# China Visa help please



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

I know this may sound daft but I am never totally sure what this 'Entry(s)' means or exactly how to interpret it.

My current visa shows: Entry(s) 01

I think this means that I can leave China and return, but only once, but I am not 100% sure.

Some clarification please.

Thank you for any replies.

Regards


Paul:fingerscrossed:


----------



## cschrd2 (Oct 31, 2011)

Entries 1 means: you can go in once (and leave within the set time which is standard 30days). Entries 2 means: you can enter twice. Be careful, also a trip to HongKong is seen as official exit!


----------



## jams (Sep 10, 2013)

There forever changing things bud so don't worry about it, ok here goes, hahah can you tell me what kind of visa you got? F class tourist ?? and below the Entries it should say " Duration of each stay " with a printed number followed. My guess right now is that you can come in once and that your on a one month tourist visa, which means if you exit, bye bye, lol And yea HK is seen as an exit.


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*Yes and No!*



jams said:


> There forever changing things bud so don't worry about it, ok here goes, hahah can you tell me what kind of visa you got? F class tourist ?? and below the Entries it should say " Duration of each stay " with a printed number followed. My guess right now is that you can come in once and that your on a one month tourist visa, which means if you exit, bye bye, lol And yea HK is seen as an exit.


Actually the visa I have is one that my wife got for me in our home city of Zhanjiang.
Yes it says (L) at the top, but it is different to an (L) visa you would get outside of China because it is valid for 1 calendar year. I am originally from the UK and tourist visas issued by the Chinese visa agency in London are only valid for 30 days.
Last year I had the same kind of visa and visited Hong Kong (outside of the mainland) and returned no problem.
My dilemma is that I have returned to visit relatives in the UK and am now preparing to return. My ticket is booked and I fly next week, but I am just a little concerned that I may have immigration problems. 
I shouldn't because as I said I went outside of the mainland last year (Hong Kong) and experienced no problems returning, but you never know.
I think the Chinese make the immigration rules up as they go along, if you know what I mean.

Regards

Paul


----------



## jams (Sep 10, 2013)

Haaa you in UK, well you could call Chinese visa services within the UK and ask them bro, here is contact details for a company i use and trust.
Chinese Visa Application Service London- Visas for China in UK

They are very very helpful, i would get a copy of your visa and send to them in an email, i sure they will contact you within 12 hours. 
Yea China and there visa laws, i think its to many chiefs and not enough cooks, Me coming into Shenzhen is a different looking visa than one for Beijing, i even know people here that find it hard to get working visa but get it from another town just fine, its a mess really. Good luck bro.
PS,
"L"Visa is Tourist, be careful here, many L visa have one entry and exit.


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*Already done bro*



jams said:


> Haaa you in UK, well you could call Chinese visa services within the UK and ask them bro, here is contact details for a company i use and trust.
> Chinese Visa Application Service London- Visas for China in UK
> 
> They are very very helpful, i would get a copy of your visa and send to them in an email, i sure they will contact you within 12 hours.
> ...


Hi there,

Actually I have already sent several emails to 'Chinese Visa Direct' in London and they have reassured me that I should have no problems with my Chinese issued (L) visa (family visa). They said that none of their clients had ever been refused entry into China at the Guangzhou airport when they had only had a one way ticket.
So fingers crossed lets hope I am the same.
Whatever happens I will keep everyone here informed.

We Expats have to stick together and help each other as much as possible because Chinese visa laws/regulations are in continual flux and so confusing.
Let's pray that one day they get it right, in other words make it simple and keep it simple.


Regards

Paul


----------



## cschrd2 (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi Paul, although I agree rules change regularly its mainly because a large number of people create a flux into the country under false reasons. Still lots of people enter on tourist visa and work for example. Any government will try and stop that. I have stayed over 10 years in China and never had issues with visa. The rules are clear and if you follow them you get your visa. As far as your round trip issue, you need one up apply for visa but not one the moment you enter. Same with hotel reservation etc. this is not any different for Chinese applying for a Shengen visa. 
If you have a valid open visa nobody cares at immigration. Safe travels back to China.


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*Very true!*



cschrd2 said:


> Hi Paul, although I agree rules change regularly its mainly because a large number of people create a flux into the country under false reasons. Still lots of people enter on tourist visa and work for example. Any government will try and stop that. I have stayed over 10 years in China and never had issues with visa. The rules are clear and if you follow them you get your visa. As far as your round trip issue, you need one up apply for visa but not one the moment you enter. Same with hotel reservation etc. this is not any different for Chinese applying for a Shengen visa.
> If you have a valid open visa nobody cares at immigration. Safe travels back to China.


Hi there,

Like you I have spent practically ten years in China, and been married to my Chinese wife for nine. During this time I mostly worked in Uni's and Gao Zhong with Z visas.
Then a few years ago I decided enough was enough and retired just to enjoy a quiet life with my wife in our home in Zhanjiang.
I came back to the UK this summer to spend some time with my elder sister who sadly suffers with very poor health. This I did because I cannot be sure how her life will be in the future especially considering her poor health.
It was only when I was planning my flight back that I became anxious about whether or not I should have purchased a return ticket. This was probably brought on by my memory of my 1st tourist visa issued in London and valid for only thirty days. One of the rules was that a return ticket had to be purchased.

The visa I have now was applied for at the local PSB in Zhanjiang and is a 1 year family visa, called an (L) visa and is a single entry. last year I also had one of these visa's and went for a trip to Hong Kong (Exciting China), and returned no problem. Nobody queried my return to the mainland or asked if I would return to Hong Kong and possibly back to the UK!
I suppose I am Mr Anxiety these days, but I blame this mostly on my age.

Anyway I only have 7 more days in the UK, I depart from terminal 4 next Thursday 26th September and hope to be back home and indoor by no later than 6pm (China time) on Friday 27th September, so long as my flights are all on time.:yo:


Thanks for your reply.

Regards


Paul


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*More worries for my attempt to return to China*



cschrd2 said:


> Hi Paul, although I agree rules change regularly its mainly because a large number of people create a flux into the country under false reasons. Still lots of people enter on tourist visa and work for example. Any government will try and stop that. I have stayed over 10 years in China and never had issues with visa. The rules are clear and if you follow them you get your visa. As far as your round trip issue, you need one up apply for visa but not one the moment you enter. Same with hotel reservation etc. this is not any different for Chinese applying for a Shengen visa.
> If you have a valid open visa nobody cares at immigration. Safe travels back to China.


Looking at the changes that took place this 1st July, 2013 regarding the increase in visa categories I have noted the the new family visa is now either a Q1 or Q2.
My family visa was issued before the change and as such is shown in my passport as a (L) visa.
Under the new rules (L) visas are only tourist visas and as such I believe I may run into trouble at Heathrow.
At check-in I may be stopped boarding as I do not possess a return ticket.
But of course my visa is an old style family visa applied for by my wife and myself at a local PSB in the city where we live (in China) and I therefore do not (I believe ) need a return ticket .
Can you see my concerns and worries for next Thursday morning when I try to check-in at terminal 4.

Sorry to bother you again, but I need and educated second opinion!

Hope you can reply before I leave on Wednesday to travel to the Heathrow.

Many Thanks.

Regards

Paul


----------



## cschrd2 (Oct 31, 2011)

Hi Paul,
There has been an update on sept 1 that cancelled part of the July rules again. I would not worry too much. Look at your visa: are its validity and date ok? If yes you will be fine. Don't overthink as the Chinese surely won't do. If your in trouble at your port or entry just explain. I have had immigration trouble in my early days and actually the staff is ok if they know your not cheating the system. Being married to a Chinese means your in the good world (for them). Enjoy your trip and when trouble arrives there is always a solution! That's a great feature of china; the flexibility always creates opportunities.
Chris


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*What about at Heathrow?*



cschrd2 said:


> Hi Paul,
> There has been an update on sept 1 that cancelled part of the July rules again. I would not worry too much. Look at your visa: are its validity and date ok? If yes you will be fine. Don't overthink as the Chinese surely won't do. If your in trouble at your port or entry just explain. I have had immigration trouble in my early days and actually the staff is ok if they know your not cheating the system. Being married to a Chinese means your in the good world (for them). Enjoy your trip and when trouble arrives there is always a solution! That's a great feature of china; the flexibility always creates opportunities.
> Chris


Hi Chris,

Thanks for the reassurance, but what about at check-in at Heathrow?
Maybe they will see it purely as a 'tourist visa' and say, 'Where's your
return tickets?
As I am sure you can tell I am an anxious traveller at the best of times 
and worries about visas just adds to it!

Regards

Paul


----------



## cschrd2 (Oct 31, 2011)

Actually I fly in/out of china at least once a month and no one ever asked me about a return. Actually quite a number of people come on 1 way to apply for visa (my colleagues do it normally for cost allocation reasons) and no one has had issue. Again if your visa is valid follow "don't ask, don't tell" and you'll be fine. Wish I could do more but unfortunately this is all.


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*Thanks !*



cschrd2 said:


> Actually I fly in/out of china at least once a month and no one ever asked me about a return. Actually quite a number of people come on 1 way to apply for visa (my colleagues do it normally for cost allocation reasons) and no one has had issue. Again if your visa is valid follow "don't ask, don't tell" and you'll be fine. Wish I could do more but unfortunately this is all.


Hi Chris,

Thanks!

It's just paranoia!

Regards

Paul


----------



## kreisler1730 (Aug 20, 2012)

*I'm back....but*



kreisler1730 said:


> Hi Chris,
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> ...


Hi Chris,

I'm back in my home in China, but it was touch and go at immigration control, until I started to gently lose it!
I think the young lady checking out my details was new to the job and a bit confused.
Probably by all these visa changes of late.
Prior to 1st July and 'L' visa was family and travel; post 1st July just tourism.
Next year I should be issued with a Q1 visa (long term-greater than 180 days family reunion).
Anyway I am back and glad to be so.

Thanks again Chris for your reassuring words.

Regards

Paul


----------

