China Visa Overstay - A Cautionary Tale (2)

We can go tomorrow and sort it out, Don't worry, it'll be OK, she thinks for a moment, then quite calmly says - They might not be open tomorrow, It's Saturday...PART ONE HERE
 http://www.mynanning.net/2010/03/china-visa-overstay-cautionary-tale.html

The bad news - Not only are they closed Saturday but Sunday also.
I used to like weekends, not any more, not after this one.
Here's how it went...It's still Friday night.
It's difficult to explain all of my feelings at this time. I'm not a child, I'm pushing 60 but nonetheless, I'm feeling childishly helpless.
Part of me is embarrassed about my stupidity, part of me is angry at my stupidity, part of me is worried because of my stupidity.
What can we do?...(Notice how suddenly, it's WE)
I'm facing 48 hours of torment as an illegal alien, might be fined and/or banished for life.

After a while of being able to do nothing it's decided we must make sure the PSB office is closed all weekend - I'll phone the police station, my wife say's.
What now! why, which one ?...I'm panicking.
The one that issued your Temporary Residence papers, she once again, calmly states, I have the policewoman's phone number (Don't ask me why she has her phone number) you know, the police woman that registered you.
OK, do it.
Luckily, the policewoman answered and confirmed that the PSB office in Nanning was indeed closed at the weekends.
That's a positive, I'm thinking, at least we know it is closed.
She could not really offer any other real help only to say that, there is nothing the police can do at this time... !!!
What does she mean "at this time", I'm panicking again.
She said, go along first thing Monday and explain.
Explain what? - I'm stupid, careless, a tosser, a twat. OK, I am, I'll do it, anything to sort this out, make it go away.


After that, the weekend was a somewhat subdued time, I decided that Internet research was the order of the day, 'China Visa overstay' was duly entered into Google.

Here's the jist of what came up...500 RMB per day fine up to a top limit of 5000 RMB, then 10 days to exit, and/or deportation, and/or a big RED stamp on the passport 'OVERSTAYER'.
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/happysheep/2/1220359740/tpod.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1679532
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1545218
http://www.teachabroadchina.com/chinese-visa-overstay-work-problem/
http://www.shanghaiexpat.com/MDForum-viewtopic-t-44016.phtml
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090223202539AAGLtG1
http://china.eslteachercafe.com/topic47-overstay-your-china-visa-and-go-to-jail-.aspx
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1413422
http://www.networkesl.com/english/web/48_69_84.html
http://www.echinacities.com/main/ExpatCorner/QuestionInfo.aspx?Q=191
http://koreanalyst.wordpress.com/2010/01/26/overstaying-a-visa-in-china/
 
On the plus side, if no big red 'overstayer' stamp then re-entry should not pose too big a problem - I'm still panicking but thinking, if I can get there first thing Monday, that's 4 days, so maybe, with a little understanding only a 2000 RMB fine at worst...


To be continued...