APEC BTC Renewal

[sweens]

Can someone please help out with answers to my following questions?

I have an APEC Business Travel Card which expires at the end of December 09 and I am due to fly to Shanghai in July:
· Is it OK to use the card in place of a Chinese visa until it expires in December or does it need to be renewed within say 6 months of expiring to be valid?
· When should I apply for a renewal under normal circumstances?
· How long does the renewal process normally take?

N.B. The APEC card is currently valid for 18 countries including China and my passport has a number of years before it expires.

 

[dot]

You will be fine provided you have at least 60 days left on your APEC BT Card when you enter China (remembering that you are only entitled to enter for a maximum of 60 days). You might be able to enter China with less than 60 days validity on your card, but I wouldn't like to bet on it...

Remember that the APEC BT Card is a 3 yr visa, and the 12 month multi entry Chinese visa an still be used in the final six months of it's validity - it's no different really...

If it was your passport with less then 6 months validity, that would be a different issue and you would have problems.

In terms of renewal, if you use the card a lot, I would recommend allowing at least six months, so get it started soon. I thought DFAT contacted you about six months prior to the expiry anyway...

 

[cosi]

I received a letter from DFAT six months before my card expired inviting me to renew.

I completed the paperwork, as my passport is still current and paid the fee.

My card expired last month and I still waiting for DFAT to post the new card. Using " Check Application Status" on the internet I see I have been cleared for all countries but still no card.

No overseas travel planned this month so presume the new card will turn up in mail.

From memory, the fee has been increase but still definitely worth the cost to avoid those immigration queues

 

[moa999]

APEC and Passport renewal - what order

I presently have an APEC card that expires Jan-2010 and a passport that expires Jun-2010.

The Dept of Immigration APEC BTC website suggests you apply for a renewal six months before expiry of the old card to ensure all the clearances come through.
The form says that your passport should have at least six months, but ideally 3.5 yrs remaining on it.

My question is thus.
Should I renew my passport now, and then renew the APEC card, or alternatively.
Should I renew the APEC card, then renew the passport and get the passport details on the APEC card changed.

Two other sub-questions related to this:
1. I assume the new APEC card won't be issued until the old one expires, ie potential expiry date of Jan-2013
2. The application form suggests expiry of the card is 3yrs or passport expiry, whichever is the soonest. If I renew the APEC card first, does the expiry date of the APEC card automatically get extended when I renew my passport and have the details updated (assume dot can answer this)

 

[cosi]

APEc will contact you by letter inviting you to renew your card. I got my letter in October 2008 and my card expired in May 2009.

Probabaly the best option would be to renew your passport first and then lodge your renewal. APEC will issue you a new card with your new passport details for the remaining duration of your existing card.

To be sure this is the best course of action, I would contact the APEC Travel Card Unit in Canberra.

Explain the situation and ask them for there recommendation. The managers phone number is

Tel 02 6223 9182

or

general email [email protected]

I am sure they will be keen to help and recommend.

Good luck.

 

[Dave Noble]

Re: APEC and Passport renewal - what order

My question is thus.
Should I renew my passport now, and then renew the APEC card, or alternatively.
Should I renew the APEC card, then renew the passport and get the passport details on the APEC card changed.

Initiate the APEC renewal. When your old passport expires you can contact them and they will re-issue your ABTC with the new passport details

Dave

 

[moa999]

Re: APEC and Passport renewal - what order

Initiate the APEC renewal. When your old passport expires you can contact them and they will re-issue your ABTC with the new passport details

Dave

Dave, Am ok with that, but understand that initially my APEC card will only be valid until Jun-2010 (passport expiry).
So just want to confirm that when I renew the passport and advise Immi that they will then reisse the ABTC with a Jan-2013 expiry
(otherwise I spend $200 for only six months renewal)

Edit: Have also emailed the ABTC Immi address with same question and will post response

 

[moa999]

Dept of Immi called me yesterday and recommended I renew my passport first.

Reason is that some countries will not process the APEC card application if less than a certain period left on the passport (Indo 18, China 12mths) and once the passport is renewed it is difficult to get countries to reprocess.

SO I think the smart thing is if you have <2 yrs on the passport renew it first.
Off to Aus Post on Monday.

 

[moa999]

New passport received, APEC form sent in a few weeks ago and had my Amex processed 10 days later, then status letter in mail.

Interestingly my previous APEC form number was 124xx now is 364xx.

Given it appears to be sequential, that suggests an additional 24,000 APEC applications in the intervening 3 yrs.
Interstingly the form still says Currently some clearances can take longer than twelve months
Doing random checks on various app numbers looks like JPN, PNG, SGP are the slowest countries with JPN the slowest (probably 4 months lag) which will be OK for me in any event (current card to Jan-10).

After under a week already have 4 - AUS, CHL, MEX, NZL