Guide to Applying for a US Tourist Visa from China 2025

This article only introduces the US tourist visa B2

If you are departing from Canada?

Please go to "Canada US Tourist Visa Application Guide"

FAQ 1. Is it easy to get a US tourist visa rejected?

Compared with other countries, the US visa has a higher rejection rate

But the rejection is mainly for:

‣ Young people with little travel experience (why don't you go to Europe/Australia/New Zealand, which has more cultural heritage/lower prices/higher safety?)

‣ People whose purpose is not like traveling (for example, your situation is very likely to go to the United States to get married/have a baby/find a job)

‣ Unstable work/weak financial strength (for example, you are unemployed/the income is obviously not high)

If you are an 'experienced', 'very normal' travel/vacation enthusiast (passport records will testify for you), you will most likely get a US visa

FAQ 2. The validity period and stay time of the US tourist visa?

Generally, a 10-year, multiple-entry visa will be given (EVUS registration must be carried out every two years)

But the stay time is determined by the customs officer at the time of entry (usually 1 month to half a year)

FAQ 3. Does the US tourist visa require a lot of materials? Do you need bank statements/tax receipts/leave certificates, etc.?

The US visa is very good in this regard. You just need to fill out a form online + wait in line for an interview. Generally, they don’t look at supporting materials (if necessary, they will ask you to submit supplementary materials, but will not refuse the visa)

FAQ 4. When is the right time to apply for a US tourist visa?

The US official recommends applying at least three months before travel

I suggest that you can apply after you have a preliminary travel plan (at least you know where to go/why/how long to go). The US visa does not require air tickets/hotel orders, etc.

Where to apply for a US tourist visa

The principle of applying for a US tourist visa is:

No matter where the applicant currently lives, where the permanent residence is, where the work is, etc.

You can apply for a visa at any US visa office in China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenyang)

Beijing - View official website

Address: No. 55, Anjialou Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing Customer Service Tel: 010-8531-3000 (There are two different interview locations, please see the appointment confirmation letter for details)

Customer Service Tel: 010-5679-4700

Shanghai - View official website

Address: 8th Floor, Meilong Town Plaza, No. 1038, Nanjing West Road, Jing'an District, Shanghai

Customer Service Tel: 021-5191-5200

Guangzhou - View official website

Address: Huaxia Road, Zhujiang New Town, Tianhe District, Guangzhou (near Exit B1 of Zhujiang New Town Station on Metro Line 3 or Line 5)

Customer Service Tel: 020-8390-9000

Shenyang - Check the official website

Address: 5th floor, Maoye Tiandi Shopping Center, No. 185, Qingnian Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang (by subway: get off at City Library Station on Line 2, Exit B)

Customer service phone: 024-3166-3400

US tourist visa application process

Step 1: Prepare a visa photo (electronic version for filling out the form)

- The photo must be taken within the last six months

- The head size (from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin) must account for 50% to 70% of the total photo height. The height from the bottom of the photo to the eye level must account for 55% to 70% of the total photo height (about 2/3)

- The photo must be square, that is, the height and width are equal, with a minimum of 600x600 pixels and a maximum of 1200x1200 pixels-- For more detailed requirements, please see the requirements on the US Embassy website

Step 2: Fill out the DS-160 application form

This is a very important step!

Please take the most serious attitude and at least 2 hours of continuous time

Before filling in the form, please prepare the following materials and information

1. Applicant's passport

2. Electronic version of the applicant's ID photo

3. Your general travel plan (this is only required for filling in the form, the actual itinerary can change; if you want to apply for a visa first, you can also travel when you have time, you can choose no plan when filling in the form)

4. Your company information, and/or your previous company information

5. If you have received higher education, please prepare your school information, including: school name, address, zip code, admission and graduation time

After preparation, you can start filling in the form:

DS-160 filling website: https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Default.aspx

DS-160 Form filling guide: Sample of filling out the US visa DS160 form

Step 3: Register and pay the fee in the online application system

After submitting the DS-160 form online, you need to enter some personal information on the website below and pay the visa fee of US$185 (both adults and children need to pay, and can be paid by Alipay, and the settlement is converted into RMB according to the exchange rate of the day)

Online application system: please see here | More instructions

Step 4: Make an appointment for the interview time

You should try to apply for an interview (also called a face-to-face interview) in advance (no interview is required for those under 14 years old)

Please refer to here>>

Step 5: Interview - Learn the result on site

For materials required for the interview, please refer to here>>

For the interview process and questions, please refer to "FAQs for US Interviews"

Step 6: Wait for the passport and visa to be received

You can choose EMS to express to your home/company (pay by yourself)

Or go to CITIC Bank in person to pick it up (Why not express delivery?... Because many people are afraid that the express delivery will lose the item)

Step 7: Verify the visa information and register with the EVUS system

You must register after getting the visa, refer to here>>

Documents required to apply for a US tourist visa

1 Documents that must be prepared and brought

1) Passport, valid for at least six months beyond the scheduled stay in the United States

2) DS-160 barcode confirmation (the last printed page)

3) Interview appointment confirmation (generated after online appointment)

4) If the applicant is under 14 years old, you need to bring a photo. The standard is here

2 Recommended materials

Note:

1) Fake materials will lead to permanent visa rejection

2) The following documents must be brought during the interview, but they will most likely not be checked

3) The following documents should be brought in original form as much as possible

4) If the documents required by the interviewer are not brought, you can immediately explain that you can supplement them after the interview. You will not be rejected for not bringing a certain document on site

ID card, household registration booklet, real estate certificate <--- These 3 items may be required to be shown

Company certificate + bank flow in the last 3 months <--- The official has such a reminder, but it is rarely required to show

Dear Sir or Madam:

XXX, who is the staff of our company is applying for a visit to the U.S. XXX has been working here for XXX year, holding a post as XXX (job title), income of a month is RMB XXX (before or after tax, it doesn't matter). Now we approved her a XX days vacation to tour U.S.A.

Sincerely

Division of Personnel

XX

(Sealed)

Itinerary <---- If you filled in the detailed itinerary in DS160, you should provide an itinerary here, but it is rarely required:

1.29 | San Francisco | Fisherman's Wharf -》 Alcatraz Island-》 Golden Gate Park | Best Western Hotel

1.30 | San Francisco | Golden Gate Bridge -》 Sausalito | Best Western Hotel

....

Similar to the above,

The interviewer does not care where you go to play, he wants to ask questions to determine whether you really go on a trip!

For example, why go to Sausalito? If you don't know what Sausalito has, it proves that the itinerary is not made by you, and your materials may be fake~

Therefore, you must understand the contents of the itinerary...

If you have been to the United States and other developed countries before, you should also bring:

Old passport with corresponding visa

If you are a student, you should also bring:

Transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas, as well as bank statements, fixed deposits and other financial proofs

If you are an entrepreneur, you should also bring:

Business license, and information that can prove your salary (tax bills, bank statements without tax bills, etc., but most people don't look at them)

How much is the US tourist visa fee?

Fee Standard

Visa applicants, including children, are required to pay a visa application fee, which is non-refundable regardless of whether the visa is granted

The visa fee is US$185 per person, payable in RMB according to the consular exchange rate issued by the US State Department

How to pay the US visa fee

Before paying the fee, you must first complete the DS-160 form, please refer to the "US Visa DS160 Form Filling Sample"

Then log in to the online application system and pay online with Alipay

US tourist visa interview

How to schedule an interview

Visit the US visa online application system: portal.ustraveldocs.com

Click to schedule an interview time (officially recommends booking early, and you can check the interview queue time here)

What will be discussed during the interview

Because the interview is the most mysterious, exciting, and happy/painful part of the US visa process

So we have made a separate article to help you!

"FAQs about US Interviews"

US tourist visa query and how to get it

Where to check visa progress

Query website: https://www.ustraveldocs.com/cn/zh/step-6/ (You can check by website/email/phone)

How to collect after visa review

Method 1: Send to the CITIC Bank branch you selected before

CITIC Bank will only keep your passport information for 15 days. If you do not collect it after 15 days, it will be returned to the embassy

When you collect it in person, you must show the original ID card and a copy of the appointment letter. For more information, see here

When entrusting others to collect, you need to provide the original ID card of the person collecting the passport, a copy of the applicant's ID card, and a letter of authorization signed by the applicant (click here for the letter of authorization template)

Method 2: EMS delivered to the designated address

EMS special delivery will charge a fee of RMB 106 per passport

What to do after getting a US tourist visa

Congratulations on getting a US visa!

The US visa is generally valid for 10 years. The length of stay in the United States is determined by the customs at the time of entry. Please refer to the "US Customs Entry Instructions"

Next, you need to do two things:

1. Check the visa:

- Is the name spelled correctly and consistent with the passport information?

- Is the gender and birthday information correct?

- Entry and exit time, whether it covers your travel time

- Is the visa page damaged or otherwise abnormal?

- If you have any questions, please contact the embassy in time

2. Register in the EVUS system

Introduction: A registration system for 10-year US visa holders. Registration is required after obtaining a visa

Fee: Free

Validity: 2 years. If you travel again after 2 years, you should renew your registration

Registration website: https://www.evus.gov/#/ (You can switch to Chinese in the upper right corner)

Help: See here (You can switch to Chinese in the upper right corner)

Customer service: 00-1-202-325-0180 (Chinese is also supported)

Q. Does the content filled in EVUS need to be consistent with the content of the DS160 form?

No, the purpose of EVUS is to reflect the latest personal information of travelers, which can be different

Q. Is it enough to register for EVUS before traveling?

It is recommended to register 1 week in advance, because EVUS may take effect immediately or 72 hours. If it does not take effect, you cannot take the plane

Q. What if I write it wrong?

Don't worry, EVUS is just a registration system, and in a sense it has nothing to do with US visas!

If you fill in the wrong information, fill it in again and the last record will be automatically overwritten.

Q. After registering, if "unsuccessful enrollment" appears, what should I do?

Do not fill in the information again, please contact customer service 00-1-202-325-0180, Mandarin is supported

3. Remember to buy insurance before departure

Health and safety first, see here for details

The above, I hope it will be helpful for your trip, I wish you all good luck!