APEC Business Travel Card - Express Immigration Clearance

[moa999]

Think I got a letter within about 2wks of applying.
Had Australia and 3/4 others within the month (from memory Sing and Malaysia were pretty quick)
Only 11 countries 4 months later

Given your travel plans would suggest the minute you get more than just Aus you ask for the interim.. Quite often saves time leaving Australia as well

 

[jasonja3]

Think I got a letter within about 2wks of applying.
Had Australia and 3/4 others within the month (from memory Sing and Malaysia were pretty quick)
Only 11 countries 4 months later

Two months, and only clearance for Australia.... I am sure Xmas has slowed tings up a bit. I would have loved to use it this morning at BKK, very busy!!

 

[browski]

Here is a promising development - especially where India is concerned. One of the few countries that Aussies actually need a visa; and even then it is only valid for 6 months!

APEC to decide on India membership. 12/01/2007. ABC News Online

 

[AnonymousCoward]

Think I got a letter within about 2wks of applying.
Had Australia and 3/4 others within the month (from memory Sing and Malaysia were pretty quick)
Only 11 countries 4 months later

Given your travel plans would suggest the minute you get more than just Aus you ask for the interim.. Quite often saves time leaving Australia as well

Thanks for the info Aubs. Did they get in touch with you any way other than by letter (e.g. email or phone?). I haven't been into the office for several weeks because I've been travelling every week. But if they only send a letter, then I suppose I should schedule a trip into the office on the weekend to see if anything's turned up...

 

[moa999]

Just the letter (a 1 pger with invoice and credit card receipt attached) - no email or phone.
Would suggest the trip into the office to check.

Are generally pretty responsive to emails however (within 24 hrs):
[email protected]

FYI. Interim card is meant to take 7-10 business days from request

 

[gaia]

- any updates on most recent PRC approvals

Applied for card 2 years ago and still waiting for PRC.

I notice on the status tracker that some application numbers newer than mine have PRC approval.

 

[Evan]

China now also offers 12month visa's and seems not to have an worries issueing them (atleast to our staff), i got my 12 month visa in 48 hrs last time. You may as well just apply for the visa once a year rather than each trip hoping your approval will come though.

Any every time i have landed at Pudong (Shanghai) its been quiet and i have got through in only a couple of minutes anyway.

The card looked like a great investment for myself and others but i think the difference between a 'meeting' and 'work' would be questioned for us. Its a shame there is no such card for people working for multimational companies that are simply 'working' in lots of countries.

Evan

 

[gaia]

China now also offers 12month visa's and seems not to have an worries issueing them (atleast to our staff), i got my 12 month visa in 48 hrs last time. You may as well just apply for the visa once a year rather than each trip hoping your approval will come though.

Any every time i have landed at Pudong (Shanghai) its been quiet and i have got through in only a couple of minutes anyway.

I'm now on my second 24 month Chinese visa. If you can demonstrate that you're a frequent visitor 2year visas are easy enough to get. I just wernt to the Chinese consulate and showed them my monthly visit stamps in my passport and had the visa the same morning.

I entered Pudong last Tuesday around 16:00 and the queues were enormous.

 

[Evan]

I entered Pudong last Tuesday around 16:00 and the queues were enormous.

oh well maybe i have just been lucky, i am not going back myself until feb (last visit Oct) so i hope my luck continues.

gaia, Are you just attending meetings or conducting business development ? I always wondered how closely they would look if you were working there, in my case max 2 weeks at a time, the definition of paid work ?? i am being paid, but not by the local company, from our head office instead.

OT: but why do QF pax get lounge acccess for QF129/130 and not the CE codeshare QF337/338 ?? (I always have flown QF129/130 anyway but just wondering)

Evan

 

[gaia]

gaia, Are you just attending meetings or conducting business development ?

I'm the chairman of a China WOFE (Wholly Owned Foreign Enterprise) owned by an OZ company. I don't draw a salary and so don't need a work permit

I've never been asked a single question at immigration in the 20 or so visits I've made to China in the last few years. I rarely stay more than a couple of days and my longest visit has been less about a week.

The only places which ever ask me questions are NZ: 50% of the time on entry (monthly) and it's always "What does your company do?"; Leaving OZ: same question about twice a year; Canada - dozens of paranoid questions about everything (annually) - they have a serious inferiority complex - probably because they're next to the US. Other places I visit regularly - HK, SIN, KL, BKK, TPE, like China never ask me anything. US never asks me questions but I seem to always win the SSSS lottery.

 

[moa999]

Just got an interim card issued (card arrived within 5 business days )

Interestingly the online site shows 11 countries approved - the card lists 12 (ie one extra). Unfortunately its not the one I really want (PRC).

Makes me wonder how manual the issuance process is.

 

[jasonja3]

The online status is still not updating. **EDIT** Bottom right hand of the page of results gives you when the data is taken from.

I called to follow up on my application and talked to a very helpful staff member. I told her the main countries I needed, and she set them as priorities. They can also arrange up to 3 interim cards once the countries I nominated as priority comes through (eg. I have most of the countries I need, accept Thailand and PRC, so once Thailand clears, I will automatically get sent an interimm card, and again if PRC comes through before others, then a final with the last country to clear)

 

[gaia]

The online status is still not updating. **EDIT** Bottom right hand of the page of results gives you when the data is taken from.

When I checked today it sdays "These results based on data last updated on Monday, November 27, 2006" Does that mean that I've no updates since that date or that their system hasn't processed since that date?

 

[moa999]

Think it means none of their data is updated since Nov.
Mine has the same date.

 

[jasonja3]

According to the website, I only have clearance for Australia, but when I rang, I had quite a few cleared. So the website is not updating and refering to old data on the 27th November

 

[moa999]

Would be nice if they had some notice on the website that it hasn't been updated for 45 days or so

 

[infoworks]

Anyone applied for this card recently and have an idea of how long it takes for Immigration to give you a reference number (or reject you)?quote]

It normally takes them about two-three weeks to send you the letter with your number (or rejection). You can't do much until you get that.

I understand they are still having some problems getting updated progress status on their site, so enquiries aren't always reflecting current clearances.

 

[gaia]

Looks like the China logjam's been broken.

After almost 2 years I've received China clearance and a colleague has received theirs after 6 months.

 

[millesm]

It appears that the APEC card now allows you to join the express lane in the USA.

See APEC Business Travel Card Scheme for details

Under the Conditions of Entry section it says....
"Please Note: There is no economy code required for the United States as the card only allows for access to the fast-track air-crew lanes. Cardholders will still need to present valid passports and visas if required by existing United States law."

Anybody tried this yet?

I'll be passing through LAX next month and would love to take the express route through!

 

[jasonja3]

Website is now showing up tp date data for status enquiries.