Buying a visa 'quick and cheap'

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-09 11:18

A sign pointing to visa applications at the Beijing municipal exit and entry administration.

While visa applications and extension procedures in China can be time-consuming and strict, some visa agents claim to have the cure to all immigration problems.

Several visa agents contacted by METRO said they could assist with faking educational credentials and obtaining invitation letters or work permits.

There is no data available on the number of agencies offering such services. However, a Google search of "visa agents in Beijing" revealed numerous results of agencies apparently willing to bypass official rules.

An agent surnamed Zhou from one such company in Beijing, said she can help foreigners secure both F (fangwen, business visa) and Z (renzhi, work visa) visas by issuing "credible" invitation letters and work permits.

"It's pretty easy. The invitation letters and work permits we issue are all from partner companies with which we've been working with for a long time. From our experience, the government almost never finds fault with them," she said.

"It's quick and cheap. If you are looking for a job here and not sure how long it's going to last, you can pay 1,500 yuan for an F visa that is valid for a whole year.

"It's more convenient than a tourist visa as they need their time limits extended regularly and the owner is forced to leave the country for renewal," Zhou said.

An agent surnamed Chen from another visa company said they are able to help one get one-year Z visa at a cost of about 8,000 yuan. To do this, her company needs to find a sponsoring company that "employs" the foreigner.

Zhou said many foreigners who want to come to China without an actual job lined up choose to do this.

However, she admitted there are "risks" involved if local authorities launch checks.

"One alternative is to register the foreigner's name as a corporate representative so that he or she can get a Z visa, allowing residence for up to two years in China," Zhou said. However, the cost rises quite quickly to 15,000 yuan per visa.

"We've been doing this for quite a long time so there's no need to worry," she added.

Another Beijing-based visa agent surnamed Hou also told METRO his company offers visa services to foreigners including issuing work permits and faking educational certificates if necessary.

"This is safe because many companies do it. It is just a common phenomenon in the industry," he said.

Under Chinese law, the Beijing municipal commission of commerce and the bureau of labor and human resources are responsible for checking invitation letters and work permits issued to foreigners seeking visas for China.

But the commission of commerce told METRO they had not discovered such malpractices among visa agents.

Calls to the labor bureau went unanswered yesterday.

A spokesman from the municipal exit and entry administration, which issues visas to foreigners with approved documents from the commerce and labor departments, denied to comment on this but said there would be "severe punishment" for those found in breach of the law.

The spokesman also said it is difficult to oversee the process since it involved several different departments.

Jiang Ming'an, a professor from the Law School of Peking University, said that while it is illegal for visa agents to fake visa application documents, it is very difficult for the government to control.

"It's almost impossible for the government to conduct thorough inspections on every company issuing invitation letters or work permits," he said.

"It is also possible that some government officials may have helped and received kickbacks from visa agents and in that case, both parties should be held responsible."

Jiang also said public monitoring and reporting would be crucial in helping the government combat the challenge.

Beijing issued nearly 80,000 visas in the first half of this year, roughly the same amount as in the first half of 2008.