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Non-Immigrant Visa
The Visa Office issues only
nonimmigrant visas and processes applications for applicants residing or
working within the Shanghai consular district, which is comprised of the
city of Shanghai, and the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, and
Zhejiang.
All
regular appointments are set up through the Visa Information Call Center.
Before calling for an appointment Purchase a Personal Identification
Number (PIN) number at a CITIC bank branch or online at
http://www.usavisainformation.com.cn. PIN is needed to set up a visa
appointment through the China-wide Visa Information Call Center:
Visa Information Call Center: 4008-872-333 (From within China)
Visa Information Call Center: 86-21-3881-4611 (From outside of China)
The
cost is 54 RMB for 12 minutes of talk time or 36 RMB for 8 minutes of talk
time. The Visa Information Call Center operates Monday through Friday
from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. (except holidays) and on Saturdays from 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Customer service representatives schedule visa
appointments and can also answer questions about the visa application
process. Please be prepared to tell the call center your name, date of
birth, passport number, purpose of travel and, if applicable, dates of
prior refusals.
All NIV applicants must submit the
following documents when applying for a non-immigrant visa:
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Completed and signed Form DS-156.
This form should be submitted using the
Electronic Visa Application Form found on the internet at
http://evisaforms.state.gov/. print out the form
and bring it to the visa interview.
The Electronic Visa Application Form is to be completed in English. No
non-English characters may be entered online. From January 1, 2006, the
Consular Section will no longer require duplicate applications completed
in Chinese. Applicants with Chinese
passports must hand write in some information in Chinese in the spaces
already including the same information in English. The following questions
require additional information in Chinese:
Surname: Write your name in Chinese characters and the Chinese
telecode for your name.
First and middle name: Write your first and middle names in Chinese
characters and write the Chinese telecodes for your first and middle
names.
Other surnames used: Write the Chinese character for any other
surnames you use.
Other first and middle names used: Write the Chinese character for
any other first and middle names you use.
Home address: Write your home address in Chinese characters.
Name and address of Present Employer or School: Write the name and
address of your present employer or school in Chinese characters.
Present occupation: Write your present occupation in Chinese
characters.
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Receipt for payment of the 830 RMB
application fee.
This fee is payable at any branch of CITIC bank. CITIC Bank will provide a two-ply receipt (one ply is white,
the other light brown). Keep both the white and brown receipts and present
them at the visa interview..
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Completed and signed Form DS-157 is required for all
applicants over age 16.
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Completed and signed Form DS-158 is required for all students and
exchange visitors. These forms are available at CITIC bank branches or the
U.S. Consulate in Shanghai’s website:
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/shanghai/visa/. Applications should
be filled out in both Chinese and English. Other nationalities only need
complete the English forms.
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A photograph taken
within the last six months measuring 2 inches square (about 50 mm square)
must be attached to each DS-156 form.
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Students and exchange visitors must pay USD $100 SEVIS fee.
Fee is required of most F-1,
F-3, M-1, M-3 and J-1 students or exchange visitors applying for initial
study. The SEVIS fee must be paid and processed before the visa interview.
Go to
www.fmjfee.com for more information.
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Depending on your particular case you should
bring: invitation letters, school acceptance and financial aid letters,
bank documents, family photographs, marriage certificates, I-797 petitions
(for H L, O, P and Q visas), the DS-2019 form (J visas), the I-20 form (F
and M visas), the SEVIS receipt (F, M or J visas), the visa application
fee receipt, old passports and extension of stay approval forms. Resumes,
research descriptions and biographies of advisors or researchers you plan
to work with in the U.S. may also be needed. The Consulate recommends that
documentation submitted in support of visa cases be translated into
English. Passports must have a validity date of at least six months beyond
the traveler’s arrival date in the U.S.
Visas will only be issued to those applicants who show a clear purpose of
travel, clear relationships with their U.S. inviters, a clear ability to
pay for their trip and significant social, economic and other ties to
China or their home country that will compel them to leave the United
States after a temporary and lawful stay.
If a visa is granted, there may be additional visa issuance fees,
depending on visa class, applicant nationality, and length of validity,
among other factors. Issuance fees are based on reciprocity with other
countries (for most Chinese visa applicants there are no additional
issuance fees). Issuance fees are only charged if the visa is issued and
they are paid at the cashier’s window in the Consular Section after the
interview. For a list of reciprocal issuance fees by country, go to
http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/reciprocity/index.htm
Expedited visa interviews are available for repeat travelers to the
United States. Applicants who meet all of the following requirements are
eligible to submit their visa applications via the CITIC Bank Prior Travel
Program.
The applicant:
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Must be renewing a
visa that has not yet expired, or if the visa has expired, the
application must be submitted to CITIC bank within 12 months of the visa
expiration date.
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Must have received a
previous U.S. nonimmigrant visa in his/her private or public affairs
passport. The most recent visa must have been issued in Shanghai.
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Did not stay for
more than 30 days on his or her last trip to the United States.
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Must be applying for
the same class of U.S. visa.
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Must not have been
refused a U.S. visa since the last visa was issued.
For additional
information, please check our website
http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/shanghai/visa/ or call 4008-872-333
and follow the prompts to listen to pre-recorded information about visa
application procedures in Shanghai.
Immigrant Visa
All immigrant visas and K visas are processed at the U.S. Consulate in
Guangzhou (Tel:
020-8121-8000, Fax: 020-8121-8341).
Attorney Representation
Only visa applicants are allowed into the waiting area. Attorneys
are requested to wait outside and are not permitted to participate in the
interview or present at the interview. If the attorney wishes to make a
statement or give information to the officer regarding the applicant, the
attorney should give that information to the applicant in writing before
the interview. Attorneys may meet with a visa officer on Mondays or
Tuesdays during the American Citizens' visa hour at 3:00 pm.
Contact Information
Consular Section
8th Floor, Westgate Mall
1038 West Nanjing Road
Shanghai, P.R. China
Main: (+86) (21) 3217-4650
Fax: (+86) (21) 6217-2072
Consular Section Fax: (+86) (21) 6217-2071/2072
www.usembassy-china.org.cn/shanghai
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