Be Prepared When Applying for an Outbound Visa from China
April 30, 2014
Gone are the days when China shut itself off from the outside world. After more than three decades of reform, Chinese enterprise has taken on a whole new look. All over the country, employers and employees alike continue to embrace ideas from around the world, demonstrating an increasing need to access international markets in tune with China’s fast economic growth. This article aims to highlight key points and identify potential pitfalls that employers should note to help ensure Chinese employees successfully meet all outbound visa application requirements.
While an increasing number of countries and regions offer visa exemptions for Chinese passport holders for short stays, most still require Chinese passport holders to obtain the appropriate entry visas prior to travel. Many countries continue to name China as a high-risk source country and for this reason, visa applicants generally need to meet stricter document or process requirements.
Many Chinese nationals have had little experience of overseas business visits or assignments. Equally, HR personnel in Chinese companies may have insufficient knowledge of the immigration risks for their traveling employees, so it’s not unusual that Chinese nationals may encounter problems during the visa application process. Worse, they may not comply with local immigration laws and regulations of the host country.
How do procedures and documentation requirements differ from one country to another?
According to the principles of international law, any sovereign state in the world is entitled to decide, at its sole discretion, whether individual foreign travelers are allowed to enter or exit, and whether to issue, refuse or cancel visas in accordance with its local laws. Hence, it becomes very important that a traveler applies for a visa that is appropriate to the purpose of their visit, taking into account the relevant laws and regulations of the country as well as the specific requirements of the diplomatic post that will issue the visa. Unless proper precautions are taken, the visa applicant risks not being able to travel on schedule for the planned activity, affecting both the company and the individual traveler. If the visa category applied for is not the correct one for the travel purpose shown on the visa application documents, it will usually result in no visa being issued.
Generally speaking, there are always some similarities in every country’s visa application documentation requirements.
Chinese nationals normally need to submit a valid passport, national ID card, household register, and other required proof of identity. Foreign nationals residing in China normally need to show a valid passport, long-term Chinese visa, and work permit (if applicable).
A visa application should be filed with the embassy or consulate which has jurisdiction over the applicant’s place of residence in China. Foreign embassies are based in Beijing and other major Chinese cities such as Shanghai and Guangzhou. Once the appropriate embassy or consulate has been identified, the visa application must be prepared in accordance with that diplomatic post’s requirements, stating the applicant’s registered permanent address as well as their current work and residential addresses in China.
For those with non-local household registrations, many cities (including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou) issue proof of residence documents such as a temporary residence permit or a residence card. This additional proof of residence may sometimes be required when the applicant’s household registration does not fall within the jurisdiction of the consulate. To avoid delays in processing their visa application, it is advisable for the applicant (or their agent) to confirm the application location and ensure that proof of identity and residence documents are accurate.
Other documents generally required include a round-trip ticket and hotel reservations, overseas insurance, qualified bank deposit certifications, and so on. Business visa applications also normally require an invitation letter issued by the host company, an assignment letter, a certificate of employment, and the Chinese employer’s business license.
Remember, requirements may differ from country to country.
Original invitation letters, for instance, may need to be provided depending on each country’s particular requirements. Requirements can even vary from one diplomatic post to another within the same country. Italian embassies and consulates, for example, have different requirements depending on where in China they are located.
Specific requirements may also apply to the form of supporting documents. Some countries, such as Japan and India, have very strict requirements for invitation letters and travel itineraries which must conform to a specific format. By contrast, countries such as the United States and Australia have no such specific form requirements. Always ensure you check with the appropriate embassy on these matters prior to filing an application.
Documentation requirements for a visa application can be very specific and complicated. Avoid unexpected departure delays by ensuring you understand exactly what’s required well in advance.
Certain countries may request proof of the applicant’s state of health and character. Most often this is for long term visa applications but may apply for some short term visa applications as well. Proof required may include health certificates, vaccination records, police certificates, and the like.
For example, if a work visa for South Africa is applied for in Shanghai, the applicant must undergo a health exam in a designated medical institution. It should be noted that not every health certificate issued by a medical institution in China is acceptable to the South African consulate in Shanghai. Very often, a foreign national living in China will produce a health certificate issued by a foreign-funded, China-based medical institution, which will not be acceptable. In such cases, the applicant will need to undergo another health exam at a medical institution designated by the consulate.
Designated institutions are usually very busy and may require making an appointment at least one week in advance. If an applicant is unaware of this, they may need repeated appointments to complete the health exam, thereby delaying their visa application by a number of weeks. Proof of yellow fever vaccination may additionally be required if the applicant is planning to visit areas in Africa where outbreaks of yellow fever have been identified and again, this must be taken into account.
In addition to these medical requirements, a notarised police clearance (or certificate of no record of criminal offence in China) is also required for South African work visa applications, which may take another two to three weeks. It is recommended for these cases that an application be made four to six weeks prior to the expected departure date to avoid schedule delays.
Last but not least, visa application submission methods in China may also vary from country to country.
The traditional and most common method is to manually submit the visa application directly to the embassy or consulate in China. However, please note that for some countries, such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, this traditional method is not normally transparent with consular officials exercising wide discretion in deciding whether to accept applications even with all the required supporting documents.
An increasing number of countries (including the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, India, Italy, Germany, and certain other EU countries) have established visa application centers in China. These centers accept lodgments of short-term visa applications for ordinary (non-diplomatic) passport holders. They also provide initial evaluation of the completeness of application documents, with a corresponding processing fee. Visa application centers obviously help to ease the workload of embassies and consulates in China but could also be regarded as another process or communication layer between visa applicants and the visa-issuing authorities.
In summary, it is essential for both Chinese nationals and foreign nationals working in China to choose the appropriate visa type, fully prepare their visa application documents, and submit the application to the appropriate authorities in a timely manner. Employers and visa applicants can save significant preparation time and reduce potential immigration risks by consulting their immigration professional as early as possible before undertaking any overseas business travel.
