[drumbrake]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

Issued today by the "Commissioner's Office of China's foreign Ministry in the HKSAR":

That's a press release isn't it-issued on the media services part of their site?

The Commissioner's Office Continues to Facilitate Visa Applications of Foreign Nationals

[KnowItAll]

Have emailed the Amcham to see if there is something we can put together in terms of contacts etc. Any of you who have tried to get a multiple entry visa and not suceeded... email me a note on feedback@geoexpat.com and I'd be happy to consolidate the info for the amcham.

[Boris]

I have written to the e mail address given in the notice to see what is forthcoming. I shall not hold my breath for a quick reply !

Lets see IF they reply.

[MaxWonga]

I am surprised that all these people who need to travel to PRC so often dont have APEC cards

[sabi]

Originally Posted by MaxWonga

I am surprised that all these people who need to travel to PRC so often dont have APEC cards

You need to be a PR to get an APEC card and depending on your country, you might not get a China one that quickly/at all. By now, as with all other multiple-entry avenues, this might be reviewed and frozen as well.

[climber07]

I am confirming that a 1yr Multi-entry "L" tourist visa was issued this week to my niece at a Chinese Embassy in Chicago. (Note: She has never been to China before and so this was her first time applying for a visa).

Thus, it seems that for the time being the Chinese Embassies in U.S. are not affected by the "computer glitch." The applications/passports do NOT have to be submitted or picked up in person. If you have family/friends in U.S. you can just mail / FedEx your passport with a signed visa application and photos and ask them to submit on your behalf. Good Luck.

[Boris]

That good for her but strange indeed.

Saying that - my single entry, for business and written so on the application, came issued as an L visa. Maybe the glitch relates to the F key on the typewriter !

[vagabond]

This gets more ridiculous, just got this notification in office from our travel agent:

With immediate effect, all China visa application must
present a copy of round-trip air ticket and
hotel confirmation upon submission. Business Card and
Visa Notification Form issued by the relevant department
of Chinese government or the government-authorized
company is required for application of Business Visa.

Furthermore, passport holders of the following countries
and do not have HKID cards will need to apply the China
visa in their country of origin or home country.

Afghanistan / Algeria / Bangladesh / Congo / Egypt /
Gambia / Ghana / Guinea / India / Indonesia / Iran /
Iraq / Kaiakhstan / Kirghiziani / Libya / Malaysia /
Mali / Mauritania / Monaco / Nepal / Nigeria /
Pakistan / Philippines / Saudi Arabia / Sierra Leone /
South Africa / Sri Lanka / Sudan / Syrian / Tajikistan /
Tunisia / Turkey / Uzbekistan

For foreign passport holders of Chinese descent:
In case of applications filed for the first time by
foreign passport holders of Chinese descent with new
passports, either the original Chinese travel documents
previously used by the applicants or their foreign
original passports with records of Chinese visas should
be produced with photocopies.

To avoid delay and inconveniences, we suggest that visa
applications to China are submitted for processing at
the earliest possible time.

The consular officers are entitled to refuse any
application inconsistent with relevant Chinese laws and
regulations, as well as to change and/or revoke an
issued visa without disclosure of the reason.

Should you require further information regarding this
matter, please do not hesitate to call your designated
travel consultant.

[pin]

SCMP has a headline on it today.

[climber07]

Europeans seek talks over visa restrictions
Liz Heron
Updated on Apr 18, 2008

Leaders of Hong Kong's European business community have called for urgent talks with the central government to sort out the difficulties foreign businesspeople now face in travelling to the mainland.

The European Chamber of Commerce wrote to the Commissioner's Office of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong on Monday seeking a meeting with senior officials to thrash out solutions to the travel problems. It also sent a letter to the Hong Kong government about the issue.

The chamber is seeking action over the halt to the issuing of multiple-entry visas - which travel agents were told about on March 27 - and the suspension on April 1 of short-visit visas to Shenzhen, which were previously issued at the border.

European Chamber of Commerce chairman Rafael Gil-Tienda said the chambers of the 11 European countries it represented were unanimous in their concerns, and it had been "very, very easy" for them to draft a joint position.

"This is absolutely a matter of concern for the chambers of the various European countries and their members," he said. "Individual members have complained to their chambers that it is now more cumbersome, costly and difficult to enter China to do business.

"It is affecting the integration of Hong Kong into the Pearl River Delta, and it is affecting Hong Kong as an entrepot of tourists into China. We believe it is harming our members.

"It is affecting people who live in Hong Kong and go into China frequently - from the senior chief executive of a company, to the more administrative or lower-level rank and file."

The European chamber was also concerned about the lack of transparency because "no proper statement" had been issued to the public, and it pointed out that the changes would be counterproductive and would hurt China's image.


Christopher Hammerbeck, executive director of the British Chamber of Commerce, said: "None of the chambers of commerce in Hong Kong have been contacted directly by the mainland authorities to explain why this is being done.

"We discovered it by accident. We are actually operating here in a dearth of information. The concern is whether or not these changes are of a permanent nature or are temporary."

In a statement yesterday, the Commissioner's Office of the Foreign Ministry said single-, double- and multiple-entry visas "could be issued".

But travel agents said multiple-entry visas were still unobtainable.

European business leaders are not the only ones expressing concern. Andrew Work, executive director of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, said: "Members have expressed concern about continuing ambiguity in visa applications. Anything that complicates decisions about making a visit over the border will slow business."