Visa issues
I’m hearing that some of the Chinese consulates are beginning to require that families give their itinerary in order to get a Visa into China. In other words, you can’t apply for your Visa until you’ve purchased plane tickets and made hotel reservations.
I’m also told that they are calling hotels in China and verifying the reservations.
The problem here is that families normally apply for their Visa somewhere between referral and TA, but don’t know for sure when they will be traveling until usually the day after their agency receives CA confirmation.
If families have to wait to apply for their Visa it will complicate things further and may put them a few days later before they can leave.
Some agencies are going to work toward getting the consulates to forgo this for adoption travel, so it may be possible to send the signed LOA in at some point if the agencies can get the consulates to agree to this.
It isn’t a major road block, but it sure is another stress that families really don’t need to have to worry about at the very last minute.
My guess is that this is also part of the whole Olympics thing, and wanting to keep track of people who come into the country and where they will be.
April 18th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Let me be the first today to say, Boooooo!
Crazy, I use to love the Olympics. Funny how everything is
relative to your own situation.
April 18th, 2008 at 9:24 am
My daughter has been in Beijing this whole school year except for Christmas and a recent two week stay home due to needing to attend a funeral. Before leaving Beijing, she had some reservations saying that it’s more difficult to get visas now due to the whole Tibet thing which as RQ mentioned is an Olympics related topic. However, when she landed here she went straight to the consulate to apply for her visa back in and had no problem. Proof of being a student there I’m sure was the difference over tourist.
April 18th, 2008 at 10:56 am
I find myself saying this more and more…If it isn’t one thing it is another.
My sercurity word is family…I long for ours to be one person larger!
April 18th, 2008 at 11:12 am
We had a terrible experience yesterday at the Chicago Consulate. There were about 15 people in the lobby who had all been called back to have their visas changed. Instead of having 3 months to enter China, we now have until May 17. Come on TA!!!!
April 18th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I think this has everything to do with the Olympics. My cousin lives in Beijing and he told me that security is high and he felt that the amount of visitors would be controlled.
April 18th, 2008 at 11:59 am
Certainly an interesting development. We got our visas—thanks to a kind friend—back in January. Because the cost was the same, we got the multiple entry visas. For one thing, you just never know! But also, my husband is going back to China in October. Now I’m wondering if the visas will still be valid?
April 18th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Our agency has never let us get the visa before TA…the visa process is very fast. YOu can even “one-day” it…so why take the risk? We have always waited for TA…and it comes WITH itinerary.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
A little off topic but what if you have tickets to an Olympic even and then can’t get a visa to enter China?
I think referrals and IA travel will stop soon and not resume until the Olympics are over. I am not sure it is politically motivated, just too many bodies for China to deal with in addition to their own population.
April 18th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
It would sure be nice if China would give a heads up (and perhaps save a bit of face) as to what is about to happen during the olympics.
I agree with azawa, I think this whole process is about to come to a screeching halt until the games are over. I hope I am wrong, but I don’t believe it is anywhere near the top of their priority list, actually, I don’t believe it even shows up on their priority list. Sorry…
April 18th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
“Our agency has never let us get the visa before TA…the visa process is very fast. YOu can even “one-day†it…so why take the risk? We have always waited for TA…and it comes WITH itinerary. ”
Especially with the SN process, from TA to travel can be especially quick. I got my TA on a Monday and less than 4 days later was on the plane to China. I had to work that week as well, so it would have been extremely hard to get into the Consulate in Chicago to get the Visa. As soon as my LOA arrived I got the visa. It usually comes two to four weeks before TA so that should be a good time to get the Visa and still have it be valid by travel.
Julie
April 18th, 2008 at 2:26 pm
RIght now, one of the major couriers is saying that the expedited visa processing has been suspended (no more 24 or 48 hour turn-around time). So it very well could cause issues for people trying to travel quickly after TA. My brother and sister in law got TA on a Monday, CA Tuesday and left for China that Friday. Those kind of quick trips won’t be possible right now.
April 19th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I am taking students to China in May and one girl was a late addition to replace a student who could not go and we were told this week that we have to show her airline and hotel reservations to get the visa for her. The other 20 of us did not have to do that just a few weeks ago….I do hope that they will not require this of adoptive families since it will likely slow things down…arg!