1. Disclaimer
While the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre(hereinafter referred to as the “Application Centre”) endeavors to ensure that the information on the Website is correct, the Application Centre does not warrant the accuracy and completeness of the material on the Website. The Application Centre may make changes to the material on the Website, or to the products and prices described in it, at any time without notice. The material on the Website may be out of date, and the Application Centre makes no commitment to update such material.
The material on the Website is provided “as is”, without any conditions, warranties or other terms of any kind. Accordingly, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the Application Centre provides you with the Website on the basis that the Application Centre excludes all representations, warranties, conditions and other terms including, without limitation, the conditions implied by law which, but for this disclaimer, might have effect in relation to the Website.
2. Terms and Conditions
Article 1 Definitions
1.1 “Embassy” refers to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China.
1.2 “Consulate General” refers to the Consulate
General of the People's Republic of China.
1.3 “Other Consular Institutions” refers to the
Consulates, consular offices and related institutions of the People's Republic of
China.
1.4 “Embassies and Consulates” refers to the
Embassies and/or Consulates General and/or Other Consular Institutions.
1.5 “Chinese Visa Application Service Centre”
refers to the institution that provides handling services relating to applications
for Chinese visas according to the working procedures set by the Embassies and
Consulates, hereinafter referred to as the “Application Centre”.
1.6 “Clients” refers to any individual or a third party authorized by the former submitting a Chinese visa application to the Application Centre, including individuals, travel agencies or other agencies.
1.7 “Clients' Information” refers to the data and
information that Clients provide to the Application Centre in the form of
paper, electronic media or any other form deemed acceptable in order for the
Application Centre to provide clients with appropriate services.
1.8 “Personal Information” refers to all the
required information related to a person included in the application documents
submitted by a client, including, but not limited to, the name, gender, date of
birth, place of birth, marital status, citizenship, passport information,
telephone number, health record, criminal record, residential address, place of
employment, family members, as well as any video recording, telephone call
recording, email content and other private information.
1.9 “Website” refers to the website located at www.visaforchina.org where online services are provided to clients, such as information
announcements, online application form completion, online appointment and visa
application status query services.
1.10 “Basic Services” refers to the services
directly related to visa applications that the Application Centre provides to clients.
1.11 “Extended Services” refers to services
provided by the Application Centre for the convenience of clients other than
the Basic Services.
1.12 “Visa fee” refers to consular fees and charges
payable to the Embassies and Consulates and accepted by the Application Centre
from applicants on behalf of the Embassies and Consulates at rates prescribed
by the Embassies and Consulates, including, but not limited to, the regular
application fee, express application fee and urgent application fee.
1.13 “Application Service Fee” refers to the fee
charged by the Application Centre to clients for providing them with Basic
Services. The fees charged for Extended Services are not included in the
Application Service Fee.
1.14 “Pickup Forms” refers to the receipts issued
by the Application Centre to Clients who have submitted their Chinese visa
applications to the Application Centre, which serve as the only certificates
evidencing payment of the Visa Fee and Application Service Fee as well as for
collecting their passports and visas from the Application Centre.
Article 2 About the Basic Services Offered by the
Application Centre
2.1 To receive clients and classify their visa
application documents in accordance with the requirements of the Embassies and
Consulates.
2.2 To provide clients with intermediate business
services, including computer entry of basic information, and transmission of
passports, visas and Clients' Information between Embassies and Consulates and
the Application Centre.
2.3 To collect a Visa Fee in accordance with the
requirements of the Embassies and Consulates and to deliver passports and visas
to Clients on behalf of the Embassies and Consulates.
2.4 To release and transmit information about
Chinese visa policy in accordance with the requirements of the Embassies and
Consulates in a timely manner through website, information desk, telephone, fax
or e-mail.
2.5 The Application Centre hereby states in
particular that, government functions such as assessing, approving or refusing
visa applications and issuing visas, belong to the exclusive authority of the
Embassies and Consulates, and the Application Centre is not legally empowered
to provide any commitment, guarantee, interpretation or other legal obligations
to clients in relation to that exclusive authority.
Article 3 About Use of the Visa Application
Services
3.1 Clients acknowledge and hereby confirm that the
Application Centre is not involved in the visa assessment and decision-making
process. The Embassies and Consulates have the authority to decide whether a
visa will be issued or not, the type of a visa to be issued as well as its
validity, duration of stay and number of entries in accordance with China's
relevant laws and regulations. A client is required to pay the Application
Service Fee to the Application Centre regardless of approval or disapproval of
an application by the Embassies and Consulates. The Application Service Fee is
non-refundable.
3.2 Clients can make inquiries to the Application
Centre via its website or through the telephone. Clients are required to
acknowledge that the Application Centre is a non-governmental organization, and
its provision of inquiry services for clients is free and based on its
unilateral understanding of clients’ inquiries and the limited information
known and mastered by it in order to provide assistance for its clients for
their visa applications. No matter what the circumstances are, it cannot be
interpreted that the Application Centre has made any promise or assurance, nor
does it bear any other legal responsibility for the answers to clients’
queries.
3.3 Clients are required to submit to the
Application Centre all the relevant Clients' Information required for any visa
application, and ensure that the information provided is true, reliable and
complete. Clients acknowledge and agree that acceptance by the
Application Centre of the Clients' Information provided does not mean that such
Clients' Information as is provided is deemed sufficient. The Embassies
and Consulates have the right to request a client to provide additional
supporting documents or request the applicant to attend an interview.
3.4 Clients shall carefully check all the
information on the Pickup Form and make sure that it is correct when receiving
this document issued by the Application Centre. If any mistakes are
found, clients must contact the Application Centre immediately, and the
Application Centre will make necessary correction as soon as possible.
3.5 Clients must carefully check all the
information on the visa issued to them and make sure that it is correct at the
time when they collect their passports containing the visas. If any mistakes
are found, they must contact the Application Centre immediately. The
Application Centre will try its best to help them with modification or
re-issuance of the visa. Clients acknowledge that modifying or re-issuing a
visa may involve new fees if the information on the issued visa is found
incorrect due to the reasons or causes assignable to them.
3.6 To ensure service safety and service quality, a network monitoring system and telephone recording system have been installed by the Application Centre. The actions of clients at the Application Centre as well as the telephone conversation between clients and the Application Centre may be recorded and preserved, and clients hereby acknowledge and agree to this arrangement.
3.7 Unless otherwise notified by the Application Centre, clients should
collect their passports and visas before the expiry of the visa. The
Application Centre accepts no obligation of taking care of any passport if
clients fail to collect the documents before the expiry of the visa. After the
expiry of the visa, or 365 days of the decision by the Embassies and Consulates
to issue or refuse the visa application, the Application Centre has the right
to deliver the relevant travel documents to the Embassies and Consulates, which
will return them to the competent authority of the passport issuing country.
Article 4 About the Use and Protection of Personal Information
4.1 Clients hereby agree and confirm that
their Personal Information can be collected, transmitted, stored, processed and
used by the Application Centre in accordance with this article whether this
information is transmitted to the Application Centre through the Internet or
directly by the clients concerned or the representatives entrusted by the
clients.
4.2 In order to process Clients' visa applications,
the Application Centre must collect Clients' related Personal Information from
the application documents submitted by them and enter the information into the
computer system.
4.3 The Application Centre may collect Clients'
Personal Information through telephone, email, fax, application documents
(including passports and photos), online application system, online appointment
system, video monitoring system and other media.
4.4 Personal Information will be submitted to the
Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General through the Application Centre's
proprietary channel and may be transferred to and stored in countries other
than the client's country of residence, such as the People's Republic of China.
4.5 Personal Information, including video
recording, telephone recording, electronic information, etc., may be
collected for later use by the Application Centre when necessary (e.g., when it
is requested by the competent department of the local government or for purpose
of internal supervision on service).
4.6 Physical information provided by Clients will be transferred to and stored at the Chinese Embassies or Consulates. The Application Centre will save the collected clients' information in physical or electronic form and take reasonable administrative measures in order to prevent information leakage or unauthorized use and ensure the proper use of all the information.
4.7 The Application Centre will collect, transfer,
store, process and use all the Clients' Information in accordance with local
laws for the purpose of fulfilling the Application Centre's legal
responsibility and obligation, including but not limited to applying for
Chinese visas.
4.8 The Application Centre will take every
reasonable precaution to ensure the safety of the Personal Information and
documents of the applicants strictly in line with relevant laws of the resident
country, but is not be liable for any consequences due to events or acts beyond
its reasonable control such as natural disasters (Force Majeure), unforeseen
accidents and larceny, etc, which may occur when the information and documents
are in transit between the Application Centre and the Embassies or
Consulates.
Article 5 About Liability
5.1 If a passport is lost or damaged from the
custody of the Application Centre, the Application Centre will bear the
reasonable cost incurred by visa applicants for replacement of passports
following the normal application procedures with their country’s passport
authority. The cost will be reimbursed on presentation of the copy of the
receipt issued by the passport authority. However, this agreement does not mean
that the Application Centre will be held liable in any way.
5.2 Clients must make their visa applications
at an appropriate time in accordance with their travel arrangement. Under no
circumstances will the Application Centre be responsible or liable for any
delay of travel arrangement as a result of a Client's inappropriate action in
regard to the time of submitting the visa application or the visa assessment
result of the Embassies and Consulates.
5.3 To the maximum extent permitted by law,
the Application Centre expressly disclaims all conditions and warranties,
express or implied, in connection with the visa application services other than
any conditions or warranties expressly stated in these terms. Where the law
precludes such exclusion and implies certain terms, conditions and/or
warranties into the terms ("Implied Terms"), the liability of the
Application Centre for a breach of such Implied Terms shall be limited, at the
option of the Application Centre, to any one or more of the following:
(a) Re-supply of the relevant application
services; or
(b) Cost of the re-supply of the relevant
application services; or
(c) Any amount paid by the Client to the
applicable government department or authority in respect of the relevant
application services (upon being provided with proper receipt).
5.4 Clients acknowledge and agree that under no circumstances will the
Application Centre be liable to them or anyone claiming through them for any
indirect, incidental, special and/or consequential losses or damages of
whatever nature, or for loss or profits, loss of opportunity, loss of business
or goodwill or interruption of business, whether arising out of or in
connection with their application and/or any of the visa application services,
and whether or not relating to any act, error, omission or negligence by the
Application Centre or any officer, agent, employee and representative of the
Application Centre.
5.5 All terms hereof are governed by laws of the
respective state or province where the Application Centre is located.
Litigation relating to visa services will be heard by a court in the resident
state or province.
Article 6 Other Terms
6.1 The Application Centre, in its sole discretion, may
change, amend, cancel or withdraw any or all of the terms and conditions
mentioned herein at any time without any prior notice. If a client is
dissatisfied with the changes being made, the client's sole and exclusive
remedy is to refuse the services which the Application Centre provides.
6.2 The client hereby agrees to accept and confirm that the applicant and / or his / her representative, prior to submitting the visa application, has read, understood and agreed to be bound by, without limitation or qualification, all of the terms, conditions and details provided herein.