General Questions

• What is a visa?
• Where should I apply?
• How long before my planned travel date should I apply for a visa?
• How can I request an emergency interview appointment?
• Can a third-country national apply in China?
• What if I have problems with my PIN number?
• Can my wife and I apply for visas together on the same day if I was refused before while she was not?
• Duration of Stay: How long can I stay in the United States?
• What does the word “Entries” and the letter “M” mean on the visa? 
• What procedures need I go through upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry?

What is a visa?

If you're a citizen of a foreign country, in most cases you'll need a visa to enter the United States.

A visa does not permit entry to the United States.  A visa simply indicates that your application has been reviewed by a U.S. consular officer at an American embassy or consulate, and that the officer has determined you are eligible to enter the United States for a specific purpose.   Consular affairs are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of State.

A visa allows you to travel to the United States as far as the port of entry (airport or land border crossing) and ask the immigration officer to allow you to enter the country. Only the immigration officer has the authority to permit you to enter the United States. He or she decides how long you can stay for any particular visit. Immigration matters are the responsibility of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

There are two categories of U.S. visas: Immigrant and Nonimmigrant.  Immigrant visas are for people who intend to live permanently in the U.S. Nonimmigrant visas are for people with permanent residence outside the U.S. but who wish to go to the United States on a temporary basis, i.e. for tourism, medical treatment, business, temporary work, or study.  back to top

Where should I apply?

Chinese residents must submit their applications to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General that has jurisdiction over their place of residence, even if the location where they normally live is different from their "hukou" registration.

If you normally live or work in the Beijing Consular District, you may apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. The Beijing Consular District includes the municipalities of Beijing and Tianjin, and the provinces of Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Ningxia, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Qinghai and Xinjiang.

If you live in an area other than those mentioned above, please apply at the following appropriate U.S. Consulate in China:

• Chengdu— Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan
• Guangzhou — Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan
• Shanghai — Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang
• Shenyang — Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning
• Hong Kong — Hong Kong & Macau    back to top                                   

How long before my planned travel date should I apply for a visa?

Because of significant demand for U.S. visas, there is usually a wait for visa interview appointments. If you need a visa interview, you may have to wait several weeks for an appointment. You may check current visa appointment wait times on the Department of State's website.  Additionally, your visa may not be issued for a period of time because of post-interview processing. When additional administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case, but usually takes between one to three months. Therefore, we encourage all visa applicants to call the China-wide Visa Information Call Center at 4008-872-333 to make an appointment as far in advance of their anticipated travel plans as possible. If you are a frequent traveler or someone who may be required to travel on short notice, we encourage you to keep your visa valid and apply to renew your current visa before it expires. Please plan ahead and apply early! Thank you for your cooperation.  back to top 

How to Request an Emergency Interview Appointment?

Under certain circumstances, applicants who cannot wait for a normal visa interview appointment may request an expedited appointment.  Please visit the following web page for detailed information on how to request an expedited interview appointment:http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/niv_expedite.html.  back to top   

I am a third-country national living in China. Can I apply for a nonimmigrant visa here in China instead of returning to my home country?

While there is no prohibition for third country nationals to apply, applicants should be aware that anyone who does not have legal permission to reside in China (residence permit, student or work visa) AND has not been living in our Consular district for at least one year will be unlikely to overcome 214(b) immigrant intent.

Anyone who does have legal permission to reside in China AND has been living in our Consular district for at least one year should be prepared to show evidence of these facts and will need to demonstrate that he/she possesses a residence in China that he/she has no intention of abandoning. Applicants can prove the existence of such a residence by demonstrating that they have ties in China that would compel their departure from the U.S. after a temporary stay.

The application procedures are the same as that for Chinese nationals. Click to see how to apply for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa in China. If you are a national of the U.S. VWP countries, visit the webpage of the Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs to see whether you need a visa to enter the United States.  back to top

What if I have problems with my PIN number?

Contact the Call Center's Customer Service Help Desk (Shanghai local number): (021) 5062-3880. This service is available from 8:00 AM to 5:00PM, Monday through Friday, excluding Chinese Public Holidays. This service is currently answered in Mandarin only. The caller is responsible for any long distance charges incurred.

Refunds for unused PIN numbers

For more information about how to obtain a refund for unused PIN numbers, please click to learn more about the Refund Policy of the Visa Information Call Center.  back to top  

Can my wife and I apply for visas together on the same day if I was refused before while she was not?

Normally, refused applicants are given interview appointments later than non-refused ones. You and your wife may apply together on the later appointment.  back to top 

Duration of Stay: How long can I stay in the United States?

If you are allowed to enter the U.S., the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) official will determine the length of your visit on the Arrival-Departure Record  (Form I-94). Since Form I-94 documents your authorized stay in the U.S., it’s very important to keep it with your passport. Please carefully consider the dates of your authorized stay and make sure you are following the procedures under U.S. immigration laws. It is important that you depart the U.S. on or before the last day you are authorized to be in the U.S. on any given trip, based on the specified end date on your Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94. Failure to depart the U.S. will cause you to be out-of-status.  Being out of status could affect your eligibility to obtain visas in the future.  Please refer to the http://www.travel.state.gov  web site for additional information, or view this page.  back to top

What is “visa validity?” What does the word “Entries” mean on the visa? What does “M” under “entries” mean?

“Visa validity” generally means that the visa is valid, or can be used from the date it is issued until the date it expires, for travel of the same purpose.  To determine how often you may travel to the US on that particular visa, please look to how many entries you were given.  If the visa was issued for multiple (or “M”) entries, it may be used until the expiration date shown on the visa.  If the visa was issued for one entry it may only be used once during the validity of the visa. 

Visas can be issued for any number of entries, from as little as one entry to as many as multiple (“M”) entries, for the same purpose of travel.  If you travel frequently as a tourist for example, with a multiple entry visa, you do not have to apply for a new visa each time you want to travel to the U.S.  It is important to note that although you have a multiple entry tourist visa, a tourist visa should not be used for work or study in the US.  

The visa validity is the length of time within which you are permitted to present your visa to a U.S. immigration inspector and request permission to enter at a United States port-of-entry.  The visa does not guarantee entry to the U.S.  The expiration date for the visa should not be confused with the authorized length of your stay in the U.S., given to you by the U.S. immigration inspector at port-of-entry, on the Arrival-Departure Record, Form I-94, or I-94W for the Visa Waiver Program.  The visa expiration date has nothing to do with the authorized length of your stay in the U.S. for any given visit.

There are circumstances which can serve to void or cancel the period of time your visa is valid.  If you overstay the end date of your authorized stay, as provided by the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. immigration officer at port of entry, or by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), then this action on your part generally will automatically void or cancel your visa.  However, if you have timely filed a non-frivolous application for extension of stay or a change of status (click here for information), and have not engaged in unauthorized employment, then this normally does not automatically cancel your visa.  If you have applied for adjustment of status to become a permanent resident alien (“green card” holder), you should contact USCIS regarding obtaining Advance Parole before leaving the United States.   back to top

What procedures need I go through upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry?

Click HERE to see what procedures you need to go through upon arrival at the U.S. port of entry.