US and China agree to longer visas to visitors, students, and others.

Starting tomorrow, November 12 2014, the United States and the People’s Republic of China will reciprocally increase the validity of short-term business and tourist visas and student and exchange visas issued to each others citizens.


Chinese applicants can now get a B visa (visitor for business/tourism) for up to 10 years and with multiple entries.

Chinese students and exchange visitors and their dependents who qualify for F, M, or J-category visas (students and exchange visitors), are now eligible for multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years or the length of their program. U.S. citizens visiting China for business or tourism should also receive multiple-entry visas valid for up to 10 years. U.S. students may receive student residency permits valid up to five years, depending on the length of their educational program.

The changes will have huge benefits for travellers using any of the affected visas. Up to now, each visa was usually issued for just a few weeks or months, and valid for just one entry. That meant, for example, that a US national who visited China every 3 months for business had to apply at the Chinese consulate for a new visa for each trip. Chinese students who came to the US to study could not leave the US, including to visit family in specially onerous since each US visa application involves a personal visit to the consulate (Chinese visitor visa applications can be done by mail).

The Press Release from the US State Department notes the following as background to the changes:

• More NIVs [non-immigrants/temporary visas] are processed in China than in any other country; applications processed in China represent more than 14% of all NIV applications worldwide. More than 1.95 million NIV applications were processed for Chinese nationals in fiscal year 2014.

• Wait times for interview appointments in China have averaged less than one week at each post in Mission China for the last two years. Due to efficient processing, most applicants are able to enter the Embassy or Consulate, complete their interview, and depart in less than an hour. -

• The vast majority of foreign investment activities in the United States can be performed on a standard business/tourist (B1/B2) visa.

• Chinese nationals comprise the largest group of foreign students in the United States.

• Mission China processed more than 316,000 student and exchange visitor visa applications in FY2014, a 12 percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

• Student visas issued to Chinese nationals accounted for 16 percent of all types of U.S. visas issued in China. Student and exchange visitor visas issued to Chinese applicants represent 30 percent of all such visas issued worldwide.

• Changes in visa validity will not affect visa eligibility criteria, and the basic visa processing fee remains unchanged at the current rate of US$160.

See also the White House Fact Sheet here.