

Article 12381 of soc.culture.china:
Path: bsu-cs!iuvax!mailrus!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!violet!rzhu
>From: [email-masked] (Rupert Zhu)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.china
Subject: Passport Problem: Case Discussions  (Q-11)
Keywords: Switch to US from Europe;  Change Visiting Scholar to Student
Message-ID: <[email-masked]>
Date: 2 Mar 89 00:59:41 GMT
Sender: [email-masked]
Lines: 147

=============== Information from Xiaoping Yuan's Friend ===================

The messages delivered here are for your information, correction, supplement
and comment.  Read all posting on the series to get entire information.

For the LISTING OF COMPLETE COLLECTION of the series, see <<Passport Problem,
Q & A: A Few Words From The Author (G-3)>> posted on 26th of January 1989.

I am neither an US INS officer nor a PRC officer, following case discussions
are based on the information I have.
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Case 1 and 2:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
1.
I have a friend in England who is going to get his PH.D. this summer and wants 
to come to the US for his postdoctor work.  It seems that the students in 
Europe cannot get the US visa unless they have some documents from the Chinese
government.  Do you have any information about the procedures of applying the
US visa from Europe and what my friend can try if he cannot get the documents 
from the Chinese government?

2.
I am a Chinese student in Europe holding a DARK BROWN passport.  I am
planning to go to the States after I get my PH.D. here next year.
Of course my main concern is what kind of chance I have in applying the US 
visa.
Do you have any information on this?

Discussion on Case 1 and 2:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I do know a few cases that some Chinese students switched to US from Europe
without approval of their domestic units.  But I don't have very much precise
information about how they did that.

1) It's said that many PRC embassy/consulates abroad have sent an official
   note to US embassy/consulates in the same country.  The note requests that
   the US embassy/consulates ask PRCers for the letter of confirmation issued
   by PRC embassy if they apply for US student visa.  US always satisfies PRC
   in such trivial matters. 
   Somebody said this note only applies to the PRC dark brown passport bearers,
   but the saying is not proved.
   For getting exact information, you'd better check with your local US
   consulate, it's the easiest to do.

2) My university admitted a Chinese student who was in an Australia university.
   She was not able to apply for her visa to US because she had no letter from
   PRC consulate there.  Some Chinese students here tried to help their 
   relatives in Japan (students) come here but failed due to the same reason.

3) There are some successful students.  In summer 1987, a PRC visiting scholar
   in UK switched here to join his wife on F-1 visa, I don't know how he got
   the visa in UK (he refused to tell truth).  He is bearing dark brown 
   passport and now switched to another school for his PH.D., it is said that
   now he has passport problem too, the rest of the valid term of his passport
   is not long enough for him to finish his program so how can he seek a job?

4) Many smart ones came here on non-student visa then changed to F-1 or J-1.
   The girl mentioned in G-1 of this series came here on B visa for an 
   international conference.  After the meeting, she applied to change her
   status to student (see G-1).  Another student came here from West Germany,
   he applied for J-1 visa of visiting scholar so no letter from PRC consulate
   was required.

5) As a postdoctor, one may apply for F-1, J-1 (student or visiting scholar)
   and H-1/H-2 (employee) visa to enter US, which depends on the particular 
   situation for each one and the arrangement made by the host organization.

6) As for how to apply for postdoctor position in US, your friend and you
   must know better than me :-).

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Case 3 and 4:
~~~~~~~~~~~~
3.
    I came U.S. about three months ago.  Now I am facing some problems
on my status. 
    I came here as a visiting scholar (self-supported).  Now I'd like to
pursue my PH.D. in U.S.  The International Student office told me that
I couldn't start my PH.D. program without changing my status to student. The
University here said that they can't do it without the permission from
PRC.  I discussed this situation with Consulate and they told me that
the new policy don't allow doing it.
    What can I do?

4.
There is a Chinese visiting scholar in Canada, currently he holds a
"little green book", a two year-valid passport.  His supervisor has offered
him a three-year grant for his PH.D. study.  He wants to know if it is possible
to get extension from Chinese embassy, how? and what documents have to be
provided by himself or his domestic unit?
If the "little green book" is disposable, how could he get a new passport?

Discussion on Case 3 and 4:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1) Your school is correct, you cannot start a program if you don't change your
   status from "visiting scholar" to "student" (stay on J-1 visa).  PRC
   embassy/consulates must have sent a note to your school (they sent the note
   to many US schools, but most schools never follow it, some schools do) so
   your school follows the note.

2) Consulate is correct too, they just follow the "document" and isn't flexible
   and considerate of you.  The only thing unreasonable is the policy.

3) You have still a small chance, i.e., you may apply for another school, if
   they accept you, they will issue you a new IAP-66 for the program, then
   you will change to "student".  Presumedly that school doesn't get the note
   from PRC consulate or they ignore it (this is their choice).  A guy in my 
   school succeeded to switch his status in this way last year.

4) If you bear the dark brown passport, which is valid for five years so you
   are OK at least in several years.
   If you bear the two-year passport, you will have big trouble when it expires 
   because you switch status without approval of proper PRC authority.  
   It is said the "proper PRC authority refers to the State Commission of 
   Education", i.e., first, you must have your domestic unit petition the 
   permission to extend your study abroad for you, then if the State Commission
   of Education approves the petition, they will send a letter to your local 
   PRC embassy/consulate so that they may issue you a new passport. 

5) In my school, a visiting scholar switched his status last Dec., he came here
   last August with two-year passport and now in a Master program.  
   His domestic unit is very kind to him, they not only approved his switch, 
   but also let his wife come here to join him, she arrived in Feb.!  But he 
   still have problem with his passport if he cannot finish his master program
   in two years or he is going to enroll in PH.D. program.  He still needs the 
   approval from PRC consulate to get a new passport (two-year passport is not
   renewable) even though his unit agrees.  He talked with me about his 
   situation and my suggestion to him is : your wife may apply for a program 
   when you nearly get yours done, then she will go to school and study, you 
   will be her dependent so you may stay here with new light brown passport 
   issued by PRC consulate (to dependent of a student) if your unit agrees with 
   you (in this case, probably you only need the approval from your unit).

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Coming-up Information:      Passport Problem
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Case Discussion :        Q-12, Settle I-94 before visiting home;  Renew light
                               brown passport

============================= The End of Q-11 ===============================
                                                                             .