Thanks Curious for your support, I certainly did not understand all the hostility I got.

Turino, I don't know if your addressing me or Curious, though I'll guess that since your talking about my visa situation, or so it seems, it must be me.

I was indeed told I had to return and apply in my home country, when I went to apply for a new L visa. This was the case for everyone during the Olympics. This was 9 weeks ago, at which time everyone who overstayed was required, or told to anyway, to return to their home country. Please not I only had the exit visa with an * on it saying leave within 10 days.

Have things gotten less strict and returned to looser times than pre olympics? I don't know, I doubt it though, and I will be getting a new passport anyhow.

My only concern is being able to get one, as I don't have the documents with me to get a new passport if mine were say stolen, I'm speaking hypothetically of course. Therefore I will have to renew my old one, which I've been told you can do, but I'm skeptical since it has 7 years left on it. Don't really know if I can just take it in and egt it renewed, though I was told that yes I could by citizenship services. Anyhow, we will see.

Your advice, if bogus, will indeed cost me a lot of money, that being the case, as Curious aptly noted, you should be held to higher standard, and explain things much better if you want some kind of credit, or a pat on the head. If it works yuo have a lot of thanks from me, no question.

Anyhow, the Visa situation here has caused me no end of problems, I hope things will soon return to semi normal.