Should You Apply For a Business or Tourist Visa For China? By Seomul Evans At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Applying for a visa for China can be a very confusing business. Your whole trip can be delayed or you might even find you have to cancel it altogether, if you haven't applied for the fight kind of visa. If you are unsure whether you need a business visa or a tourist visa, then there are rules which cover each of these, and classifications within these types, which you might need to know more about.

A tourist visa to China, known as a class 'L' visa, is required if your trip to that country is purely for pleasure purposes, either for a vacation or to visit friends or family there. If you travel on a tourist visa to China and then conduct any kind of business there, you will face heavy fines and deportation if caught.

'L' class China visas are classified according to the number of entries into the country each visa allows. With a single entry visa one person is allowed to enter the country once only, for a specified length of stay. Usually the stay is 3 to 6 months. If you have a double entry visa you can enter and leave the country twice, both visits within a certain specified time frame, which is again usually 3 to 6 months.

If you obtain an 'L' class China tourist visa, you can also apply for a multiple entry visa, which allows you to visit the country on a number of occasions during the specified time frame, which is usually between 6 and 12 months.

If you intend to travel to China to conduct business, or to lecture or carry out investigations, then you need a business visa, or a type 'F' visa. The same is true of travel for cultural exchange or advanced study courses.

A business visa to China comes in the same entry types as does the tourist visa. Single and double entry visas are usually limited for use within six months. Multiple entry visas of this type can usually be applied for to cover a 12 month period, and under specific circumstances you can apply for extension to 24 months.

To apply for a China visa, you should visit your local post office in the US, the Chinese embassy, or a passport processor (private or online). On your application you will need to state your reasons for wanting to visit China. Don't worry if you aren't sure which type of China visa you need. All you need to do is fill in the relevant details with regard to your plans for what you are going to do in China, and the Chinese consulate will use this information to issue the type of visa you need.

All the rules and regulations, about what type of visa you need, how many times you can enter the country, the length of time the visa covers, and so on, can make applying for a visa to China very confusing. The simplest thing to do, therefore, is to fill out your application fully and honestly, and then leave it to the Chinese consulate to work out which visa type you need for your travel to China.

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