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Changes to China’s Visa Policy in Advance of the Olympic Games

Andrew Lillis

The past three weeks have seen significant changes in the regulations relating to the issuance of visas for foreigners wishing to visit China. Stricter requirements are now in place for the issuance of both tourist and business visas.

Hong Kong has traditionally been the gateway to China and in this respect the special administrative region is the favoured location for foreigners obtaining visas for entry into mainland China. The regulations relating to the issuance of visas in Hong Kong has traditionally been rather lax; until several weeks ago it was possible for most nationalities to obtain a six month multiple entry business visa by providing nothing more than a passport and the visa fee.

All of this changed on March 27th when China ceased the issuance of multiple entry business visas. Long the lifeblood of foreign businessmen who visit China frequently, the decision was met with frustration by many. Particularly affected were those foreigners who live in Hong Kong and frequently travel to mainland China on business leading many residents to post their protests on the web forums of the Hong Kong expatriate community. Those visas already issued continue to be valid though those applying to renew their visas will only be issued with a double entry visa.

The next development came on April 8th when China stopped issuing five-day Shenzhen Special Economic Zone visas at the border points between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. These visas had been available for many years and were popular with foreigners in Hong Kong either shopping or doing business in Shenzhen.

On April 10th news began to filter in of stricter requirements for the issuance of tourist visas. In the past a tourist visa could generally be obtained without providing hotel reservations and flight bookings. The new regulations state that these are now mandatory and some embassy websites show an increase in visa processing fees, a reduction in the validity period of the visa and a specific time frame during which the visa must be applied for (1 to 2 months before the applicant’s departure for China according to the website of the Chinese embassy in the Netherlands).

The next development came on April 13th came with an announcement on the website of Hong Kong’s China Visa Office.  

Visa applicants are increasing in a large number and need longer waiting time in the visa office recently. If you don't reside or work in  Hong  Kong permanently,  you are required to apply Chinese visa from  the  Embassy  or  Consulate-General  of  Peoples'  Republic  of  China  in  your resident country.

This is significant because as of March 28th this visa office is the only place in Hong Kong where visas for mainland China can be issued This means that visitors can no longer apply for a Chinese visa in Hong Kong; only those working or residing permanently there are eligible. This is a major policy change compared to the prior system where Hong Kong was the favored destination for “visa runs” – a term expatriates living in China use for a quick trip to Hong Kong to obtain a new Chinese visa.

The latest development was announced on several Chinese embassies’ websites on April 14th that an original letter must now accompany applications for “F” visas from a Chinese state organ confirming the bona fide nature of the applicant’s business in China. Currently this is appearing on websites belonging to the embassies of Singapore, South Africa, Australia and the United States though it can be assumed that the policy is being applied to all countries. Compared to the prior situation where a letter from the businessperson’s employer would suffice, this demonstrates a major departure from the previous situation.

So, why the change of policy? The reasons given relate to the need for enhanced security in the lead up to the Olympic Games. While it is unfortunate that the small number of established business people who rely on multiple entry visas will be negatively effected, considering the current issues with security in China one can not blame the authorities for wanting to keep better track of who is coming into the country.

For those doing bona fide business in China this should not present a problem; additional paperwork and time is necessary but with the proper documentation a visa will be issued as usual.For those visiting China as tourists it will have a different effect. While many travelers come to China with a set itinerary and roundtrip air tickets, many do not. Independent travel is becoming more and more popular with travelers who prefer to decide their itinerary on a day-to-day basis. These travelers will not have roundtrip air tickets or confirmed hotel bookings and will encounter problems. 

The response to these restrictions has been that of consternation. Many people fail to see why China would specifically limit the flow of foreigners now considering that China is hosting the Olympic Games; the pinnacle of international sportsmanship and cooperation, in just a few months. One only need look at the postings on the Hong Kong expatriate community websites to see the attitude of people toward these restrictions; the posts show manifest frustration and a common theme of the postings is that some sort of diplomatic pressure should be applied on China to relax the rules relating to the issuance of visas

What some people fail to realize though is how difficult it is for Chinese citizens to apply for visas to other countries. A Chinese tourist who wishes to visit the United States must do the following

  • Buy a prepaid PIN card from China CITIC bank in order to call the US visa scheduling hotline. Cards cost 36RMB for 8 minutes of call time meaning that on occasion if the hotline is experiencing a significant call volume multiple cards may be necessary. The current wait time for appointments is 19 working days meaning a wait of approximately one calendar month.
  • Applicants must pay the non-refundable fee of 930RMB – a significant amount of money in Chinese terms.
  • On the day of the appointment applicants are fingerprinted and told to wait up to three hours for the interview.
  • At the interview applicants are asked to prove that they are not intending immigrants, this is because under U.S. state department regulations all applicants for visas are assumed to be intending immigrants unless they can prove otherwise. Only if the consular officer is convinced that they are not intending to immigrate to the United States will they be granted a visa.  In order to prove this they must produce evidence of bank records, employment contract and similar documents. Needless to say this can be considered quite invasive. 

Compared to this, China’s new visa regulations can be considered relatively simple and straightforward. While true that China’s new regulations will obstruct business for some foreign nationals, in particular those resident in Hong Kong who need to travel to the Pearl River Delta cities frequently, they will not lead to a major reduction in the amount of business foreigners do in China. From a tourism perspective it may lead to a reduction in the number of foreigners visiting China however as of now, the restrictions are due to last until October only, after which time we will take a fresh look at the situation.

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