications, I wrote "writer" in the place where I had to supply my occupation. Yikes! That set off all kinds of alarms: What was I planning to write about in China? Who had hired me to write about China? Where was my permission from the Chinese government allowing me to write about my trip?

 

I kept explaining the reality over and over. Fortunately, my curriculum materials tend to be published on the web sites of the various arts organizations, so I kept saying, "Look my work up on the internet." Eventually, the employee calmed down, told me to write a job description, and "swear and affirm" that I was not going to China to write an article. Now, you can appreciate that the super de luxe visa we bought was a much smaller price to pay than the stress I inadvertently created the first time around.

 

And now the kicker: That year-long visa was purchased for a trip that had us arriving in Beijing March 22, 2010. One year and one week later -- March 30, 2011 -- we flew through Beijing on our way home from a trip to Thailand and Cambodia. Our super-duper, ultra-expensive visa had just expired, so we followed the in-transit route through the Beijing airport to catch our flight home. Happily, we were still able to laugh about the incident.

[roothy123]

That's funny! I think I read another post of yours before which mentioned that you were a writer and it caused problems! I'm not, so occupation was easy for me!

 

I believe the visa prices for one, two, etc. trips are now the same, so there's less of a decision to be made in applying for a visa. I notice the visa site is pretty unspecific about when you'll need a particular visa, so I was planning to go for the most I could get for the same price, just in case I found myself in China again! However, once I got to the visa office, I forgot about it, and so we have standard one-visit, one-year only visas. That's really ok, as it's unlikely I'll be able to get back to Asia within a year!

[Philob]

US citizens get to pay a special rate for a Chinese visa, $140, as of last week, single, multiple, six months or 12 months...same rate. All others are about 1/2 the price.:cool:

[Bowie MeMe]

I need a visa for Brazil in January 2012 and I need a visa for China in Oct. 2012. If I send this to a visa service can they do both visas in one -- meaning only have to send the passport once?

 

What kind of visa do I need for China when my trip is arrive in Beijing go to Xian back to Beijing fly to Bangkok for cruise that includes Shanghai and Hong Kong and ends in Beijing where we fly home? All one visit but in and out of China several times. TIA. BT

 

I live in Bowie Md which is about 20 miles from Embassy/Consulates should I just do this myself? Thinking of it but wondering from a previous experience if the many many passport/visa services do not have "working relationships" with the consulate staffs that make the process very smooth:confused: I can go either way really with a service or to get my own in person.

 

I am retired. Any problems with that answer since they want the work information and I am Blessed to not have any:D Perhaps this is one reason some folks are asked for bank statements.

[G.M.T.]

Bowie Meme, one thing you should keep in mind that visa are only valid for a certain period after they have been issued (the time frame can vary between countries and what is the nationality of the passport holder).

 

Ron

[Philob]

Bowie: You'll need a multiple entry visa. 1st when you enter Beijing, 2nd when you enter Shanghai, you don't need a visa if your a US citizen for Hong Kong, and 3rd when you go back to Beijing.

 

If they still do it, get a 6 or 12 month-multiple entry visa, same price as a single entry.

[roothy123]

Hi Bowie. I live in Silver Spring. I just got back from China yesterday, and Brazil in Feb. As you may have read from this thread, we just went to the Chinese consulate above Georgetown and got our visas. We only needed a single visa, as we only entered China once (in Shanghai), flew to Xi'an, then Beijing, then home. We are retired also, and simply put "retired" on the form. My husband is retired but used to be self-employed. We took a bank statement just in case, but they didn't ask for more detail, so it wasn't needed. (However, I would NOT put "retired journalist" or anything like that, if that applies to you!) Make sure you prepare the Chinese visa form correctly - in a couple places where a date is required, they want the year entered first, which of course I messed up. I just printed out another page and re-did it.

 

As for Brazil, we also went to the consulate. We found parking near by, and the whole thing took maybe 45 minutes to an hour. It was no big deal, but took a little longer than the Chinese visa process did.

 

We went in person to both consulates because we hate paying services for things we can do ourselves. Sorry, I can't answer your question about whether one service can do both, but I'd say in your case, it might be worth it.

 

Are you flying in or out of Argentina? I think they collect a big fee at the airport in lieu of requiring a visa, but I forget....

 

Have fun, especially next October. We found October to be a great month to visit China - weather was decent (not too hot!) and the crowds were (I think, anyway) a little lighter. You will never, ever be alone in China, however.....so many people!

[Keith1010]

I need a visa for Brazil in January 2012 and I need a visa for China in Oct. 2012. If I send this to a visa service can they do both visas in one -- meaning only have to send the passport once?

 

What kind of visa do I need for China when my trip is arrive in Beijing go to Xian back to Beijing fly to Bangkok for cruise that includes Shanghai and Hong Kong and ends in Beijing where we fly home? All one visit but in and out of China several times. TIA. BT

 

I live in Bowie Md which is about 20 miles from Embassy/Consulates should I just do this myself? Thinking of it but wondering from a previous experience if the many many passport/visa services do not have "working relationships" with the consulate staffs that make the process very smooth:confused: I can go either way really with a service or to get my own in person.

 

I am retired. Any problems with that answer since they want the work information and I am Blessed to not have any:D Perhaps this is one reason some folks are asked for bank statements.

 

The service can't do both at once as it will be too early to apply for the China one by the time you need the one for Brazil.

 

Keith

[Philob]

I just got back We only needed a single visa, as we only entered China once (in Shanghai), flew to Xi'an, then Beijing, then home. We are retired also, and simply put "retired" on the form.

 

Bowie leaves Beijing/Xian for their cruise in Bangkok, with stops in Hong Kong & Shanghai, and back to Beijing. Each port is considered one in/one out by the PRC. Hong Kong (or Macao) are SARs, the PRC treats it for visa purposes as another country. Fortunately US citizens do not need a visa for HK/Macao for tourist purposes.