[goleoboy]

has anyone tried getting an APEC card? it's so convenient for travel to China and other Asiapacific countries. check it out: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation

[KnowItAll]

Sleuth - Never heard of that site .... or the people behind it.

[KnowItAll]

goleo - your apec application essentially has to be approved by every country, which could again present itself as a problem in this case.

[Sleuth]

KIA--That's the website we use in the US to get our visas. Over the past years, nobody has ever had a problem and it offers the 2 year multi-entry. Problem is being in the US long enough to get the passport out and back.

goleoboy--Last time I checked, US citizens couldn't get an APEC.

[neha]

I have had 2 APEC card in the past 6 years every time China status is pending. I get all other countries but China takes forever. But some of my australian customers got China on their APEC Card after waiting for 6 months, so there is no clear rule that China will automatically give clearance for APEC cARD HOLDER

[SymS]

Some years ago, they did that at Luohu and Shekou stations at least. Many of my colleagues got their mutiple entry 6 months F visa at the border.

I never tried it myself though because at the time I had to get a Z visa.

Of course, this was not the official way.

Originally Posted by elle

They never did that. You only got a 1 entry visa at the border. That visa was only valid for the greater Shenzhen area.

[neha]

Todays SCMP says that there is no band on the multiple visa from the Chinese Govt

[ontheroad]

In yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald, they quoted an AFP piece saying :

" Short-stop visas that were available for some nationalities, including Australians, at the border with the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Guangdong province, had also been stopped, Bending added.

The border city of Shenzhen is a popular day trip destination for Hong Kong residents looking for shopping bargains."

China bans multi-entry visas until after Games - News - Travel - smh.com.au

In yesterday's Voice of America, they wrote:

"In addition to the ban on multiple-entry visas, travelers can no longer obtain short-stay visas at Hong Kong's border with neighboring Shenzhen."

VOA News - Foreigners in Hong Kong Denied Multi-Entry Visas for China

So if I understand right, they are saying visas issued at the Shenzen borders have been stopped?

[hktraveller]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

In yesterday's Sydney Morning Herald, they quoted an AFP piece saying :

" Short-stop visas that were available for some nationalities, including Australians, at the border with the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Guangdong province, had also been stopped, Bending added.

The border city of Shenzhen is a popular day trip destination for Hong Kong residents looking for shopping bargains."

Are they saying visas issued at the Shenzen borders have been stopped?


China bans multi-entry visas until after Games - News - Travel - smh.com.au

A friend of mine with German passport got one 2 days ago for 150 HK$.

After reading this post we called the visa issuing counter in Luo Hu and asked for Germans, French and Australians. All can still get this Visa.

If you ask CITS in Hong Kong they will say it is no longer possible and try to sell you their expensive visa.

[climber07]

Here is another article this morning in WSJ:

Travel Agents See Snags In Getting China Visas - WSJ.com

So the question is, has anyone recently applied for a multi-entry visa outside Hong Kong (i.e. through China Embassy in US, UK, Australia) and been rejected? Beijing says there is no ban, so I wonder how an official government agency would respond? Could this just be ploy by the travel agents in Hong Kong to generate some extra gweilo cash before/during the Olympics???

My niece has just submitted her passport for a 1yr multi-entry visa in the China Embassy in Chicago. She was told her passport will be ready on Monday. I will report back next week if a 1-yr multi-entry was issued.