Step 1: Getting the visa

Today I waited for an hour and a half in line at the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco to apply for a visa to China. As my friend Andrew pointed out, it’s pretty funny that the Chinese Consulate is actually in San Francisco’s Japantown. I wonder how that happened…

Recently the Chinese government has made visa regulations stricter in preparation for the Olympics, which is understandable for security but risky in terms of making a profit on the event, as the Greece Olympics failed to do in 2004. I learned about some of the recent visa restriction changes from the guy in line in front of me who began to raise his voice at a Chinese official when she asked him to provide proof of his return ticket and hotel reservations. It seemed like he was a frequent traveler to China, but didn't know the the recent policy changes. Realizing that he was going to have to wait in the hour and a half long line again the next day, he cursed loudly in front of everyone and stormed off… welcome to Chinese bureaucracy buddy! I was worried for his sake that he was going to be denied entry for his behavior.

On my return visit to the consulate to pick up the visa, I noticed a sign on the window that said that for non-US citizens the visa costs $90, but for US citizens it costs $130. Then, the sign said that the visa used to cost $100, but because of the Olympics this summer, it's up to $130. A little dismayed, I asked the woman behind the window why the price raise... she answered "Your president want!"