Notices & Announcements

Please note that Beijing’s Nonimmigrant Visa Unit will be closed to the public on the following working days, with the schedule as noted below:

February 22, Friday —Closed for the entire day and will not be able to provide any visa related services.  However, answering visa inquiries from American citizens will be available.

March 12, Wednesday—Closed for the entire day and will not be able to provide any visa related services.

March 21, Friday— Closed for the entire day and will not be able to provide any visa related services, including answering visa inquiries from American citizens.

April 4, Friday — Closed for the entire day and will not be able to provide any visa related services, including answering visa inquiries from American citizens.

April 24, Thursday — Closed for the entire day and will not be able to provide any visa related services.

Nonimmigrant visa applicants are now required to tape their application fee receipt on the last page of the completed and printed out DS-156.  Please, do not cover the barcode area, and please do not staple or glue your receipt.  Click here for a sample of the last page of the form that applicants should submit.  Thanks for your cooperation!

Due to a change of the currency exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Chinese RMB, the U.S. nonimmigrant visa application fee will be reduced from RMB 943 to RMB 930, effective Friday, March 28, 2008.

Due to a change of the currency exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Chinese RMB, the U.S. nonimmigrant visa application fee will be reduced from RMB 969 to RMB 943, effective Friday, January 11, 2008.

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fees for U.S. nonimmigrant and immigrant visas will increase.  These fee increases apply to visa applicants worldwide and are due to new security-related costs, new information technology systems and inflation.

Nonimmigrant visa application fee will increase to $131

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa will increase from $100 to $131.  Those applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee before January 1, 2008 will be processed without further payment only if they appear for a visa interview before January 31, 2008.

Applicants who paid the prior $100 application fee and appear for visa interviews after January 31, 2008 must pay the difference - $31 - at CITIC Bank and obtain a receipt before they will be interviewed.

Any payments made after January 1, 2008, regardless of the interview date, must be for the full $131 fee.

Immigrant visa application fee will increase to $355

Effective January 1, 2008, the application fee for a U.S. immigrant visa will increase from $335 to $355.  Those applicants who paid the prior $335 application fee before January 1, 2008 will be processed without further payment even if they appear for an immigrant visa interview after January 1, 2008.

Most IV applicants pay their fees through the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC) in the United States.  Fee bills sent by NVC will reflect this change effective January 1, 2008.  Applicants who make their payment after January 1, 2008 will be required to pay the increase even if their original fee bill sent prior to January 1, 2008 displays the fee of $335.

Embassy Beijing began 10-fingerprint collection on November 15, 2007 and the program is being implemented at all consulates in China for non-immigrant and immigrant visa applicants.

As you are probably aware, non-immigrant visa applicants have been subject to biometric enrollment of their two index fingers since mid-2004.

By December 31, 2007, all American visa-issuing posts worldwide will collect 10 fingerprints instead of two from visa applicants.

The transition to ten prints will enable consular officers to more efficiently and effectively screen out applicants who are ineligible due to criminal history records.

This change in procedure does not change the requirements of who is required to provide fingerprints and who is exempt. As before, applicants for diplomatic or official visa classes, applicants under 14 or over 79 years of age, and medical emergency cases are exempt from the requirement.

While the 10-print biometric enrollment takes a few seconds longer per applicant, it has not significantly increased applicants' time spent in the waiting room or the interview wait time.  

Letters and Blogs

Updated: 2007-04-12 07:12
Chinese tourists

Your recent article entitled "Agency wants US to open up to Chinese tourists" gives the mistaken impression that United States policy is not to issue tourist visas to Chinese citizens. 

In fact, we want Chinese tourists to come to the United States and are eager to issue visas to all qualified Chinese tourist visa applicants.

In reality, rather than limit or prohibit tourism from China, the United States welcomes and encourages Chinese visitors. In fact, in 2006 the United States Embassy in Beijing and the Consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu issued Chinese citizens 268,000 visas good for tourist visits to the US.

Since almost all of these visas were one-year, multiple-entry visas, holders of these visas can travel to the United States as many times as they want for one year from the date the visa was issued. We also issued 83,000 visas to Chinese citizens in other categories.

The US Embassy and our Consulates in China welcome visa applications from Chinese tourists and tour groups as well as individual tourists.

Sadly, we receive relatively few applications from tour groups. We urge the Chinese government to make serious efforts to encourage tour groups to travel to the United States. Again, our officers welcome tour groups.

Michael Regan
Consul General, US Embassy, Beijing

Effective May 1, 2007, applicants under 14 or over 80 years of age who would normally apply in Beijing can courier their nonimmigrant visa applications to the visa unit through China CITIC Bank, without the need to apply in person. 

Children under 14 are not required to come to the U.S. Embassy to apply for a nonimmigrant visa.  If at least one parent holds a valid U.S. nonimmigrant visa, a child may apply through the courier service.  If a parent or parents are applying for a visa at the same time as a child under 14, the parent(s) may bring in the child's application at the time of their interview and apply on the child's behalf.

Applicants who are 80 years old or older, and have not been previously found ineligible for U.S. visas, are not required to come to the U.S. Embassy to apply for nonimmigrant visas. 

Such applicants may apply by sending the following documentation to the Embassy through CITIC Bank two-way courier service:

• Passport: Passport valid for at least six months beyond their intended period of stay in the United States;
• Completed Visa Application Forms: DS-156 Electronic Visa Application Form (for all applicants) & DS-157 Supplemental Visa Application Form (for applicants over 16 years old);
• One Photograph: Two inches square (50x50 cm) color photo, less than 6 months old, against a white background, with full frontal view. The photo should be glued to the DS-156 Electronic Visa Application Form;
• Original Bank Receipt for Visa Application Fee: The 930 RMB application fee may be paid at any CITIC Bank branch in China;
• Children under 14 years old: Please provide a copy of the child’s birth certificate/ or family hukou registration book, as well as a copy of the parent’s passport and a copy of the parent’s valid nonimmigrant visa.

At most locations, CITIC Bank charges a non-refundable service fee of RMB 200.  For more information about submitting visa applications at a local branch of CITIC Bank, please inquire at a bank location near you.  Please note the courier service is optional.  Applicants who are qualified to use this service may still apply in person under the regular appointment system. 

Note: The use of courier service does not guarantee visa issuance.  The Embassy may in some cases, after reviewing an application submitted by courier, require a person to appear in person for a visa interview at the Embassy.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) provides a single point of contact for travelers who have inquiries, or who seek resolution to the difficulties they experience during travel screening at U.S. Ports of Entry, including being denied or delayed boarding; denied or delayed entry into or exit from the United States; or continuous referral for additional screening. Detailed information on this program may be found at http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/gc_1169676919316.shtm.

Qualified business travelers applying for U.S. visas with the APEC Business Travel Card will be eligible for expedited interview appointments.  You may contact the Embassy’s Visa Office via fax number (010) 6532-3178 for detailed information on how to request and obtain an expedited appointment.  Please provide a return contact number on the fax.