Your papers are not in order!

...or I think that's what I recall the Russian-accented border guard saying in some 80's cold war movie. My first trip into China, I thought that's what I might encounter, only to be pleasantly surprised -- visa's were easy to get, easier to extend, and I was never asked for my passport.

Times are changing, as most of you already know! Over the weekend, I was asked by a potential customer about the current visa situation. I told him that I was certain that in the runnup to the Olympics, that visas were being restricted. My advice was to apply early, read the instructions carefully, and maybe even consider using a visa agent. I also know for certain that authorities are checking passports at hotels and apartment buildings.

Here are a couple of related stories:

http://www.chinalawblog.com/2008/07/take_that_funky_passport_with.html

http://www.caijing.com.cn/20080704/72951.shtml

I've never lived close enough to a Chinese embassy to apply for visas in person. My family and I have always used G3 Visas with very good result. Someone has always been available to answer questions, and I would recommend them to anyone who needs visa services.

Lastly, here is the link to the Chinese embassy in the US:

http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/