Visa Issues -THIRD UPDATE- Stuck to Top. Look Below for Updates

THIRD UPDATE: So Jessie, the Chinese liason, has given me some good news and some bad news. The good news is that I am not required to go all the way back to America for my visa, but rather out of the country, meaning Japan or South Korea. I've contacted the Alumni Relations desk at Central to see what alumni we have in these areas and I have a possible contact in Tokyo that I've emailed and I'm waiting to hear back for any in Seoul. That's the relative easy part. The hard part is funding this little bureaucratic excursion. I'm looking into seeing if any Chinese travel agents can offer me a better deal than Expedia, which puts airfare to both of those countries at around $1,000. So please continue to pray about this and as usual, i will keep you updated.
ADDENDUM TO THIRD UPDATE: I have a confirmed place in Tokyo to stay with a former alum, and I found another site that offers airfare at about $750, still arm and a leg, but a little better.
SECOND ADDENDUM TO THIRD UPDATE: A marvelously wonderful Chinese staff girl here has found airfare to and from Seoul, via a Chinese travel agency, for about 2,000....RMB, or about 288 American. I'm waiting to see if there are any alumni in South Korea. Also, a Korean-American facilitator has expressed interest in going with me, and I could most definitely use her translation skills and general company.
THIRD ADDENDUM TO THIRD UPDATE: It is now confirmed that I will be going to Seoul with an American who speaks Chinese and Korean fluently, and quite possibly another Chinese American. The dates will be May 30 through June 5. Which allows us to finish this session and get back in plenty of time before the new session starts.

SECOND UPDATE: After a long talk between myself, Julia and Jessie (the Chinese girl who found herself liason between us and the Government visa office, things looking cheerfully confusing. Several options were discussed but there are two which seem to be the way it will be done. The first is to get all the paperwork and 90% of the process done here in Beijing and then, in accordance to new Chinese laws, fly back to the US, more specifically, the Embassy in Los Angeles, get the Z visa and then turn around and fly back. Expensive, tiring but permanent. The second option, which is being looked into as you read this, is to work with the Government and get an F Visa which is only good for 4 months, but can be renewed three times at a fraction of the cost of flying back to LA. With this visa, I am still required to leave China, but not go back to my native country, so more than likely, I will be in Hong Kong to do this. This is a fairly complicated matter and with new procedures and regulations occurring almost daily, please keep this whole matter in mind and if you wouldn't mind talking to Dad about it, I would be most grateful.

UPDATE: I talked to Dr. Yu yesterday, the head of ESEC and both him and Julia (the head of TIP) are confidant that with the new organization they are partnered with that is directly connected to the Government, that I will be able to get my visa. All the things that are required, I have, so needless to say this is pretty good news. I will keep you informed.

I have been informed of some rather stressful visa news that you can please keep in mind. Right now, I am in the country on a 30 day tourist visa with the original plan being to go down to Hong Kong and get my Class Z Residence Visa. Basically, the same as a greencard in the United States, if I am not mistaken.
However, I was just told that the police have tightened visa security issues and now no longer just leaving Chinese borders will suffice and the new requirement states that in order to get the Class Z, one needs to return to the country where the passport was issued, ie The United States of America to apply. Needless to say, this complicates things a great deal. However, I have several people working on a way around this to keep in the country, as well as a new organization that has partnered with ESEC-TIP to help out with visa issues. Right now, that's about all I know, but please, please keep this in mind. I will keep you posted, but until I know more I am trusting in the One who sent me here in the first place.