Visas

• You must go to the visa office of the Consulate-General in Chicago; or

• If you cannot go personally, you may entrust someone else or to go to the visa office for you.

• Your valid & actual passport. The passport must have at least six (6) months validity left before expiration and at least one blank page left in it.

• One completed Visa Application Form (Q1) with one additional passport photo (black & white or color is acceptable). [Download]

• An approved Foreign Student Visa Application Form (JW201 or JW202) issued by the authorized Chinese unit, and an enrollment letter from the Chinese school.

• The applicant who will study in China for more than one year shall also provide a Physical Examination Certificate for Foreign Citizen. [Download]

• An applicant born in China who applies for a Chinese visa with a new foreign passport is required to submit his/her Chinese passport or last foreign passport with a Chinese visa.

• If the visa application form is not filled out completely, correctly and legibly, this can cause a delay in processing or the refusal of the requested visa.

• $50 for American, and $30 for citizens of other countries.

• The regular processing time is 4 working days. For express service, additional fees of $30 for 1 working day processing, or $20 for 2-3 working days processing will be charged.

• Please pay by Money Order, Cashier's Check, Company Check or Cash. Personal checks are not acceptable. Please make the check or money order payable to Chinese Consulate in Chicago.

• Generally, a student visa is valid for one entry, three months. American citizens may apply multiple entry visas valid for 12 months, and the application fee is $50. The holder of a student visa shall go through residential formalities in the local public security department within thirty days of entry into China.

• Any person suffering from mental disorder, leprosy, AIDS, venereal diseases, contagious tuberculosis or other such infectious diseases shall not be permitted to enter China.

• The Consular Officers have the authority to refuse any visa applications inconsistent with Chinese laws and regulations, or revoke issued visas.

• You must go to the visa office of the Consulate-General in Chicago; or

• If you cannot go personally, you may entrust someone else or to go to the visa office for you.

• Your valid actual passport. The passport must have at least six (6) months validity left before expiration and at least one blank page left in it.

• One completed Visa Application Form(Q1) with one additional passport photo(black & white or color is acceptable). [Download]

• An applicant born in China who applies for a Chinese visa with a new foreign passport is required to submit his /her Chinese passport or last foreign passport with a Chinese visa.

• An invitation letter from the host company or unit in China.

• To apply for a Multiple Entry (L) Visa, the applicant shall meet the following requirements:

1. The applicant shall submit a visa notification issued by the authorized Chinese unit, which specifies the validity, number of entries and duration of stay for the visa application; or
2. The applicant has made an investment in China and shall submit the original and photocopy of the Chinese business license carrying the name of the applicant (The original one will be returned after checking); or
3. The applicant is in a position of management in an American company which has a subsidiary in China. He/she shall submit an application letter from the American company and an invitation letter from the Chinese subsidiary company; or
4. The applicant has visited China at least twice with the (F) visa within the past 12 months and shall submit a copy of the visa and an invitation letter from China; or
5. The applicant need to visit China frequently in order to execute contracts signed with a Chinese company, and shall submit the original and photocopy of the contract(The original one will be returned after checking).

• If the visa application form is not filled out completely, correctly and legibly, this can cause a delay in processing or the denial of visa.

• Please pay by Money Order, Cashier's Check, Company Check or Cash. Personal checks are not acceptable. Please make the check or money order payable to Chinese Consulate in Chicago.

Additional information

• Usually, the validity of a Single Entry or Double Entry (L) visa is 90 days from the date of issue, which means the holder of the visa shall enter into China no later than 90 days from the date of issue once for Single Entry/ twice for Double Entry, otherwise the visa is expired and is null and void. The duration of stay of a (L) visa is 30 days, which means the holder of the visa may be stay in China for up to 30 days from the date of entry.

• Any person suffering from mental disorder, leprosy, AIDS, venereal diseases, contagious tuberculosis or other such infectious diseases shall not be permitted to enter China.

• The Validity, Duration of Stay, and Number of Entries of the visa is issued at the discretion of the Consular Officers, whose decisions are based on the laws and regulations of China. The Consular Officers have the authority to refuse any visa applications inconsistent with Chinese laws and regulations, or revoke issued visas