Hong Kong Visa - no more rush service?

[ChTTay]

My friend arrived in Beijing last week having obtained a tourist L visa in Hong Kong. However, he had expected to be able to use a rush service (24 hour) to get it... From what he had read online and from when I was there in September last year.

However, they told him they have changed policy and there is no longer a rush service. The quickest he could get his visa was 4 days.

He also wanted 60 or 90 days but was told 30 is now the maximum.

He wasn't sure if this was just for L visas.

Anyone else been to Hong Kong recently for a Visa?

He applied the first day they opened after spring festival. I am not sure if this could have had an impact.

[zhouhaochen]

I have not been personally, but from what I heard that is the case. All our students who go to HK get their visas done via agents, who can provide very quick service (one hour if you do it at the border with the right guy) and have quite reasonable prices.

It seems that too many people went to HK for visa runs, so they stopped the rush service. In return immediately of course a whole industry of agents who can circumvent that problem sprung up. Chinese visas: never boring!

[ChTTay]

Any idea how they circumvent the problem?

Do you know anything about Z visas? I may need to go to HK to get one in 5 months. I don't mind the 4 day thing really, i just hope they don't stop granting Z visas there.