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| - Honestly, I'd like to think of myself as the well prepared type, especially when it comes to dealing with government related processes/applications. I went over all that I needed to bring, made sure photo is the right size (china visas require an odd size that places like costco no longer take), followed instructions on their website line by line. Booked my appointment around 2 weeks in advance, walk in with everything and was immediately rudely greeted by the guy at the front desk. Of course, Chinese places in general usually don't give a crap about customer service, which is whatever because I'm used to all that as long as I get what I need. The guy gives me a number and I wait. Side story, while I wait, all I hear are customers at the counter trying desperately to explain their situations and clerks telling them sorry you need to go home and bring back this and that. And I noticed that, and I hope I am just over thinking it, but the foreigners who apply have a much more difficult time. The clerks ask a lot of specific questions about why they're going and why they need to stay so long and extra documentation. I actually heard quite a lot of yelling during my 2 trips (yes 2...) down there.
Anyway, let me just say, they make it incredibly difficult to get your visa on the first try. In fact, I feel like they find every reason to reject and send you home. I brought my passport, previous chinese passport, and all forms/scanned documents/invitation letter, etc. I did not read anywhere in the English website that I had to bring my citizenship card so I didn't. As expected, they called me out on it and was told to bring back original citizenship card, a copy, and to re-photocopy my passports so that both passports are on same page (super picky).
Reason I gave 2 stars instead one 1 (which I kind of wanted to) is because for ppl like me who are just missing a single piece of documentation, they give you the opportunity to come back next day without having to rebook an appointment. But still, I work full time uptown and it is not fun to take 2 afternoons off to make two trips downtown. Their opening hours could definitely be more flexible, but I guess this is their way of controlling the amount of people entering China.
Second day, brought everything I needed plus more ID's because I got paranoid. Rudely greeted by the same dumb guy. I walk in and he's the one that is in charge of checking over your docs before giving you a number so I walk up, took out all my papers and passports and he stares at me and says "what do you want" in Chinese, which has a ruder effect. Grabbed my number and waited 40minutes or so. Overheard more yelling and complaining from others and this time, I was successful. On my way out, really wanted to spit at the guy :(
Moral of the story, bring everything you think you may possibly need so you do not give them any reason to send you home.
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