Summer Study in Beijing

[cary]

Originally posted by Eurydice@Feb 11 2006, 09:48 PM
The VISA Question: Eternal Headache

Hey guys, our F1 visa 'expires' after a year. So if we leave the States in the summer, that would be after the expiration date. Do we need to re-new our visa in order to re-enter the US? And if so, do we have to go back to VN to do it, or is there an easier way? Someone suggested that summer study technically is counted as part of our full-time student studying stint, but I'm not sold yet ... 0_o

1. A F1 visa cannot be renewed or re-issued in the US. This can only be done at an embassy or consulate abroad. It is NOT possible to obtain F1 visa while in the United States.

2. If your visa expires while you are in the US, you will be in legal student status as long as you are a full-time student. You don't have to renew the F1 visa if you don't leave the US. Each year, your I-20 is signed by a designated school official (foreign or international student advisor). In order for the foreign student advisor to sign the I-20, you must be in good academic standing.

3. If you want to leave the US and your F1 visa will be expired by the time you return, bring the I-20 to the advisor around 2 weeks before you plan to leave the US. This makes sure your I-20 is valid in SEVIS by the time you return because the immigration officer at the port of entry will check the system to make sure your I20 is valid even though you have a valid F1 visa.

4. If you want to renew your F1 visa from China (third-country), it is very difficult because now new regulations perhaps eliminate this possibility. It is best to apply for a new F-1 visa in VN (home country). You will travel back from China to VN and have F1 visa renewed.

[Eurydice]

::yawns:: There's no need to be snarky.

Thanks for the third part of that very long post anyway. I think I've got what I need.

[Chu Lan Anh]

@CM: Theo chị biết là phải về VN xin lại visa em ạ, không vì cái vụ đấy thì hè này chị đã vừa làm research vừa đi Beijing được rồi

Với lại I20 khi xin lại visa chỉ cần có chữ kí trong vòng 6 tháng trở lại thôi, không cần phải là 2 tuần trước khi đi như anh Cary nói đâu.

[Eurydice]

I will see the International Students Office about this then. They SHOULD know...

By the way, visa and such aside, it seems I'm DEFINITELY seeing sis LA and bro Binh in China this summer. $4500! Damn, but Yale is awesome! ::dances::

Providing, of course, that I can make my decision by the end of the week. PiB or HBA? Health insurance or academic rigor? WAH!

[Pham Ngoc Diep]

I haven't checked VA for a while but today apparently I did and...OMG, this is incredible! Guess what, guys? I'm also going to BNU this summer through Dartmouth. It's so true that everyone is learning Chinese insanely!
So finally, who are going for sure? Binh, Lanh, Mai?
@ Lanh: hey i never knew that you'd go to China. I thought you'd go to England or something???

[Chu Lan Anh]

Yeah I'm going to Beijing for the summer and then England for the fall sem. I'm going to Beida with the Richmond folks, but all these schools are close by so I'm sure we can still easily have a blast.

[khang]

if you do PiB or want to communicate with PiB folks get ready for some initia very awkward moments as PiB'ers are not supposed to speak any English during the program, even to your american roommie. if you are from another program and would like to meet up with Pib'ers then you still have to speak chinese to them. It's kinda weird at first but you'd love it later on. I had to walk away whenever someone in beijing talked english to me and didnt understand chinese (to understand what i replied). beida is sth like 30 minutes from beishida by direct bus. PiB program is extremely rigorous but you would not hate it because you feel you can speak so much more chnese at the end of each day.

[Sagittariusf]

Thumbs up for PiB At least for the refinement of your pronunciation :p I personally like the fact that PiB accepts a large number of students who have already graduated from college, which means you can learn so much more from your classmates' professional and living experience, as opposed to being with the same herd of 2nd or 3rd-yr undergrads having only taken 1 or 2 yrs of Chinese and going away from home for the 1st time. Besides, with PiB's strict language pledge, you shouldn't worry about speaking Vietnamese or English all the time. But don't plan to be there for the sight-seeing and Sanlitun bars.

Anyone going there for 3rd yr, say hi to Wei laoshi for me

A note about money: There's a (political) reason for PiB's financial aid policy. Pay attention to what testady highlighted. The matching fund is meant to channel the aid money to those with demonstrated commitment to learning the language for professional purposes. Try to talk to your Chinese professors and department heads. Chances are they might have personal connections with PiB administrators (AAS, after all, is a tiny circle), and can negotiate a deal for you. I got $3500 from Swarthmore, and PiB matched with the exact same amount, even though they had earlier declared that $2500 would be the maximum amount of financial aid they could give.

[Chu Lan Anh]

Cho em hỏi hơi ngoài lề chút, visa qua Trung Quốc là multiple entries hay la single entry ạ? Đối với người Việt Nam mình có đặc quyền gì không, kiểu như là như qua Sing dưới bao nhiêu ngày thì không cần visa đó?

[Sagittariusf]

Visa TQ có nhiều loại lắm, tùy thuộc vào mục đích, duration of stay single-entry hay multiple-entry mà có các mức "giá" khác nhau.

Nếu xin visa từ US thì có thể dùng loại X (over 6 months) hoặc F (under 6 months), single-entry, double-entry or multiple-entry tùy chọn. Non-US citizens enjoy lower fees :)

Nếu xuất phát từ VN, ở TQ dưới 14 (not sure) ngày thì chỉ cần giấy thông hành cấp tại cửa khẩu, không cần visa. Lệ phí visa do ĐSQ TQ ở VN cấp cũng rẻ hơn nhiều.

Nếu có ý định ở TQ dài hạn có thể chỉ xin 30-day single-entry tourist visa (cheaper, faster, only requires a passport, a simple application, 2 pictures and US$13, no need for additional documents), rồi sang đến TQ tiếp tục đăng kí thẻ lưu trú dài hạn (juliu xuke) - registered through a "unit" (i.e. host institution) and works just like a multiple-entry visa. This saves you from the hassle of waiting for all the papers in the mail.

[Chu Lan Anh]

Mấy anh chị đã đi cho em hỏi thêm một chút nữa. Kì tới sau khi đi Bắc Kinh thì em về Hà Nội rồi qua exchange bên Anh. Vậy cho em hỏi nên mua vé máy bay thế nào? Liệu có mua vé theo kiểu one way về VN nhưng xin stop-over ở Bắc Kinh 6 tuần được không? Hay là phải mua vé one way về Bắc Kinh rồi tự lo vé máy bay/ đi tàu về Hà Nội. Có anh chị nào biết mấy đại lý vé máy bay của Tàu để có thể mua vé 1 về Bắc Kinh rẻ hơn là mua online hoặc là đại lý nào của VN có thể stop-over ở Beijing không ạ?

[Chu Lan Anh]

Nếu anh chị nào đã từng mua vé kiểu này rồi thì cho em hỏi là giá vé khoảng tầm bao nhiêu được không ạ? Thanks.

[testdasi]

Hey guys... So finally after a hell lot of effort, I finally secured funding for PiB through Brown Freeman scholarship... So unless something utterly stupid crops up, I will be in Beijing...
Sorry if I'm not updated: who is going PiB?

[San]

Seems like a lot of people will be in China this summer. How about a little gathering thingy?

I will not be in Beijing but I will be in Shenzhen for the whole summer from June to September so...

[vlo]

did u guys took chinese at USA Uni ? is it possible for me to go on this program if i just taken chinese when entering college? thank you

[San]

@Long: Yes. I just took Chinese since the beginning of my first year. Gluck

[vlo]

dat's cool. how does MHC support us?

[San]

Do you mean support you financially to enter the program?

Mount Holyoke has its own Chinese summer program in Beijing in BLCU -Beijing Language Cultural University. MHC program offer the same package as Havard or Princeton program which means participants can take Chinese lessons and have a couple of extra courses such as Taichi, Calligraphy...But our group is of a smaller size so students will benefit from teacher's attention that maybe lacking in those big program.

This year MHC program costs 3,500 $ for tuition and room. The student is responsible for their own ticket, around 1,000$ and their meal, approximately 1,300$ ( This is just the estimation and, in my opinion, it is exxagerate a little bit).

MHC provides funding for their own students (*wink* This means you will probably get more funding from MHC, provided that you are an MHC student, than from other program). Most of my friends in Chinese class applied for our school program. They haven't received the financial package yet so I cannot say anything but MHC is kind of generous when it comes to thing like this.

[Chu Lan Anh]

Originally posted by San@Mar 20 2006, 09:24 AM
This year MHC program costs 3,500 $ for tuition and room. The student is responsible for their own ticket, around 1,000$ and their meal, approximately 1,300$ ( This is just the estimation and, in my opinion, it is exxagerate a little bit).

Ôi estimate đúng là estimate, Richmond thì bào lả meal cost khoảng $75/MONTH Hay là ý em bảo cả travel cost + meal = $1,300 À mà cẩn thận tiền vé máy bay đấy, nếu đi đợt cuối tháng 6 thì cũng đắt lắm Năm nay LA chắc tiền vé máy bay phải hết khoảng $1,360

[San]

Em về Vn khoảng giữa tháng 5 nên chắc giá vé cũng ko đắt lắm.

[Eurydice]

I chose PiB. I think I might be a closet masochist. At least I'll get to compete with my hypothetical roommate over who can smoke the greater number of cigarettes the night before the final exam. In door, with the AC on dammit!

More importantly, let's all go back to VN in May!

[San]

Yay! And let's have a Predeparture Party !!!

[Chu Lan Anh]

Mọi người vui vẻ ở nhà tháng 5, chắc LA bay thẳng từ Mĩ sang Bắc Kinh luôn, hẹn gặp mọi người ở đó vậy Mà mợi người ở BK bao nhiêu tuần? Date?