[thatsnotmypuppy]

Just a bit of a note about the whole visa fiasco here in Australia...

A mate of mine went to the consulate in Brisbane (they have a sign up saying no multi entry visas will be issued for the forseeable future and that you do need proof of a flight /hotel) to get a visa organised for the Olympics. He presented his Cathay booking to Hong Kong and proof of an MTR ticket into Guangzhou - plus a hotel reservation in Guangzhou. Basically we were planning on flying into HK, training it to GZ, flying to Xi'an to check out the terracottta army (I've been before, my mate hasn't) then train to Beijing.

After two weeks at the Games which we have a hotel booking for and a ton of tickets we planned to fly from Beijing or Tianjin back to GZ and train again to HK.

He got knocked back.

Why?

We haven't booked the GZ to Xi'an flight or train to Beijing and flight back to HK yet. I have travelled to these cities a few times and do not sense any urgency to do so at the moment.

We have been told we have an 'incomplete itinerary' and as such until we have all legs of our journey booked and paid for - with receipts in hand - he can't get a single entry visa...

So apparently there is no independent travel allowed in China, lol! My understanding is you just needed a hotel booking and proof of your entry and exit.

Luckily I have a multiple entry visit that is valid until next March. My buddy - not so lucky.

So for our three week long trip we have a couple of transport links yet to be booked. Even with Games tickets, hotel bookings and trains booked between HK and GZ, that is not enough.

Paranoia!

[jaykay]

Originally Posted by BenderLives

so you are applying for the Z visa? but that still only grants you 1 entry. Are you planning on coming back out to HK and then re-entering China? If so, you would need an additional visa on top of the Z visa, or you would need to apply for residency in China.

Let me know...as I was thinking of this option as well.

We are. Now apparently it's possible to get a Z with multiple but at this stage I do not know. I believe that applying for a residents card is also a requirement either way which will allow you to travel in and out of China.

It's all up in the air at the moment so as I go through it I'll let you know how it goes.

[mengfei]

I think the Z visa + Temp residency goes together, well for me it does since i really work & live in China but goes to hk weekly for my weekly food shopping & i attend our church gatherings in hk so i travel frequently.

The only thing that takes too long nowadays is that no matter what border i pass through they scrutinize my passport to the point that they call the up in command in which i tell you "you just did that last week" , specially now it seems like they have been stationing cadets n every border.

[BenderLives]

so when you get the z visa and the residency permit...do you not get the swifty lil ID card to go theu the China e-channel? (similar to HK e-channel?

i thought it would be faster then going thru the normal foreigners lines which are normally mobbed

[pin]

met a friend for dinner last night. she said she had heard that someone who was leaving China, on their way out of the country had their multiple entry visa revoked.

naturally this is very third hand information, don't know all the facts, will find out more information, and if its any more concrete will post the details.

[JiangYunFeng]

I have currently in Hong Kong with a multiple entry F visa for China and no HKID (I am from the UK). I am planning several trips to China soon and obviously concerned about talk of revoking visa.

It is clear from all this that finding out the real rules is very difficult. Has anyone asked at the border, or would anyone be able to ask, what the official rule is with this currently? Is there a policy in place to revoke mutli entry visas under certain circumstances?

It is crazy if there are really revoking visas, but what is more annoying is there seems no way to find out until you try! Hopefully someone can advise / help us out....?

[elle]

I don't think it is wise for anybody to ask such questions at the border.

We have currently a designer and a guy from our sales department here. Both come from Germany and are multiple visa holder issued in Germany a few months ago. They went to Hangzhou and back - their visas did not get revoked.
A German friend of mine (multiple visa holder issued in Hong Kong, no HK ID card holder) went last weeks twice to Shenzhen - once via Lowu, once by ferry to Shekou - her visa was not revoked.
Hope that clears things up a bit.

[hktraveller]

Originally Posted by elle

I don't think it is wise for anybody to ask such questions at the border.

We have currently a designer and a guy from our sales department here. Both come from Germany and are multiple visa holder issued in Germany a few months ago. They went to Hangzhou and back - their visas did not get revoked.
A German friend of mine (multiple visa holder issued in Hong Kong, no HK ID card holder) went last weeks twice to Shenzhen - once via Lowu, once by ferry to Shekou - her visa was not revoked.
Hope that clears things up a bit.

I know several friends who have multiple visas and go in and out. I would relally like to know the details of the revokations. I am sure that is not common.

[juergenw]

I also think this is some strange stories: Once the visa is in your passport it is there and valid until it expires.

[PDLM]

Simply not true. The USA has revoked many people's lifetime multi-entry visas. A scan of mine is attached. This is no longer valid "Indefinitely" as stated on it. I believe I could use it once were the visa waiver to be rescinded, and then it would be cancelled.