U.S. Embassy Urges Students and Exchange Visitors to Interview For Their U.S. Visas Two Months Before Their Program Starts

The U.S. Embassy in Beijing is urging all students and exchange visitors planning to study or do research in the U.S. to appear for their visa interviews two months before their programs start.

The majority of student and exchange visitor visas are processed within a few days; however, some visa applications require additional administrative processing. Administrative processing for student and exchange visitor visas is currently taking 3-4 weeks to complete.

Interest in studying in the United States continues to grow and record numbers of students are applying for visas. Summer is our busiest season. This spring it is more important than ever to apply early. 

We strongly encourage students and exchange visitors who have been accepted by a U.S. college or university to contact the Visa Information Call Center immediately at 4008-872-333 (calling within China) or (86-21) 3881-4611 (either calling from China or from overseas) to book an appointment on a first-come, first-served basis.  All of the information and forms needed to apply for a visa are available for free at the U.S. Embassy website here.

Students and exchange visitors who do not have an appointment two months before their program start date should send a fax to (86-10) 8531-3333 requesting an earlier interview appointment. There is no fee for requesting an expedited appointment. Please see here for instructions and further details on applying for an expedited appointment.