[ohchk2001]

Hey guys,

I just went to the China Resources Building to grab a Visa. To my dissapointment, I need to present an invitation from a mainland company in order to secure a business Visa to enter China.

This is a stark contract to what China Travel Service told me.　CTS told me that all need to provide in order to qualify for a business visa is give them my business card and my HK company's address.

I decided to goto the China Resources Building in Wanchai instead of CTS because CTS is simply a reseller and it's supposedly cheaper to get a Visa in the China Resources Building.

Well while that may be true for tourist Visas, it seems that getting a business visa is more complicated to obtain from directly from them. To me it appears to be more painless to get a business visa from a reseller.

Anyway I ended up requesting a tourist visa and am going to pick it up tomorrow.Ｉam going with my finance's family to her grandmothers house in China.

Anyway the main reason I want the business visa is so I can ultimately qualify for a multiple entry visa which is a lot cheaper than getting a tourist visa each time to goto China.

I have a HK corporation and am living in HK on an Investment Visa.

Can someone give me some advice on what protocol I should follow to obtain a business visa to china, and where to obtain it?

I know that first I need to apply for a single or double entry business visa at least TWICE before I can qualify for a multiple entry visa. But right now I unsure how to move forward with applying for the single or double entry business visa in the first place.

SinceＩam a U.S. citizen, a single entry tourist visa is quite expensive and it would be really great to be placed on a 6 month multi entry visa. The savings are substansial and would more than pay for itself since it will allow me to hop over the border with ease.

Thanks in advance for any advice given, this is a great forum!

[KnowItAll]

If you can tell me a way in which I can short circuit the US visa process.. I'd be happy to reciprocate.

(Yeah, I know I'm not being helpful.. but I do like to rub it in every now and then...)

I'll dig up the name of this visa service we use in Causeway Bay. They have some backdoor connections ... and arrange visas without much hassle.

[penguinsix]

I got a six month (or was it one year) tourist multiple entry, which was pretty easy in Hong Kong (almost impossible in the US). My wife is from the mainland and I dragged her with me as I thought she would have to push for the thing, but they just stamp/chomp/stamp put it in my passport without really hassle.

As for US visas, that's a whole different ball of wax. It's easier to get security clearance than it is a visa sometimes...

[BenderBends]

o get the 6 month business visa you must have a type F visa 2 times before getting an extended multi entry visa.

to get any of the type F visa....just get a employment letter made from your business letterhead that states you do business in china too. bring a business card...and some moolah

after you get the double entry twice...get the 6 month...then you can get the 1 year

very easy...but annoying

[tx75070]

Do you have a business card of someone you know in China? If so copy all the information from the card to the visa application and you are set. No need for a letter.

[tx75070]

Originally Posted by mattstewart

after you get the double entry twice...get the 6 month...then you can get the 1 year

I tried to get the 1 year after the 6 month. I was told at the travel desk that the 1 year for americans usually gets rejected and since you pay the money upfront you would be out of the money. i opted to go ahead and do the 6 month again.

[ohchk2001]

Originally Posted by KnowItAll

If you can tell me a way in which I can short circuit the US visa process.. I'd be happy to reciprocate.

(Yeah, I know I'm not being helpful.. but I do like to rub it in every now and then...)

I'll dig up the name of this visa service we use in Causeway Bay. They have some backdoor connections ... and arrange visas without much hassle.

I'm not defending the U.S. Visa policy. It is extremely frustrating too, and probably will cause me not to go back very often since I want to be with my soon to be wife and she doesn't want to be a U.S. citizen (tax reasons, reporting world income...f that).

I'm generally not too pleased at the direction the U.S. gov't has been going in general......why else do you think I left and moved to Hong Kong?

Also at this time I'm not doing any business with any mainland companies so I can't "prove" it. I plan on it in the future, but not at the moment.

I am hoping a business card and the letterhead will be enough. I just want that 6 month visa to save cash. I'd rather pay $1100 HKD for a six month Visa over $540 a pop

[BenderBends]

if you go to wanchai...you pay when you get it.....

and they dont cause too many problems...just ask what you need...if you dont have something they say...tell them...and ask what you can use instead

like i said...once you get your first one...its all a piece of pie after that...its just getting that first business one


another thing to do...is go to a hotel...like shangrila...ask them to do it...they might charge you something if you dont book a room...but they have no problems getting them..and usually very quick too

[Alby]

Why are you applying for a business visa? Is it because you planning on being in the mainland more than 30 days?

I spend about half the month between our Beijing and Hong Kong offices - when my company took my USA passport w/ my HK ID card to the China Resource Building in Wan Chai there was a lot of hassles so in the end I ended up with a 6 month multiple entry tourist visa - which is ok actually, from what we have been told, as I receive all my salary in Hong Kong in Hong Kong dollars. Just last Friday, I had my 6th multiple entry 30 day maximum stay six month tourist visa issued.

You may have good intentions by trying to do things the "appropriate" or "legal right way" however, some things are not so cut and dry and the China Visa process is one of them. Chances are zero to none that your visa will be subject to a surprise visit while you ae working in China and if so just tell the authorities that you are in town on holiday and just stopped by to meet your mainland China counterparts.

[BenderBends]

its fine to go with tourist visa...BUT...its a risk

although chances are small to get caught....it could be hell if you do.


i had no hassels getting my business visa....i would just go with the safe side