New Visa Agreement between China and The USA

[Robertt S]

Here is some new and interesting news that I have just read.

The United States and China to Extend Visas for Short-term Business Travelers, Tourists, and Students      November 10, 2014 The United States will begin issuing visas in accordance with a new reciprocal arrangement on November 12, 2014. Chinese applicants who qualify for a B-category nonimmigrant visa (NIV) may now be issued multiple-entry visas for up to 10 years for business and tourist travel. Qualified Chinese students and exchange visitors and their dependents who qualify for F, M, or J-category visas are now eligible for multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years or the length of their program. U.S. citizens eligible for Chinese short term business and tourist visas should also receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years, while qualified U.S. students may receive student residency permits valid up to five years, depending on the length of their educational program. Please review our FAQs for more information.

http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/news/ChinaVisas.html

 

[Chad]

Robert

I have questions on this and I hope you or someone else can help me. I plan to go to China in July of this year and take a 1.5 week tour through a tour company. Afterwords I want to stay in China for a month or so or longer it just depends on how things go for me.

I have been emailing the people at VisaRite and they tell me as does their website that I need a round trip ticket and proof of hotel accommodations in order to apply for a visa. I don't know when I am coming back. Is there anyway around this?

They said that if I get an invitation from a Chinese citizen that I could apply for an S visa. Well I am not sure if I can get an invitation from a Chinese citizen.

Any advice you or anyone else can give me?

I read the article here but it didn't help me any.

Thanks

Chad

[Pineau]

 never was required to have an invitation.  I just put down the reason was to visit family and friends.  Or tourism. I always  got a one year multi entry visa.

Get some girl on QQ to invite you if you still think it is necessary.  I think Willy is a citizen maybe he could invite you. lol

[Rhonald]

Just last month was my first time travelling to China where I was not going to visit my wife - since she now lives with me in Canada. So when applying for a visa, I didn't have her home address in China available for my visa application. At the Chinese visa application center, when I said I was travelling to China with my wife, who still has her Chinese passport (thus still Chinese citizenship), I was still told that I needed either a letter of invite from a Chinese resident from China, or booked hotel receipt. When I said that I had no exact itinerary yet, she said that I only needed to show a hotel receipt for the first couple of days, not for the whole 14 days to have with my visa application.

[Willy The Londoner]

Not sure if the arrangement is the same as the one for UK. When I was planning my first visit nearly six years ago I never had to have an invite. However my sister's husband is coming to visit in April and he is required to have an invite letter from us as he is staying here.

Willy

[Mark]

Chad,

The requirements for the Chinese visa are really not that strict. I recently applied for and received a 1 year multiple entry visa good for 90 day duration each entry. All I was required to present was a printed copy of my flight itinerary and printed copy of my hotel reservation. It was a tourist visa and it seems that 90 days duration would fit your needs. Actually if you plan on going to China again in future years it would be a good idea to renew your passport and get the 10 year Chinese visa. It costs the same as the 1 year multiple entry. I doubt you need to prove hotel stays for that long a duration.  For this visit reserve a budget hotel and then once you get there stay a night and cancel the remainder and travel as a tourist would travel. All travel plans are subject to change and you penalty is only the cost to reschedule your departing flight. That is to be expected. Traveling around China is really quite simple and very reasonable in cost. It's almost too easy to get to HK and restart your visit.

It seems you have the visa service that you want but if you'd like to try www.mychinavisa.com they provided better than excellent service for me.

I hope his helps,
Mark