Thanks for the tip. I'll try rolling up at 8:30 or so and see if that gets me in early.
Thanks for the tip. I'll try rolling up at 8:30 or so and see if that gets me in early.
I just picked up my new visa 2 weeks ago. My experiance was totally different. Took me around 2 hours and I spent most of it outside the building. Maybe I just got lucky. After dealing with the front desk (document check to get a number), I had time to get my photo taken at the machine (only takes cash and old HKD (whatever that means)), photo copy some documents (photocopier takes octopus) and run out for errands. I got back with 2 numbers to spare.
There is no need to actually wait there. If there are 50 people in front of you, might as well go out for coffee instead of being stuck in the room. Leave after getting the number first.
So I went to the visa centre today. Arrived at 10:15 and was told that I could only apply for an "Express" visa at $400 extra. To get a regular visa I was told I had to queue outside the office at 7am. I was out by 2:30. Pickup in 4 days.
I'm not convinced there are more people applying than there used to be, but the current office is about 1/3rd the size of the former one at the China Resources Building, so it certainly looks more crowded. And because the Immigration Authorities evidently spent COVID downtime beefing up the application form, there's now more work for both applicants and bureaucrats, so it takes longer to apply. At least the staff are relatively polite and helpful.
All tourist visas for HKPR's (not sure about non-PRs) are now 5-year multiple entry.
I found this thread immensely helpful as I navigated attending to apply for an urgent China Visa this week.
To that end I created an account to provide an update on my experience this week (30 Jan 2024).
Following previous advice & reports of incredibly long lines at the Chinese Visa Application Centre I went to China Travel Services agency. I was told the earliest they could secure a Visa for me (British passport holder with previous multiple entry visas) was two weeks. The staff I spoke to and their website were both remarkably lacking in any kind of useful information as to why this was the case.
I asked around and found 1-2 other agencies that quoted just under $4000 and a five day turnaround for a one or two entry visa. That was longer than I could wait so I went to the China Visa Application Centre on Connaught Rd the next morning.
I arrived at 8:30 with all my documentation and was probably the 20th person in the express line which had formed outside the building on the pavement. That was another much longer line, which was the regular application line.
At about 845am the Security guard at the lobby entrance started to review application paperwork for the “express line” before giving applicants a very small piece of paper with a number on and told they could go up to the sixth floor.
At sixth floor I told the security guard that my application was not just express but urgent, and I was sent over to an urgent processing “next day service” line. There were possibly 100 other people inside the centre at that point which was 9 am, but I was first in the “urgent next day service” application line.
My documentation was reviewed twice and accepted. I gave my fingerprints and then paid the fee which was approximately $1900 for a five year multiple entry visa on my British passport. I left by 9:30am. Was told to return between 4:30-5pm next day to collect passport.
Congratulations on getting the visitor visa!
The fact that this is necessary is just sad, but that's how things are now.
Has anyone heard about the policy that HKID holders are not eligible for a tourist visa in hong kong and must return to their home country instead?
I'd say this is highly unlikely. I obtained a new visa less than a month ago and it was certainly not the case at that time.
Thank you for posting this. Thanks to you I was able to figure out the process and go through it smoothly. I have an HKID with 3 stars *** and a foreign passport. I went in and said nothing of the existence of the HKID, pretending not to speak Chinese as well.
Arrived a few minutes before 9 am on a weekday and was <20th in the express line. There was also a long line for the regular service that wrapped around the outside of the building.
Went up and got to the first desk right away sans wait. I was going for a Q2 but since I was foreign born I needed some certificate to prove my relation to my cousin who was my inviter. I didn't have it, so they told me that they were going to switch me to a tourist (L) visa application and that I'd still be able to apply that day. I just had to buy and print tickets and add it to my application. I also needed a new photograph because they rejected the one they brought with me. I also needed to get photocopies of my old passport containing previous China visas, in addition to a copy of my current passport which I had.
Notes about the process to get my application up to spec at the Visa center: As other have mentioned, the photograph booth only takes "old" HK bank notes - I was lucky to have enough (90 HKD) but for others it was a big hassle. The printer + photocopier takes an Octopus card only - I saw someone with an Octopus watch that was out of luck. I didn't have enough $$ on my card, but I was able to combine all the things i needed to print/copy in one job so my Octopus value was able to absorb the cost by going negative.
Returned to the desk and I was given a slip to wait after being asked if I wanted express or urgent (I chose urgent - it said 1900 HKD but with "fees" at the end it was closer to 2500).
During the 2nd document check, there was a fair amount of suspicion - but I continued to play the part. I was given a slip to pay and return the next day to pick up the visa (or find out if I was rejected). I left and on the way out saw a couple that was being rejected for having a 3-star HKID + foreign passport combo.
The next day I returned between 4:30 - 5:00 pm and got it - 10 year multi-entry L visa!
Anyone else can confirm this?
Always crazy to me who this is kind of thing literally isn't written anywhere, and you can only get it by word of mouth.
Did you (or anyone else) need the flight/hotel pre-booked?
Last time I got one, I just told them I wanted to go to Shenzhen for the day. They pushed that I had to put an address to go to, so I just put the 'Wonders of the World' place.
They gave me the 3 year visa I was applying for, but it always feels so arbitrary.
playing funny games with the Chinese government is not something high on my list of things to do.
Not sure why they have the rule in place and how they enforce it.
https://www.visaforchina.cn/ALG2_EN/...%20accountable.
I guess they have your biometrics from both sides of china and the chaps at Auxun / iSoon could in theory do a very easy rainbow table lookup/match.
ymmv