Our China countdown is now officially two weeks and counting!!
Last week at our three week mark, I shared with you my China Bucket List. Turning away from the happy-go-lucky post, I'd like to tell my sad tale of woe in regards to retrieving my work visa.
The last time I went to visit China, I went through a company (at Rachel's and everyone else who ever traveled to China's encouragement) called FlyChina. They are a great "middle man" company located in Florida where you send them all of the forms needed for your specific visa, your letter of invitation, and your actual passport along with a payment (for both the consulate and for the company's own work). It's a bit on the pricey side, paying around $200 for a visa that should only cost you $140 but it does save you a trip to the actual Chinese consulate. I went through this company with no problems last year. They went through the Houston consulate and instead of it taking two full weeks to get me my visa, it only took about ten days. Needless to say, when I had to get my work visa, I knew I would go through FlyChina.
Or so I thought... *cue ominous music*
It turns out that FlyChina (beginning in July 2013) was only accepting visa applications from Florida residents. A bit of a roadblock but nothing too tragic since they offered us the name, address, and website of the company they work with at the Houston consulate. I had had such a great experience with FlyChina, I immediately went to the company that they recommended.
Oops.
I sent out all my documents with copies of my visa page, passport information page, driver's license, my flight itinerary--anything and everything you could think that I would need--about a month in advance. This is saying something since last time I applied for my visa, I ended up sending it out exactly two weeks before my flight was leaving. I was a bit nervous about the fact that the company didn't have an order form with a place to leave your name, address, phone number, and email in case of an emergency but didn't think too much of it since I just made my own.
Thank God I did!
About a week after I sent it out, I get a phone call from a 713 area code. I had missed the actual call and no one had left me a message but I looked and saw that 713 is actually the Houston area code. At first, I didn't think anything of it--FlyChina emailed me when they had gotten my passport just to let me know that it had gotten to them safe and sound. But I knew that there was something wrong--and it was a feeling that I just couldn't shake. After about five minutes of me trying to tell myself to calm down, I decided to call them back.
I feel the need to point this out. I have a horrible (and slightly pathetic) fear of talking on the phone. It does not matter who I am calling--it could be my own mother--I instantly get nervous. I feel that there are a lot of people out there who feel the same as I do with phones (or maybe I just have really odd friends)... Either way, if you share my fear, you know how I felt about this.
I called the place--"China Visa Office"... just so you guys avoid it--and immediately got the fright of my life. They asked if I was "the one" from New York... Oh boy... Clearly there was something infamously memorable about my application. They then went on saying that I had to go through the consulate in New York. I asked a few more questions and all I got was a few "I don't know"s and "We'll call you back."
I begin to panic but I am stuck up in Canada for the rest of the day with basically no way to communicate with this company who has not only the documents I need from the university that I will be working at but also my passport. No me gusta.
As I returned to the States that night, I was able to access my email where I had a message from "China Visa Office" that said that they couldn't process student visa applications from New York... Only thing is, I wasn't applying for a student visa... It was a work visa. Nice to know they actually looked at my application.
I'd laugh if you asked me how I slept that night because I didn't and I was up bright and early to call this place as soon as they opened.
I had to bury my fear of the phone and dig deep (in all honesty, I just regurgitated what I've heard my mom say in the past; things like "I'm the layman and you're the professional... you should be looking out for me.") but in the end there was no hope for my application... they were sending my application and passport back to me and I had to go through the New York consulate.
Now I don't know if this is a new development or if I am just a nincompoop. Nine months ago, I was able to use FlyChina to get my visa--a company located in Florida who worked through the Houston consulate... last time I checked neither of those were anywhere near New York. It could have been the type of visa I was getting (a work visa instead of a tourist visa)... I honestly don't know. "China Visa Office" told me that starting in August, they weren't allowed to take anymore applications from people outside of their region.
I have no problem if it had been a legal issue (which I'm sure that is what it was with both America and China being the two most government happy/bureaucratic/jump through hoops/dance for me, monkey countries I have ever known). HOWEVER, nowhere on "China Visa Office"'s website did it say anything like this. FlyChina said in bright red letters: FlyChina now takes visa applications for local Florida residents only. If that isn't crystal clear, I don't know what is... and you know what? I got the message! Hence my journey to "China Visa Office." I simply assumed that FlyChina was just getting too big for itself and couldn't handle national cases... I didn't think it had to do with any legal issues or changes in policy.
The worst part in all of this? "Chinese Visa Office" actually acknowledged that they needed to update their website. I sent my visa application to them at the end of July/beginning of August. If I had known that starting in August, they wouldn't be accepting applications from out of state, I wouldn't have wasted my time or money on them. At least my fury and rage resulted in them realizing that, as a business, they might want to let their costumers know in advance if any changes are coming... Just a thought...
So here I am now, in the exact same boat I was in the first time I went to China--two weeks left in America before I fly to China and desperately needing that visa. Yesterday, I finally got all my paperwork and my passport back from "China Visa Office" (God, what an awful name) so that leaves me fourteen days to send it to the new company I found located right in New York (Chinese Visa Service Center for those of you looking for a company that will take your application to the right location). I'll be spending almost $100 more than I had originally intended for a rush order but it beats having to go down to New York City like I thought I might have had to do when this whole fiasco began. Trust me when I say, it went out first thing this morning. Express.
I like to take negative things like this and put a positive spin on them. Right now, I have been so focused on getting my passport home and getting the actual visa, I haven't really had time to be nervous. A week or so ago, I was struggling back and forth between being excited and being petrified. But now? Now, I am in an epic battle to get that damn sticker in my passport (yes, that is all a visa is--a glorified sticker with some sparkles on it). When I do, it will be such a triumph. I feel like I am in a war right now and a battlefield is no place for nerves.
I know it will all work out. Overnight shipping and rush orders are certainly saving me right now!
Everything was going so smoothly up to this point--I was able to pay for my flight without any help from my parents, I've been making connections with old friends and new ones over in Hangzhou, and I've been prepared beautifully by Rachel, Olivia, and Dave--I should have known that something like this would happen... It was too good to be true!! But, I suppose that this is one of the things that you have to deal with when you've dedicated your life to travel--communication issues, pressed deadlines, cancelled flights... the list could go on for pages and pages!
It's all part of the adventure and someday I can look back and laugh at this... Someday... but not today...
Until Next Time,
Amanda
*Update as of 8/19: I got my passport back with my visa. What a relief! Seriously, if you need to ever get a Chinese visa, go through China Visa Service Center!*
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