China Tightens Visa Requirements

China recently announced more strict conditions for applying for tourist visas (L visa).  Applicants for visitor/tourist visas must present an invitation letter from an “authorized tourism unit,” person or company along with their visa application.  And they must provide copies of their round-trip tickets and hotel reservations.

This flies in the face of typical travel advice: Never buy your plane tickets until you have your visa!  Consider buying only fully refundable tickets if you have any concerns about getting the visa, timing (will you get the visa before your flight?!), or you could be seriously out-of-pocket on such expenses.  Make sure your hotel reservations can be cancelled with a full refund if there's any visa hassle.

China – like so many other countries – is cracking down on illegal immigration, visa abuses and violations.  With over 7 billion people on the planet, many seem to think “the grass is greener on the other side of the border.”  And some of these have more greed than sense, more disdain for laws than respect for others.

Here’s the official Chinese website of their US embassy: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/adr/.  Official Chinese embassy websites for Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, etc, have also been updated with these new requirements.  Check out their website for complete details.

Know before you go – check official government websites of the country/ies you are headed toward.  Visa requirements are undergoing a lot of changes in a lot of countries now, and you need to stay current.  For example, these requirements have been instituted at some point since the first of August.  No sign of prior announcements, either!

May your road rise to meet you!

Ann

Essential Business Traveler Card for APEC Region

Travel often on business to the APEC Region?  Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation has a unique program to speed pre-approved business travelers through immigration formalities.  It's geared solely to boost trade and investment in the region.  With the APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC), you speed through special lanes at immigration checkpoints if you are coming for a short-term stay.

The following countries participate:  Australia, Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Thailand, Vietnam.  See: www.apec.org/apec/business_resources/apec_business_travel0.html

Most of these countries allow preapproved business travelers 60 or 90 days entry for business purposes without further need for a visa.  It acts something like a multi-country multi-entry business visa.  And it's for citizens of APEC countries.

The US is supposedly a "transitional member."  This means those carrying the ABTC may use the express lanes at airports (same lanes used by airline crews) to enter the US, but still must have their passports plus any normally required visas.  US citizens are not yet eligible to obtain the card for their business trips to member countries.  No wonder US is uncompetitive in international markets and exports are not moving the way they could.  www.businessmobility.org/key/usa.htm

Great idea for Road Warrioresses!  If you are eligible, look into it, and save yourself some hassle at the airports.