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Foreigner Denied Entry with DIY Documents at Border

“My Document is a Copy, But Identical in Content! Why Can’t I Use It?”

On April 17th, foreign business traveler Kiang was full of confidence as he presented his APEC Business Travel Card (henceforth APEC card) at the Shenzhen Bay Port while undergoing exit border control procedures, expecting a smooth passage. However, the border officer discovered that Kiang’s APEC card was a color photocopy, laminated to look like the original.

Despite this, Kiang insisted on trying his luck. “Why can’t a photocopy be used? It has my photo and information, look…” he argued. To avoid disrupting border operations, the officer directed Kiang to a police office for further identity verification.

It turned out that Kiang had left his original APEC card at home to prevent losing it and did not carry it with him. During his stay in China, he had run out of mobile data and, unwilling to pay roaming charges, decided not to use his virtual APEC card, instead opting to test his luck with the photocopy.

Upon learning the reason, the border police educated Kiang on the correct protocols. He acknowledged his mistake and voluntarily ceased using the makeshift card. Since it was his first offense and he corrected his action promptly, the consequences were minor.

Eventually, after receiving a lecture from the border police (and turning on his mobile internet), Kiang successfully used his virtual APEC card to exit the country.

In a similar incident, another foreign traveler, Jin, was caught during entry with a DIY effort. Jin had transferred a valid Chinese tourist visa from an old passport to a new one and made a color copy of the adjacent visa page to paste in the new passport. Her intent was to save time by not carrying an additional passport, but this backfired.

Without her old passport on hand, her actions constituted the use of a forged travel document. Consequently, the Shenzhen Bay border station fined her 2000 yuan and canceled her Chinese visa, denying her entry.

As a reminder, the APEC Business Travel Card functions equivalently to a “5-year multiple-entry visa.” Cardholders, with their card and a valid passport, do not need to apply for visas to travel multiple times to the 16 economies within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, with varying maximum stay limits per visit.

Before crossing borders, travelers must ensure all travel documents are original, valid, and verified, as photocopies are not accepted unless explicitly stated by immigration policies. Always prepare necessary visas and entry permits within their validity periods for your travels!

AnyVisa - Lisa

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