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Visa-a-vis

Recent policy changes as regards foreign visas have sent expats scrambling to get things squared away before their visas expire and they are obliged to leave the country. Getting documents in line has proven difficult for many expats because they are unfamiliar with the new requirements.

In an act of generosity, The Beijinger (ww.thebeijinger.com) blogger Nadine Ulrich has taken the liberty of providing readers with the new document requirements for each of the visa types in the blog titled China Visa - Facts and Fiction.

Here is a brief summary of the new regulations:

L type (tourist): It now requires both outbound and return flight bookings and a stamped hotel reservation for the duration of the stay. If staying at a relative's house, proof of kinship and copies of passport, visa, and residence permit and police registration are required.

F type (business) requires flight booking, stamped hotel reservation and an invitation letter from a relevant Chinese government department, institution, or company, under the authorization of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

Z Visas (employment): No changes.

X Visas (student): This visa has seen very few changes for summer this year; however, the number of institutions granting them has dropped severely.

As regards providing housing information, "Private Accommodation" is no longer an option. Instead, the applicant must provide either hotel reservations or kinship information. Hotels are being encouraged to tighten their room reservation regulations and may even ask for payment up-front to prevent false bookings.

If you are planning on extending the time granted by visa types L and F, it is imperative you do so before June 30, 2008, after which there will be no extensions.

For interns and short-term workers, a Z-type visa may be required for an uninterrupted stay.

If you had planned on going to Hong Kong for visa renewal purposes, bear in mind that there are now appreciably more regulations regarding Hong Kong visas than on your last trip, so make sure you look before you leap.

Ulrich warns that the authorities have been increasing efforts to track down those who have overstayed their visa, and that fines of between RMB500-5,000 a day are being imposed. Those who have overstayed may also get the red "has to leave China in 10-days" stamp of doom in their passport, making it almost impossible to apply for a new visa.

For those overwhelmed by the new restrictions, there is still hope, as the occasional six-month and one-year multiple re-entry visas are still being issued.

As the date of the Olympics draws ever nearer, regulations will get much tighter. For those with visa issues, it is better to act quickly than procrastinate, because even a few days' overstay could make the difference between being allowed to stay or leaving indefinitely.

(China Daily 06/06/2008 page19)