I’m not saying that the business trip is a sham, but applying for (what we’re assuming is an easier) business visa to get around the fact that she couldn’t get a tourist visa is a risk to take, especially if she’s interested in living in this country and/or visiting more often. It’s just unwise, imho.
nani - ?? (li river using the family name li and he for river if the characters don’t render. this is the name of the tour agency my wife just started using her her mother’s visa. I can’t vouchsafe beyond that.
What’s the downside risk?
You get figured out, turned down, and put on the “bad” list. As mentioned before, once you’ve been turned down for a visa it can be next to impossible to get one.
Visa officials are recruited from some of the smartest people on this planet, trained intensely, and then given a massive workload. They’ve seen everyone’s “clever plan” at least a thousand times, and they see right through it. There are much smarter people than you trying to game the system, and for the most part they get caught.
future denial of visas?
Try again: 李河
And do the math. She applies for a tourist visa and gets turned down. She applies for a business visa and gets turned down. It won’t look worse and maybe even looks better to be turned down for a business visa.
Although, based on the US embassy visa people I’ve met, they are not the sharpest knives in the drawer if you know what I mean.
Cite? Just kidding. I’m not sure if you are being funny or not.
Most of the officials I met at the US Embassy when I was in Shanghai appeared to be run of the mill beauracrats. Most of the smart people were working for US companies on ex-pat assignments.
I’ve never thought of visa officials as clever, and I’ve dealt with them on numerous occasions. Not that they come across as dumb. Mostly just bored. And temperamental.
Update:
Some issues occurred and unfortunately the trip is canceled, but thanks for all your help! I will keep this thread archived for the future. China Guy, I couldn’t find that company online, but I will keep the name in mind for next time. Thanks!
At least she has no rejection on her visa record now…
The pass rate for the written portion of the Foreign Service Exam is 40%- before 2007 it was a mere 20%. They test English usage and then random foreign policy facts- the suggested reading list is more than 150 books long, and they recommend you read the newspaper for a year to prepare. Many people who hold advanced degrees from good schools fail. It’s a tough test.
Then comes the hard part, the oral exam. In the end, less than ten percent of applicants (I often hear 2-4%) become qualified to be put in the hiring pool.
Then, maybe if you pass the medical and security check and have a lot of luck, you’ll be hired. Speaking a difficult language, like Mandarin, will increase your odds of being hired. But plenty of people get passed up. If you are hired, you are required to go through a three to six month training period, including language training. If you don’t meet expectations, you are out.
Foreign Service Officers are some of the few government employees who can officially speak on behalf of the US government and may be in positions where they are making critical decisions. If shit goes down, that guy stamping visas may be having to make important and potentially world changing policy decisions. They may be soulless bureaucrats, but they are the most select group of soulless bureaucrats out there.