[Jlite]

Hi everyone,

Sorry, I've got a bit of a problem that I hope you can help me with.

I am a British citizen living in Shenzhen. I have found a job in Hong Kong and I am awaiting my work visa to come through. I also have a one year multiple entry visa for going back into mainland China.

The problem is that because I travel to Hong Kong everyday my passport is becomming full of stamps and leaving only several pages free left in my passport. I will need to renew it very soon. Furthermore my company will need me to travel abroad often as soon as I get my visa.

I think that it will be another four weeks until I get my work visa from the immigration department.

The British Consulate say it takes five days but possibly longer to get a new passport but how will this effect my work Visa if I have got a new passport.
?.

I also have the one year Chinese multiple entry Visa that runs out next year. Will this be cancelled and I have to get a new visa to put in my new passport?.

One final question is that the Hong Kong work permit / visa, does it go into your passport or is it a sort of identity card?.

Thanks.

I'd appreciate anyones help.

[HKFella]

Re the last one, it goes into the passport as a sticker.

Most visas in old passports can be used if you take both along. many countries will transfer it to the new pp for a fee, so you don't have to carry both (with HK visa this costs mildly more than getting a new visa!). Don't know the answers re the Chinese one - maybe you might want to try asking the guy at the mainland immig next time you cross (or have some friend write the question in Chinese if you don't speak Mandarin).

If your HK visa comes through and you still haven't recd an answer, at collection time you could always attach the two PPs together by rubber band and drop them in, with a short note saying you have a new PP as you ran out of pages on the old one. My guess is it might add some minutes to your wait but HK Immig would be reasonable - even they'd need a clear page for your visa.

[CanuckHK1989]

When you apply for a new British Passport, just ask they don't cancel the page with the Chinese Visa on it. For the US this works, you a valid visa in an expired passport, you get a new one, ask them not to cancel that page, take both passports to the border. I'm not sure this works for China. Consider getting a British Passport that has an extra 16 pages and costs about HK$200 more.

[Jlite]

Thanks both of you,

Do you think that it would be best to wait until I get my work visa before I renew my passport or just go ahead and renew it whilst they are considering my application?.

Cheers

[HKFella]

If you can hang on, sure getting the visa that way will be simpler. Then, after you get your new PP, if you like you could have it "endorsed" in the new PP for a HKD 145 and usually they'd do it same day.

But if hanging on's too painful, easier just to call HK Immig at office hrs, explain situation and ask if my previous suggestion would work, or what's their alternative advice. HK nbr is 2824 6111 - press 3 for English, pause a bit, then hit 0 to speak to an officer (it works - don't wait - the endless voice-menus are in no hurry to tell you about this option).

[Jlite]

Thanks HKfella,

I'll give them a call, thanks again.

[insert5]

and don't forget to ask the Chinese Foreign Ministry Office in HK. They should give more light on your complexity...

[mam32]

Any final resolution on this thread?

Or updated news? Do the Chinese immigration officers accept a valid visa in a cancelled passport (as long as you also have a new passport)?

Thanks