September 1, 2013 will bring some much welcome changes to visa processing in China. After September 1, the processing time for visas should take no more than 15 days, according to the Ministry of Public Security. The same 15 day time limit will also apply for changes, extensions, and replacement of residence visas. Further, a 7 day time limit will be applied to visa related applications.
An article posted in the “China Daily” newspaper today, August 28, 2013, entitled, “New Time Limits For Processing of All Visas”, elaborates on the new visa processing times. The article reports:
“The 15 working days is the maximum, and we’ll make a decision on whether to issue the residence visas to applicants within that time limit,” Xu Yunhai, deputy director of the ministry’s Exit-Entry Management Department was recently quoted as saying
“Foreigners applying for a new visa or making changes to an existing one must submit their passports to exit-entry officers, who will then confirm the
authenticity
of existing visas and check the reasons for staying in the country”, according to Xu.
“Such confirmation, checking and investigation will take some time, which is why the new regulation gives the time limit,” he explained.
Meanwhile, foreign applicants will be given a receipt that will prove their right to remain, or to reside in China until their passports are returned to them.
“For those with special circumstances, such as travel, leaving the country or having other emergencies, during the time period, the administrations can send back their passports temporarily. But these applicants must return the passports when their situation comes to an end,” Mr. Xu added.
Under the new regulation, administrators should spend no more than seven working days on applications from foreigners for the postponing, changing or replacing of visas.
Cui Aimin, a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs specializing in visas, said that China has not canceled the extra fees for foreign nationals applying for urgent business, “but we are discussing the issue of reducing costs and procedures of visa transactions with other countries, such as the United States.”
“We also supply visa application forms in various languages, hoping to better serve foreign applicants,” he added.
“Giving foreigners a receipt as a temporary identity certificate when their passport is not with them has proved helpful in local areas, and so the Ministry of Public Security decided to make it a nationwide requirement”, said Liu Guofu, an immigration law professor at Beijing Institute of Technology. However, Liu said there are some aspects of the new policy that need further explanation.”
Visa processing in China is becoming more and more progressive. Moreover, it has become abundantly clear that China is opening its massive and ancient doors ever wider to invite increasing number of tourists and foreign business talent to share their much needed financial and intellectual wealth with the Middle Kingdom. This is ironic since in the not too distant past, western visitors had to “
kick
” open those same doors in one way or another to gain access to China’s people and China’s wealth. How long the “welcome mat” will stay out on China’s prodigious “front porch” remains to be seen.
Hawkeye in China
Lex Smith
The article referred to above may be found in its entirety at:
usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2013-08/28/content_16925109.htm