reciprocity for US visa process
Apr 17th 2003, 7:30 am
#1
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Thread Starter
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Texas, USA
Posts: 288
reciprocity for US visa process
What goes around, comes around. I went to print the form to mail my visa application for the next trip to China to be unable to find the form and instructions where they used to be. Instead I found this:
"1. Whereas the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China raised U.S. visa fee to $100 as of Nov 1st, 2002, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are instructed by Beijing to adjust the Chinese visa fee for U.S. citizens on terms of reciprocity.<snip>"
"2. <snip> the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in United States will cease, on and from May 1st, 2003, the mail service (including express delivery) for application of Chinese visas. Applicants are required to come to the visa office for visa application. If an applicant cannot come personally, he/she may entrust a relative, friend or travel/visa agent to come to the visa office for application process.<snip>"
The latter was supposedly for security reasons, but note that any total stranger ("friend") may deliver the visa application -- as long as the stranger isn't from the post office or a package delivery company. The only reason that I can see for this is "reciprocity" - a term used in their point #1. We make musical groups wait so long for visas that they must cance lUS tours, we make Chinese citizens fly across the entire country to get a visa -- now we are getting a tit-for-tat response to our own behaviors.
AARRGHH!
"1. Whereas the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China raised U.S. visa fee to $100 as of Nov 1st, 2002, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are instructed by Beijing to adjust the Chinese visa fee for U.S. citizens on terms of reciprocity.<snip>"
"2. <snip> the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in United States will cease, on and from May 1st, 2003, the mail service (including express delivery) for application of Chinese visas. Applicants are required to come to the visa office for visa application. If an applicant cannot come personally, he/she may entrust a relative, friend or travel/visa agent to come to the visa office for application process.<snip>"
The latter was supposedly for security reasons, but note that any total stranger ("friend") may deliver the visa application -- as long as the stranger isn't from the post office or a package delivery company. The only reason that I can see for this is "reciprocity" - a term used in their point #1. We make musical groups wait so long for visas that they must cance lUS tours, we make Chinese citizens fly across the entire country to get a visa -- now we are getting a tit-for-tat response to our own behaviors.
AARRGHH!
Apr 17th 2003, 7:35 am
#2
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Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 462
Re: reciprocity for US visa process
Originally posted by bobzy
What goes around, comes around. I went to print the form to mail my visa application for the next trip to China to be unable to find the form and instructions where they used to be. Instead I found this:
"1. Whereas the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China raised U.S. visa fee to $100 as of Nov 1st, 2002, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are instructed by Beijing to adjust the Chinese visa fee for U.S. citizens on terms of reciprocity.<snip>"
"2. <snip> the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in United States will cease, on and from May 1st, 2003, the mail service (including express delivery) for application of Chinese visas. Applicants are required to come to the visa office for visa application. If an applicant cannot come personally, he/she may entrust a relative, friend or travel/visa agent to come to the visa office for application process.<snip>"
The latter was supposedly for security reasons, but note that any total stranger ("friend") may deliver the visa application -- as long as the stranger isn't from the post office or a package delivery company. The only reason that I can see for this is "reciprocity" - a term used in their point #1. We make musical groups wait so long for visas that they must cance lUS tours, we make Chinese citizens fly across the entire country to get a visa -- now we are getting a tit-for-tat response to our own behaviors.
AARRGHH!
What goes around, comes around. I went to print the form to mail my visa application for the next trip to China to be unable to find the form and instructions where they used to be. Instead I found this:
"1. Whereas the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in China raised U.S. visa fee to $100 as of Nov 1st, 2002, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the United States are instructed by Beijing to adjust the Chinese visa fee for U.S. citizens on terms of reciprocity.<snip>"
"2. <snip> the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in United States will cease, on and from May 1st, 2003, the mail service (including express delivery) for application of Chinese visas. Applicants are required to come to the visa office for visa application. If an applicant cannot come personally, he/she may entrust a relative, friend or travel/visa agent to come to the visa office for application process.<snip>"
The latter was supposedly for security reasons, but note that any total stranger ("friend") may deliver the visa application -- as long as the stranger isn't from the post office or a package delivery company. The only reason that I can see for this is "reciprocity" - a term used in their point #1. We make musical groups wait so long for visas that they must cance lUS tours, we make Chinese citizens fly across the entire country to get a visa -- now we are getting a tit-for-tat response to our own behaviors.
AARRGHH!
I don't know what some of the policy makers are thinking.
Rohit
