Difference in public affairs and personal affairs passport

[Keith & Xiang 0]

Does anyone know the differences between a public affairs and a personal affairs passport from China? My fiancee went for further studies abroad to Canada from July 2004 to the end of 2004 on a public affairs passport. This passport is good until 2007.

Will this passport work for the K1 Fiancee Visa and also can she include our daughter on the same passport or will she need a separate passport for her, our daughter is 11 years old?

Thanks,

Keith & Xiang

[Tex'n'Brit 0]

Does anyone know the differences between a public affairs and a personal affairs passport from China? My fiancee went for further studies abroad to Canada from July 2004 to the end of 2004 on a public affairs passport. This passport is good until 2007.

Will this passport work for the K1 Fiancee Visa and also can she include our daughter on the same passport or will she need a separate passport for her, our daughter is 11 years old?

Thanks,

Keith & Xiang

Hi Keith & Xiang,

No replies for you yet, so I Googled for you and came up with This Page from the Chinese Embassy in Greece, of all places! It gives by far the clearest explanation I managed to find regarding the different Chinese passport types - I had no idea how many there are!

To quote ...

"Ordinary Passport for Public Affairs is principally issued to staff in the governmental offices at all levels and to employees of state-owned enterprises or institutions.

Ordinary Passport for private affairs is principally issued to overseas Chinese and those who go abroad for personal affairs, such as residing, visiting friends or relatives, inheriting properties, studying, working, or sightseeing, etc."

So perhaps your fiancee was a state employee of some type?

Skimming through the document, it appears that both your fiancee's passports are valid for foreign travel, so - since this process can sometimes take a lonnngggg time - I would be inclined to use whichever passport has the longest to run, but the 'private' one appears to be the one that might be better to use...

Anyway, the same page goes on to explain how to apply for the various documents as well. Hopefully that will be of some help.

As for your daughter ... again, just skimming through the page, and also judging by what most other countries want these days ... it looks as though she will probably need her own passport.

Please note that I have no first hand experience and/or expert knowledge of any of this - however, hopefully this reply will have bumped the post up to the top and you'll get some answers from members who have dealt with this sort of situation before.

All the best,

Sheila

Edited May 9, 2006 by Tex'n'Brit