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Q: I desperately need visa extension advice!!
Please help me!!
Im in shanghai on an L tourist visa. I'm on my second (final) entry and my 30 days runs out on saturday (march 14th). I desperately need to stay longer and want to extend my visa. However i've left it quite late and shanghai PSB reportedly has only a 60% success rate. If it's denied I'll have overstayed my visa and be up s creek without the proverbial paddle.
To add trouble to the mix, my passport is almost full of Chinese visas of various types so i don't look like an average traveller. And i can't provide bank statements with the required RMB. I also haven't registered my visa but i believe I can stay in a hotel to do that.
Could anyone give me any up to date advice about shanghai PSB, their protocols and the likelihood of this plan going swimmingly or ANY other city that would have more chance of success (ie. faster processing times, less requirements, more lax with the rules) - maybe nanjing, wuhan, qingdao etc or even further afield)
You're help would be more welcome than you could possibly imagine!
thanks in advance, Greg
other useful info: I'm british, 24, entered china through HK-shenzhen on the 13th feb 2015.
9 years 7 weeks ago in Visa & Legalities - China
Hahah your screwed man. youve been staying too long and skirting the system. Shanghai wont do it I bet. Your best bet is to go back to HK and stay a few days and get another travel or business visa from there. You really wanna live your life like this??? Get your shit together and get a real job with a real visa.
Hahah your screwed man. youve been staying too long and skirting the system. Shanghai wont do it I bet. Your best bet is to go back to HK and stay a few days and get another travel or business visa from there. You really wanna live your life like this??? Get your shit together and get a real job with a real visa.
Got to agree with Mike.
Who wants to extend a tourist visa with no bank statements except maybe an illegal worker?
If this is the case, you are on your own.
I get the impression that each new poster who posts for help to do something illegal is just trolling for someone to take the bait.
Given the new 'adjustments' on the internet in China it would not surprise me if ECC is now obliged to 'help with enquiries' about 'unharmonious activities'.
expatlife26:
yeah this guy is such a strawman "loser foreigner" i also hesitate to believe he is real.
The only thing he forgot to add was to mention sleeping around with local girls
If you can't provide bank statements, chances are even the most bizarre and unadvisable solutions are out of your reach.
From what you're saying, your profile matches exactly the type Chinese authorities do not want around anymore. You're most likely to be going home. Which you should use as an opportunity to sort things out and come back anew.
I can't believe there are still expats on F or L in Shanghai. Is the area behind Jing'an temple still nicknamed "F visa ghetto"? We used to call it this name back in 2009 because it was full of wankers... I mean China experts and entrepreneurs on F and L visa.
Shanghai was so cool back then, now it sucks ass big time, most of the professional expats and Chinese entrepreneurs have moved to second tier cities.
Go back to HK and try some of the travel agencies there. But you're working in China illegally so don't expect staying in China to be all roses and sunshine.
OK thanks everyone, (even Mike). First thing to clarify is i'm not trolling - this is a genuine question asking people with more experience. Secondly, I'm not working. That's not to say I'm not looking for work - that's why i want to stay here obviously. I've been in beijing before but just moved to shanghai 10 days ago with my girlfriend (after visiting her family in beijing). I'm not squeaky clean, but i haven't been overly reckless. Just not in an ideal situation and looking for an easier (and cheaper) way out than HK.
OK thanks everyone, (even Mike). First thing to clarify is i'm not trolling - this is a genuine question asking people with more experience. Secondly, I'm not working. That's not to say I'm not looking for work - that's why i want to stay here obviously. I've been in beijing before but just moved to shanghai 10 days ago with my girlfriend (after visiting her family in beijing). I'm not squeaky clean, but i haven't been overly reckless. Just not in an ideal situation and looking for an easier (and cheaper) way out than HK.
mike695ca:
I think it was the " passport full of chinese visas" that gets peoples attention. This isnt a one time cock up. If you give your passport to shanghai PSB and its denied i dont think you can gey in trouble on your way out for an overstay. They can easily change it by a few days. But im not 100% certain as ive never done it. Just heard of others. If the shanghai thing doesnt work then high-tail it to HK and get started again. Then find a job, any job that will allow you to stay without worry. Not fair to your GF that your gonna be deported anynsexond.
Call the CFTU. A cheaper alternative to breaking the law? You got the best answer you're going to get. And you are looking for someone with experience breaking the law? Yeah because all foreigners are scum working illegally.
Now we know this is a troll account (thanks to the anon feature being gone).
Here's why I am sure you are bogus, your passport is full of visas but you don't know what to do?
You lucky bastard! You're getting the push you need. Why would you want to stay here? China only wants old and thick laowais.
Go to Japan and make twice the money and you'll get twice the career development to boot. I would too, but I'm stuck here until my girl finally gets her dunny roll diploma from the mill.
It sounds like you should go home. Get a new passport. Then you should find a job in China while you are still in the UK. Get a Z visa. Then you can come back to China and have a stable job. I am sure your girlfriend would like the stability and not have to worry about you being deported every few months.
lostlaowai2015:
Yes that would be a solution but I was hoping for a little more time to organise myself and for a cheaper option than returning to the UK so soon after arriving. If i'm not working, as I've clearly stated, is there any reason for being deported? is suspicion alone enough for them to deport me?
Thank you mike, that was my major concern with trying for an extension: whether or not i'd be overstaying if it was denied. my plan is to head down to the PSB tomorrow and give it a shot after asking them to clarify. Obviously if it's denied I'll have to head down to hong kong (as i would anyway). And no, i have no intention of working here illegally (or any more illegally than i have to, given all the rules it seems hard not to slip up occasionally) - It was a serious decision to move to shanghai and being deported is not a risk I'm prepared to take.
Englteachted: I'm not a troll, i'm not really sure what was so ridiculous about this post, it still seems like a legitimate question to me - nor was i asking to break the law. Different cities have different requirements for visa extensions - shanghai from what I've read seems to be tougher than most so given I don't have the required 20,000RMB in my account (sorry for being poor by the way) i thought someone on this experienced forum might, with any luck, be able to say something along the lines of "nanjing PSB doesnt require a bank statement". Maybe i should have clarified why my passport has so many visas but i didn't really think it was going to cause such animosity, mostly they are legitimate tourist visas spread over many years (i first came to china when i was 16) with a couple of short business visas from when I worked in Beijing for a company that repeatedly made false promises about a work visa that never transpired before i quit on them. None of these options ever required for me to deal with an extension process, or for that matter any process within china beyond putting my passport in an envelope at the instruction of my agency.
I greatly appreciate everyone who has given sincere advice and thank you for your time. As for being indirectly being called both scum and a wanker, i must admit I've had warmer welcomes to first posts on forums.
RiriRiri:
Don't worry about overstaying, if they refuse they'll do so right away. And they will refuse.
I agree with you the welcome wasn't too warm, but please understand that it's been nearly two years now since the government has been sending clear signals that the party was over. Your situation is abnormal and if you've been in China for a long time like you claim, you are expected to know better.
To the best of knowledge, Hong Kong does not deliver L visas to non-locals anymore. You are likely to waste time and money there. My advice remains the same: go home, get your things straight and come back clean.
ScotsAlan:
I think you can get them in HK riri. But only for 1 or 2 weeks entry.
lostlaowai2015:
@RiriRiri Thank you, at least i can try without too much risk - if they refuse then they refuse - no harm done.
I don't know Shanghai at all (if that's even where you're based) but in my time in Beijing last year I met plenty of people working on F and L visas. I'm not condoning it, but it doesn't appear that abnormal to me - at least in some cities that is. And that was largely the point of my original question: Seeing as there is so much variation in laws and proceedures across china, does anybody with experience of multiple PSBs know any information that would help my situation. I'm not asking anyone to help me break the law - If London has a 5 day visa turnaround and Birmingham can do it in 4 days, is there anything wrong in me finding this information out and then travelling to Birmingham?
And as for me being expected to know better, I'm not entirely sure why! (especially when all i initially get is judgemental comments for an entirely reasonable question) Yes i have been to China many times: I get a visa in London, get on a plane, check into a hotel, see the great wall, see old friends, eat beijing duck, drink a bit of baijiu (under protest) and then get on a plane home - I've never needed to know anything about PSBs etc. - in fact, their existance is a relatively new revolation to me. Apart from a brief spell trying to and failing to work legally as a teacher in beijing last year (again not an uncommon pitfall for many judging by the number of blogs/pages/articles and forum posts about finding legal companies to work for.) I've never needed to deal with visas within china itself. Even then my company dealt with everything. After giving up on teaching in Beijing, I returned to the UK with my girlfriend for a while, before (relatively spontaneously) following her to shanghai for her work. I once again got my visa in London, came here as a completely regular and legitimate tourist but quickly decided i want to stay and work - "how can i do this?" i thought. "I'll seek advice from a more experienced online community - they're bound to know more than me and forums are often friendly places where people love to share their joy of a mutual topic". I gave as detailed an introduction to my question as i felt neccessary - i didd't know i needed to write my life story so as to prevent personal attacks.
It seems to me a lot of assumptions were made about both me and my situation followed by uninformed judgements. I appreciate trolls annoy any forum, but if this is how this forum immediately treats new people then i put it to you that the trolls have rather won, haven't they?
Anyway, sorry about the diatribe - I've always enjoyed browsing echinacities and was a little disappointed to the response i initially recieved when i first needed their forum. Thank you to everyone who has offered their help - as stated originally, I do really appreciate your time - when i'm more experienced in living in both China and Shanghai I'll be sure to pass it on.
Have a look on "China forums". They have a sticky thread with peoples experience of getting visa in HK over the past few years. Lots of good info there. But you will need to go to HK. You should have got a new passport before you came. But be ready... you might only get a two week visa in HK. It happened to a dude I know.
ScotsAlan:
Sorry. its "Chinese-forums.com". there is a thread called " the hong kong visa topic". You might find your answer there :-)
lostlaowai2015:
Thank you, that looks like a really good link - I'll read through the sticky and see if a visa in HK is likely - or indeed cost effective. Much appreciated!
The main route that all those visa agents are using today is Malaysia. Its better if you fly there and get a visa there and it'll last longer I bet than ones you'd get within China. Trust me flights there are super cheap.
lostlaowai2015:
Wow ok, that's something that never occurred to me. Looking at a couple of websites they seem to offer 6 and 12 month multi-entry L visas - 6 months would be enough for me to apply for my new passport within china (It's a 6 week process from a foreign embassy - which obviously a regular 30 day visa wouldn't provide for) but they talk about needing extra materials for a multi entry visa. I couldn't provide proof of marriage or kinship to a Chinese citizen but one site says proof of at least two previous chinese visits would be enough. Do you know if this is true? Thank you for your help ironman510!
ironman510:
If you're holding an American passport than renewing your passport will take 3 to 4 weeks usually, done twice, once for me and than for my son. 6 weeks is usually the longest..
Forever Bright agency in HK has an excellent reputation for getting visas ; maybe give them a try
lostlaowai2015:
Thank you, duly noted - I'll check them out in preparation for a dash to Hong Kong if it comes to that.
ironman510:
Triple noted, now you need a HK ID to get a Chinese visa. My mate was rejected last week. Its confirmed. You can only get Q2 visa's in HK now or Crew or Z or S visa's, but no L or M or F's.
lostlaowai2015: Hi there. They say first impressions seal the deal, however I don't give one toss what any of these contributors think, cause I can be just as insensitive as some were to you. I am sure there is a sprinkling of "old timers" (20yr. + expat experience), that contribute, with maybe a sigh of relief, perhaps amusement or genuine empathy, to this forum. I agree with you; there are a few alley cats “that like to judge you”... just like I am doing to them now. If one is not well versed in traveling and seeks advice on a forum, unfortunately you cannot pick your audience. So here is some advice; anyone who is sarcastic or judgmental to a question you post, it is because of 2 things...1. They have seen themselves in a similar situation, sometime back, or get some delight out of your lack of experience. Therefore, they feel justified by preening the claws of a tattered alley cat. 2. There are a lot of international losers that come to this country cause no one else will employ them - sore fact. Do I hear an alley cat cry out there in the audience? Don't take notice of any person who tries to make you feel worse. Everyone must start off sometime in their life in their expat adventures. You are young and are allowed to make mistakes. I commend you for leaving your loved ones, your country. Now that big alley cat, aka Mike has validated some good points, however he lost a few scores when it was evident by taking the mickey out of your lack of experience and vulnerability. It was probably his mother that told him, like he told you “get your shit together.” Anyone who cares to respond to me is free to do so. Those with the sharpest claws will reveal that they’re the biggest losers, such as Englteachted.
p.s. There are many Expats that are contributing citizens, who do amazing acts of kindness in this world. Some have written in this posting. Those citizens are not alley cats. As this is my first posting on the forum, the first impression would probably be justified with some defense that does not go down well.
lostlaowai2015, it is all about thinking smart, when traveling. I am sure you will become well versed and through your own experience, show empathy to others who maybe, in the future, in a similar position as you currently are in.
Good luck.
ScotsAlan:
So what is your practical advice to the OP? Interesting first post :)
icnif77:
I wonder, how's your puter's cooling set up? Can you brew cup of tea on your machine, after you hit 'Submit'?
