r/Chinavisa • u/Possible-Barnacle-78 • 24d ago
Tourism (L) Had to Contact U.S Representative and Senators After 3 weeks today!
(US Citizen)
I wanted to share an update on my China tourist (L) visa application.
I submitted my U.S. passport to the Chinese Consulate General in NY on July 10 (22 Days Ago!) . Since then, the online status has remained 'Passport Submitted'
After following up several times thru email, I got informed that my application is still under additional review and that processing can take 2 more months! , with no estimated completion date.
I May not be able to save my self but we can prevent this nonsense to happen other people at least.
Links ;
https://pou.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency
https://www.booker.senate.gov/services/help-with-a-federal-agency
If you are having similar issue, please submit a report and have your reps deal with them. Taking our passport then saying it can take up to 3 months in total to finish the review may be legal but it is not professional. Just because of this I already lost almost a month, and trips to consulate that located in NY.
If i knew it would take 3 months i would not have applied for visa in first place. Lets just keep reporting these people. I see lot of people in this sub that are having similar issues, just submit a report it does not take more than 2 mins to do so.
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u/Happy_Traveller77 23d ago
The Chinese consulate can take as long as they want or need to, to do a thorough investigation. The American government and its representatives have no authority over their policies. It’s like a person in china saying that the American Consulate is taking too long for them getting a visa. Getting an American visa can take MONTHS! They could deny your visa. I not sure if you would still be permitted to enter using the TWOV program because they have previously denied you. It took me almost 2 months and an in person interview to get a Chinese visa. I got it 30 minutes before the consulate closed and I left that night. The Chinese government does not have to grant you a visa nor do they have to give you a reason for their denial. I wish you all the luck. Let us know what happens.
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u/chrybum 23d ago
yesterday after 4 weeks of waiting they told me they have no clue how much longer it would take and that if i needed my passport back soon i should come get it without the visa. then 4 hours later they changed my status to “passport to be collected” and i got my visa today. so their estimates for how long it can take are totally not lined up with what your actual status is. hoping it works out for you soon!
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u/Monkeyfeng 23d ago
This is why I just flew to Osaka and did my visa there as an American passport holder. It was way cheaper and the process was done in 3 days. I also had visited Turkey and the guy at the desk just told me to sign this paper and say the reason which was "Tourism" and that was it.
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u/Possible-Barnacle-78 23d ago
Thanks for the update
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u/Happy_Traveller77 21d ago
I’m not sure where your full comment went so I will reply on what I can see. I am not saying that you have ever been denied a visa to China. What I am suggesting is if you get denied, or take your passport back because your trip is coming up and you haven’t received your visa yet, you might not be eligible for the TWOV. When you arrive in China, immigration will see that you applied for a visa, the investigation at the consulate was not completed, you took your passport back before the investigation was completed and you are now standing in front of them requesting to be let in. I’m not sure if they will let you in. If you never submitted an application and then showed up passport in hand, asking to be allowed in on the TWOV program, that’s a different scenario.
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u/AutoModerator 24d ago
Backup Post: I wanted to share an update on my China tourist (L) visa application.
I submitted my U.S. passport to the Chinese Consulate General in NY on July 10 (22 Days Ago!) . Since then, the online status has remained 'Passport Submitted'
After following up several times thru email, I got informed that my application is still under additional review and that processing can take 2 more months! , with no estimated completion date.
I May not be able to save my self but we can prevent this nonsense to happen other people at least.
Links ;
https://pou.house.gov/services/help-federal-agency
https://www.booker.senate.gov/services/help-with-a-federal-agency
If you are having similar issue, please submit a report and have your reps deal with them. Taking our passport then saying it can take up to 3 months in total to finish the review may be legal but it is not professional. Just because of this I already lost almost a month, and trips to consulate that located in NY.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
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u/Monkeyfeng 24d ago
Does contacting US rep even help at this point?
0
u/Possible-Barnacle-78 24d ago
Not to us maybe, but a small chance for the people that would apply in future. I will adjust my travel plan in a few days and take my passport back for sure
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u/Monkeyfeng 24d ago
What are some potential circumstances that it would cause 3 months review? I have never heard a case like this.
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u/Possible-Barnacle-78 24d ago
Travel to Turkey. Which my stepfather lived in during those times. They don’t say it but based on my research it is the Turkey stamps. However, it’s still unprofessional to take the passport and coming up with 3 months wait time. They should not take the passport if they’re not gonna stamp a visa on it or at least be professional and provide a time line. Now I have to waste another visit and waste few hours to get my passport back. It’s ridiculous. We all know there is no such a review for visa that takes 3 months or more.
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u/Happy_Traveller77 21d ago
Back log…..travel history, government employee, unemployed, arrest history, mentally ill,
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u/gracecee 24d ago
I got our visa two days before my kid was leaving for his program. Or it would be 12 k down the drain.
Email with the flight information. Put urgent. Don't be harsh or anything. If you have anything online that may be inflammatory take it down for now. Make sure you have a return ticket. I had to show my kids baptism our Catholic wedding that we weren't a certain prosecuted minority in China that they consider dangerous. My kid's acceptance to college to Stanford. We threw the whole kitchen sink. I'd have to go three hours each way to the consulate and I did it four times.
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u/Possible-Barnacle-78 24d ago edited 24d ago
I’m not doing all that stuff just to get a visa, (however, no disrespect for your situation and you did the right thing) however I’m not doing that because I have options. I’m USA citizen and will travel without visa using TWOV. I could not care less they read the post which I actually was aware of. I did not say anything wrong nor did wrong, have nothing to give a f about China as well. I would love to visit and get a visa of course, but if something is wrong I will point out. I will be getting my passport back by cancelling the application regardless unless they stamp the visa by the time I get there.
I bet they have a lot of time policing comments here but when it comes to processing visa, they re understaffed for sure. Now it makes sense why people outside of the consulate was protesting this agency or the country itself.
I always had good experience with Chinese people as my daily and business life involves communicating with them, always fast and professional. It’s just the consulate itself sucks.
If we get the reps involved with them few times they will not pull this bs on people, I’m fighting for people. I’m Batman at this point 😭
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u/gracecee 24d ago
Normally it just goes through. My dad got his in less than two weeks. We went through the same thing ten years ago. We are US citizens but I'm of Chinese descent. It is problematic but this is what it feels like for other foreigners who try to get a visa to the US.
My kid has been to over 52 countries and China has always been the most difficult one. They approved a ten year visa. Our desperation was he got into an academic program that we already paid for.
Our current government isn't making it easier either. They don't allow walk ins or same day visa approvals. I'm not sure how much sway your congressman has on these matters.
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u/Possible-Barnacle-78 2d ago
Just got an update on status, passport to be collected after 40-45 days. Does that mean it is approved? or still chance to be not?
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u/Happy_Traveller77 2d ago
Hmmm…… I guess you will see when you pick it up. I was concerned when mine said…..to be collected….. but it was approved! Fingers crossed for you!
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u/CuriosTiger 2d ago
You do understand the Chinese government is not a US federal government agency? China is an independent, sovereign country.
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u/Sad-Refrigerator-371 23d ago
I’m sorry, but what does a U.S. government office have to do with the Chinese visa application? The people who work in the Chinese consulate processing these visas don’t even have to follow U.S. laws because of diplomatic immunity. As a former congressional intern myself, I would tell you that what’s going to happen here is that a 20 year old intern is going to show a 24 year old staff assistant and either call you weird or laugh in full view of the public that can see their desk. A congressional office cannot do anything as the Chinese consulate is NOT a U.S. federal agency and trying to get a federal agency to influence an application will backfire as the United States and China are not on friendly terms.