<\/noscript>\n\n\n\n2018.03.07 – [AU] Melbourne ==> Melbourne (0 kms | Total: 4383 kms) \u2013 Both Jenny and I did not sleep well as we were dreaded thinking of our visit to the Chinese visa application center. Although our visa appointment was scheduled for 11am, we left our accommodation by 9am. It took us less than 10 minutes to cycle to the visa application center. To our surprise, there was no line up leading outside of the building. We took a queuing number from the ticket booth\u2019s category \u201cthose with an appointment\u201d. After a 10-15 minutes wait, our number was called. As we had read all sorts of negative comments on the internet about the rudeness of staff, we were expecting a difficult time. The young agent quickly went over our documents which we had painstakingly completed, reviewed and re-reviewed. Well, we learned that our Costco passport photos were not compliant with the Chinese visa application size. Nonetheless, the agent managed to trim the pictures with a pair of scissor. Then we were asked for our old passports that included our previously issued Chinese visas. We did not have those with us. Unfortunately, we learned that Jenny, as a Chinese born, needed to provide this document otherwise her visa request from Australia could not be processed. She was told that she should go to Canada for her visa application. Alternately she could provide her Canadian immigration card but there was no guarantee that this document would be adequate for her visa request. In addition, we were asked to provide a printed version of our Australian visa which, for Canadians, was simply an electronic record linked to the passport \u2013 called an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). Our initial Chinese visa application fears had in fact materialized. Thankfully, the center provided a courtesy desktop PC and printer which allowed us to print our ETAs. The more challenging aspect was to get our hands on a copy of Jenny\u2019s previous Chinese visa. In a moment of despair and urgency, we sent an email to Pascal who had been living at our home during our travels. We were relieved when Pascal answered our email request for help. We had a brief WeChat video session with him to explain our request. After some guidance, Pascal quickly located Jenny\u2019s old passport and magically sent us, via email, a perfect sized pictures of both the old visa and the passport main page. After printing this document, we once again grabbed a queuing ticket number. By that time, the waiting room had started to fill up and we ended waited for 30-40 minutes to be called at a service window \u2026 of the same agent which we saw earlier. Interestingly, our number was called shortly after 11am \u2013 the exact time of our original appointment. After another 20 nerve-raking minutes with the agent who meticulously reviewed our documents, she finally issued us visa pick-up slips. We left the visa center totally drained and relieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To celebrate, we cycled a few kms to a Chinese restaurant for some dim sum and Peking duck. We later stopped at a nearby grocery store for some supplies. We cycled a short distance further to our accommodation. We checked into our apartment, with a full kitchen facility, for the next three nights. We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening resting and recovering from our crazy visa application experience. Thank you again Pascal for checking your phone before leaving home!<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sunflowerit.ca\/travel\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025-07-02_11-41-28.avif\" "\\"2025-07-02_11-41-28\\"")
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