China Applicants Thread

[Joshmantis]

We are almost at the same point. I received my sponsorship approval on June 6. Beijing asked for my wife passport on June 26. It is just to give you an idea.

Best of chance

Wow, that is fast! Just 3 weeks! It's now been more than a month for us, so hopefully we hear something soon. We were actually thinking of sending in her passport even though they haven't asked for it yet because we have some updated photos we want to send in.

 

[Joshmantis]

Hey everyone/anyone,

Just saw that our status was updated on website to "In Process"! Finally! I was approved as a sponsor and the application was forwarded to the Beijing VO on June 25, 2012 and they only started processing the application for my wife on July 31st, 2012.

So, they've been working on it for a week almost, and we have already sent in her passport along with a few updated photos (they didn't request these) because we wanted them to have it when they need I've heard that there can be a long wait from them sending you a letter to send the passport in.

Hopefully, the wait is not much longer now.

Cheers!

 

[Fencesitter]

Will the visa office accept the passport if they haven't requested it?

I might do the same when I submit the additional documents I have prepared. Perhaps this is a good strategy for reducing the waiting time.

Anyone know if it's okay to submit the passport before they request it?

FS

 

[Joshmantis]

Will the visa office accept the passport if they haven't requested it?

I might do the same when I submit the additional documents I have prepared. Perhaps this is a good strategy for reducing the waiting time.

Anyone know if it's okay to submit the passport before they request it?

FS

Yes, it's ok, because my wife was reading other posts (in Chinese) about sending your passport in early and apparently, many people do it. The worst they could do is send it back, but they wouldn't do that because they'd have to spend more money.

 

[Fencesitter]

Wouldn't there be a risk of the visa office losing the passport? I mean, where are they going to keep it?

FS

 

[philipsweden]

Hi all

I have some questions that I hope someone can help me answer. I am a Swedish citizen current living in Shanghai. Me and my Canadian fiancee have decided to move to Canada and is now applying for the PR for me.

Because of family reasons we have decided to leave China before the Canadian VO here in Shanghai has time to receive our application and therefor I plan to apply for the PR at the VO in London which is designated for Swedish citizens.
1. Will my current work permit and one year residency permit here in China affect my decision to direct the application to the VO in London?

2. I am trying to get the police certificate here in China and it seems like I can only get the validity period for when I have held a residency permit here in China. Prior to my current job I had an internship and was on a F-visa which prohibits me to get a police record for this period. How does the Canadian VO see this? Do they have consideration that it is complicated for foreigners to get police records in China?

3. Can I do my medical check here in Shanghai and later forward this one to the VO in London or does the medical check have to take place in the country where you choose to apply for the visa?

Extremely thankful for any help!

Cheers

 

[Fencesitter]

I think the F-Visa is for people doing business. I don't think it's for internships or anything related to education.

Could you ask the police office to issue a letter stating they do not issue police clearances for foreigners who hold an F-Visa? I am sure the Canadian visa office will be aware that China is not the easiest of places to get things done, and I would draft a letter stating as much. I don't see why they wouldn't give you a police clearance. Are you sure? I'd go back and ask them to show you documentation that states the rules in regards to issuing police clearances for foreign nationals.

I think if you do the medical check in China, they will forward it to the visa office in Beijing. Not 100% sure about that one...

There is no visa office for PR applications in Shanghai. The only two for China are Beijing and Hong Kong.

If I were you, I'd wait until you arrive in Sweden...aside from the Chinese police cert.

FS

 

[Joshmantis]

Wouldn't there be a risk of the visa office losing the passport? I mean, where are they going to keep it?

FS

All you have to do is put add a letter with the passport stating your application number and they'll put it with your application.

 

[Fencesitter]

And this is normal? I mean, the visa office wouldn't think you were jumping the gun and assuming too much? Might that piss them off? They might think you're basically saying you already have the visa in the bag, so here is the passport...put the visa inside and send it back...

FS

 

[philipsweden]

Hi Fencesitter

Thanks for your help,

The F-visas are sometimes used for interns as well without getting paid so that is why I was on the F-visa. I will try to get a letter from the police authority in China stating that they do not issue police records for foreigners without a residency permit.

Thanks I did not know the Shanghai office do not process PR application.

As regards to the medical check I do hope I can get it done here in Shanghai and then have them post this one to London where I will do my PR application. Otherwise it seems like I might have to go through Beijing for the PR.

I talked to an immigration lawyer in Canada and although it is not entirely according to protocol I can apply for my PR outside Canada and still visit my fiancee as a visitor until the sponsor and visa is ready to be picked up. Anyone has any experience with this?

Is it only the Canadian embassy in Beijing that holds your passport for so long until the actual visa is ready or is this common for all VO around the world? If that is the case I might apply for my PR with one of my Swedish passports and actually visit Canada on another while the visa is being processed.

Thanks for your help!

 

[philipsweden]

Another issue that I have

Since I lived in HK before I need a police record from there. It is fairly straight forward to get but I need a request from the Canadian embassy or government to present to the HK police to issue such a police record for my PR application.

I have tried to contact the Canadian embassy to get such a request so I can present this to the HK police with no luck, anyone knows where to get such a request letter from?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Joshmantis]

Hi Fencesitter

Thanks for your help,

The F-visas are sometimes used for interns as well without getting paid so that is why I was on the F-visa. I will try to get a letter from the police authority in China stating that they do not issue police records for foreigners without a residency permit.

Thanks I did not know the Shanghai office do not process PR application.

As regards to the medical check I do hope I can get it done here in Shanghai and then have them post this one to London where I will do my PR application. Otherwise it seems like I might have to go through Beijing for the PR.

I talked to an immigration lawyer in Canada and although it is not entirely according to protocol I can apply for my PR outside Canada and still visit my fiancee as a visitor until the sponsor and visa is ready to be picked up. Anyone has any experience with this?

Is it only the Canadian embassy in Beijing that holds your passport for so long until the actual visa is ready or is this common for all VO around the world? If that is the case I might apply for my PR with one of my Swedish passports and actually visit Canada on another while the visa is being processed.

Thanks for your help!

A little off topic, but to let you know, the Beijing VO is one of the fastest in the world. You could apply to that one and then move to Europe. Lots of people do that.

 

[philipsweden]

I really do not understand how the VO in Beijing can request the passport from foreigners living in China and then hold it at the embassy for weeks or months. Everyone knows that foreigners need their passport for air travel and hotels.

I have almost now decided to use the VO in Beijing for my visa application but there is no way I can have my passport in the embassy for such a long time.

Any idea if this would work?: I have two Swedish passports exactly identical only with one different number in the passport number. Sweden issues this to business people who requires it for travel especially in a country like China. Can I use my passport without my China Resident permit to apply for my Canadian PR and use the other passport to travel around in China and in and out of China? Then there is no problem for my "blank" passport to be sitting at the embassy until they issue the visa.

Any ideas?

 

[Fencesitter]

The Beijing VO is pretty fast, so the longest you'd need to wait would be about 6 months. I'd send in the passport showing your residency permit. Make copies of it and make sure you have the original from when you registered at the local PSB. This is assuming you don't need to travel outside of China during that time. If you do, then I'm not sure how you should proceed. Submitting a blank passport would be odd, seeing as you would need to show that you are a resident in China in order to use the Beijing VO to process your application.

If I were you, I'd wait to do everything in Europe.

FS

 

[Kdc1965]

Wow, that is fast! Just 3 weeks! It's now been more than a month for us, so hopefully we hear something soon. We were actually thinking of sending in her passport even though they haven't asked for it yet because we have some updated photos we want to send in.

Yes for sure that is fast, I had submitted my sponsorship forms jan 20, got approval April 24. And my wife's status still shows appication recieved medicals received and nothing else. :-( I've been posting on the jan 2012 link.