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Guangzhou Nonimmigrant Visa Unit

The U.S. Consulate General is located at 43 Hua Jiu Road, in Guangzhou’s Zhujiang New Town neighborhood. Our entrance is located on Huaxia Road near Zhujiang New Town Metro Station Exit B1. To learn more about the visa application process, pay the visa application fee online, and schedule an appointment, please visit ustraveldocs.com.

MISSION CHINA HAS RESUMED REGULAR VISA SERVICES

Regular visa services have resumed at U.S. Embassy Beijing and the U.S. Consulates General in Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang.  Please visit https://www.ustraveldocs.com for information on how to apply for a visa in China.

(Updated on May 12th, 2023)

 

COVID-19 Travel Information

Update on Change to U.S. Travel Policy Requiring COVID-19 Vaccination for Nonimmigrant Travel

The Administration will end the COVID-19 vaccine requirements for international air travelers at the end of the day on May 11, the same day that the COVID-19 public health emergency ends. This means starting May 12, noncitizen nonimmigrant air passengers will no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated with an accepted COVID-19 vaccine to board a flight to the United States. CDC’s Amended Order Implementing Presidential Proclamation on Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic will no longer be in effect when the Presidential Proclamation Advancing the Safe Resumption of Global Travel During the COVID-19 Pandemic is revoked.

Please see: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/05/01/the-biden-administration-will-end-covid-19-vaccination-requirements-for-federal-employees-contractors-international-travelers-head-start-educators-and-cms-certified-facilities/

(Updated on May 9th, 2023)

 

On March 10, 2023, CDC removed the requirement for air passengers from the People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, to show a negative COVID-19 test or documentation of recovery before boarding a flight to the United States.

(Updated on March 13th, 2023)

 

Important Notice

Nonimmigrant Visa Fee Increases

  • As of May 30, 2023, the application fee for U.S. visitor visas and other non-petition based NIVs will increase from $160 to $185. Petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q, and R) visa fees will increase from $190 to $205. E visa application fees will increase from $205 to $315.
  • Applicants who have already paid the application fee and have a valid (non-expired) receipt will not have to pay any additional application fees to make an appointment.
  • Applicants who have already been interviewed and their case is under administrative processing will not have to pay any additional application fee.
  • We are committed to efficient visa processing so international visitors can travel to the United States. Visa application fees are calculated based on the cost of providing the service. More information on how to apply for a visa can be found on our website here: https://www.usembassy.gov/ and on travel.state.gov/visas.

(Updated on May 12, 2023)

 

MRV Receipt Validity

All nonimmigrant visa application fee (also known as the MRV fee) payments made on or after October 1, 2022, are valid for 365 days from the date a receipt is issued for payment of the MRV fee.  Applicants must schedule an interview appointment or submit an interview waiver application during this 365-day period.  Please note applicants must only schedule their interview or submit their waiver application within the 365-day period.  There is no requirement the interview must occur during the 365-day period.  All receipts for payment of MRV fees issued before October 1, 2022, were extended until September 30, 2023, and remain valid until this date.

(Updated on October 17, 2022)

 

Instructions about E1 / E2 Visas

All applicants applying for treaty trader E-1 or treaty investor E-2 visas must email their documents at least two weeks prior to their interview day.

This electronic document submission procedure will allow applicants to submit their documents to U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou for pre-screening prior to their interviews, leading to more efficient interviews on the appointment day and less chance of being delayed or refused due to incomplete information.

You will be contacted via email to submit the requested documents. Please check your emails and follow the email instructions to submit your electronic supporting documents to the Consulate by the required timeline. This procedure will shorten your visa interview considerably.   If you have scheduled your appointment and we do not receive your electronic documents between the requested timeline prior to your interview date, your appointment will be canceled and you must reschedule it to a later date.  Submissions that do not meet the requirements will also be rejected, and may result in a cancellation or postponement of your interview.  If you re-schedule or cancel your appointment after emailing your supporting documents, please re-send original email with all documents attached to U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou.  Please specify both updated and original appointment dates and times. If you do not receive email notifications from the Consulate, please contact us at support-china@ustraveldocs.com.

(Updated on January 27, 2022)

Photo Requirements

As of November 1, 2016, all foreign passport holders who apply for U.S. visas and all American citizens who apply for new U.S. passports or to renew existing U.S. passports, must remove their eyeglasses in their application photos.  We can no longer accept photographs of visa and U.S. passport applicants wearing eyeglasses, except in rare, medically-documented circumstances such as recent surgery that is documented with a signed statement from a medical professional. Applications that fail to meet these requirements will not be accepted and the applicants will be required to submit new conforming photos before their applications can be processed. For further details on photo requirements please visit: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/photos.html

(Updated on November 4, 2016)

 

Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)

As of April 1, 2016, those who are able to travel to the United States via the Visa Waiver Program must have a valid electronic passport.  This rule applies even to those who possess a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). Electronic passports have this symbol on their cover:

Learn more about the Visa Waiver Program and passport requirements at: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visa-waiver-program.html

If you are a traveler from a VWP country and your passport does not meet these requirements, you may want to consider obtaining a new VWP-compliant passport from the passport issuing authority in your country of citizenship. Otherwise you cannot travel under VWP and you must obtain a visa in your valid passport for entry into the United States.

(Updated on November 4, 2016)

How to Apply for a Visa

U.S. visa application services will be provided to visa applicants by our authorized partner, http://www.ustraveldocs.com/

To learn about the visa application process, pay the visa application fee online, and schedule an appointment, please visit the visa application website.

Diplomatic Visas and Government-Sponsored Programs

Applicants exempt from paying visa application fees

The following types of applicants are exempt from paying visa application fees and may request for an interview appointment by submitting a request through the Consulate’s NIV Inquiry Web-form per the instructions below:

  • Applicants for A-1, A-2, C-3, G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-4 visas
  • Applicants for A-3 or G-5 visas
  • Applicants with diplomatic passport who are applying for a nonimmigrant visa (B, F, M, J, or H visa)
  • U.S. Government employees travelling on official business. (Note: U.S. Government employees traveling on official business who do not pay the visa application fee will only be entitled to a single-entry 3-month validity visa.)
  • Applicants for J visas, participating in a Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), or federally-funded educational and cultural exchange program which has a program serial number beginning with G-1, G-2, G-3, or G-7 printed on Form DS-2019.

If you are applying for one of the visa categories described above, please submit your appointment request with the required information listed below through the Consulate’s NIV Inquiry Web-form. Please choose “Request for Appointment – NIV” in the Subject field on the webform.

  • Name
  • Visa type
  • Passport number and Passport type (Diplomatic/Official/Tourist)
  • Preferred appointment date
  • Local contact number
  • DS-160 application form confirmation number
  • Form DS-2019 (J visas) or letter/position information from employer in the U.S.

General Information

Warning

www.ustraveldocs.com is the only company that the U.S. Consulate General authorizes to provide visa information and visa application services.  The U.S. Consulate General does not endorse or have a “special relationship” with any other individual or business that offers advice or assistance with the visa process. No one can guarantee the issuance of a visa to you. The only U.S. consular office in Guangzhou is located on Huaxia Road, Zhujiang New Town, (near Exit B1 of the Zhujiang New Town subway station, Line 3 and Line 5). All U.S. government forms are free. Beware: many visa applicants lose money or are permanently barred from the United States as a result of misleading information and fraudulent applications provided by visa consultants.

EVUS (Electronic Visa Update System)

Beginning November 29, 2016, nationals of the People’s Republic of China holding 10-year visas will not be able to travel to the United States without a valid EVUS enrollment. For travelers taking more than one flight to reach the United States, the EVUS enrollment will be verified when they check-in for their first flight. Nationals of the People’s Republic of China who hold a 10-year visa and are seeking to enter the U.S. through a land or sea port of entry must also have a valid EVUS enrollment. For more information, please visit EVUS (Electronic Visa Update System).

Enroll now at http://www.evus.gov/

Click here for The EVUS Enrollment Brochure (PDF 497 KB)

Frequently asked questions, please see www.cbp.gov/evus.

If you have an issue with an EVUS enrollment, you can contact the EVUS Call Center at  +01-202-325-0180. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, but is closed on U.S. federal holidays. You may also contact the Call Center by email at evus@cbp.dhs.gov. The Call Center is available to answer questions travelers might have regarding EVUS and unsuccessful enrollments.   United States Embassies and Consulates are not able to provide details about EVUS enrollments or resolve issues that cause an unsuccessful enrollment.

(Updated on November 4, 2016)

APPLICATION FOR TRAVEL DOCUMENT FOR LOST, STOLEN OR DAMAGED PERMANENT RESIDENT CARD

Overview

You may file form I-131A  to apply for a travel document (boarding foil), if you are a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) of the United States, and if:

  • You are returning from temporary international travel of less than one year and your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or Form I-551) has been lost, stolen or destroyed.

OR

  • You are returning from temporary international travel of less than two years and your reentry permit (Form I-327) has been lost, stolen or destroyed.

The length of your absence from the United States will be measured from the time you departed the U.S. to the time you pay the fee for filing Form I-131A.

If you are an LPR with an expired Green Card, you may not need to file a Form I-131A. We encourage you check with your airline or vessel before filing a Form I-131A. Although regulations generally require an LPR to travel with a valid Green card, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) policy permits a transportation carrier bound for the United States to board an LPR without carrier documentation if you:

  • Are an LPR who has an expired Green Card that was issued with a 10-year validity

OR

  • Are an LPR with an expired Green Card with a two-year validity AND you also have a Form I-797, Notice of Action, for Form I-751 or Form I-829 to remove the conditions on your permanent resident status. The Notice of Action extends the validity of the Green Card for a specified length of time, generally one year.

 

Filing Procedure

Step 1 Complete form I-131A and pay the filing fee

You must file Form I-131A in person at a Consular Section at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Before appearing in person, you must submit the filing fee through the online payment system on the USCIS website . You may pay the fee with your credit or debit card or U.S. bank account. When you appear in person to file Form I-131A, you must bring evidence that you paid the fee, such as a copy of the payment confirmation page or a copy of the email payment receipt notice. Please note: The payment must be fully processed in our system before we can issue the travel document. Please do not schedule or appear for the appointment in our office until five days have passed since you submitted the payment. Similar to all visa application fees, payment is NOT refundable, regardless of the decision on the application.

Form I-131A is available at the USCIS website: https://www.uscis.gov/i-131a .

Step 2 Schedule an appointment to file Form I-131A

We do not accept filing Form I-131A via mail. All applicants are required to submit the application in person at the Consulate. If you would like to submit your application at the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou, please email us  at GZLostGreenCard@state.gov to submit your appointment request. We will schedule an appointment for you and reply to you with an appointment confirmation.

Please make sure the following information and documents are included in your email. Document attachments should be in PDF format with size not exceeding 2M.

  • Full Name
  • Date of Birth
  • Alien Registration Number
  • Telephone number (in China)
  • E-mail address
  • Intended date of travel to the U.S.: MM/DD/YYYY
  • Date you last exited the U.S.: MM/DD/YYYY
  • Reason/Remarks
  • Electronic version of your completed and signed Form I-131A
  • Copy of your passport
  • Payment receipt of the $575 filing fee

Please note: 

(1) You are required to have all the documents listed above ready before submitting your appointment request. 

(2) The validity of a travel document (boarding foil) is only valid for 30 days. You should schedule an appointment within 30 days before departure.

(3) I-131A filing service is only available on every morning at 9:00, except American or Chinese public holidays. (Please check the Consulate’s holiday calendar for reference.)

(4) If you are residing in other consular districts and would like to file your I-131A at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or the U.S. Consulates in Shanghai or Shenyang, please visit this webpage for their contact information.

Step 3 Prepare required documents

  • Completed Form I-131A
  • $575 filing fee payment receipt
  • Your printed appointment confirmation
  • Your original valid passport
  • One copy of your passport’s biographic page, if available
  • Copy of your latest Entry and Exit Stamp, if available
  • Evidence that you are a Lawful Permanent Resident, if available
  • A copy of your tickets, itinerary, or any other evidence indicating your most recent date of departure from the United States and the day you intend to return to the United States
  • 2 U.S. visa size photos (51mm X 51mm) taken within 30 days. Check other photo requirements here .
  • A lost/stolen report from the local police station if your Permanent Resident Card was lost/stolen, if available.
  • If you are a Lawful Permanent Resident with an expired Permanent Resident Card with two-year validity (conditional resident), you may need to present your Form I-797, Notice of Action, for Form I-751 or Form I-829 to remove the conditions on your permanent resident status.

Step 4 Submit Form I-131A in person at the Consulate on the appointment date

Bring all the above required documents listed in Step 3 to the Consulate to file your I-131A.

I-131A processing time usually takes 1 to 2 weeks, depending on the circumstances of your case and the amount of information and evidence you provide. If you are approved, you will receive your passport with a boarding foil either by EMS courier service or by returning to the Consulate in person for pickup at a later date after interview. Please note that same-day service is not available. If you opt for the EMS courier service, please prepare for a mailing address within mainland China in Chinese characters and a valid local telephone number before coming for your appointment. EMS service fee will be charged on delivery.

 

Other special instructions

Child Born Abroad to an LPR

If you are an LPR and your child is born abroad during a temporary absence from the United States, your child may enter the United States without a visa before he or she turns two years old if your child accompanies you on your first return to the United States. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s guidance indicates that an airline may board a child in this situation. If an airline refuses to board your child without carrier documentation, please contact the Consulate at GZLostGreenCard@state.gov.

If your child does not come to the United States when you, the LPR parent first returns to the United States, consult the U.S. Consulate or USCIS office about the availability of an immigrant visa for your child.

Outside the U.S. for More than One Year

If you have been outside of the United States for more than one year without a re-entry permit (or more than two years with a re-entry permit), you will need to either seek a returning resident visa (SB-1)  with the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate or U.S. Embassy nearest to you, or consult with the USCIS office that has jurisdiction over the country in which you are traveling about an alternative travel document.

For information about maintaining your residency after receiving your Green Card, see the After a Green Card is Granted  page.

Contact Us

NIV Inquiry Form

Please note that this Inquiry Form is ONLY for case status check for an application which is undergoing administrative processing and you have already waited 30 days from the date of your interview or the submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later. For all other inquiries about the U.S. visa application process, including requests for expedited interviews in emergency cases, please visit www.ustraveldocs.com.

Please fill out NIV Inquiry Form to submit your inquiry.

Please use the IV Inquiry page to ask about any K category visa, as they do not fall under the purview of the NIV Section.

EVUS Inquiry

If you have an issue with an EVUS enrollment, you can contact the EVUS Call Center at  +01-202-325-0180. The Call Center is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, but is closed on U.S. federal holidays. You may also contact the Call Center by email at evus@cbp.dhs.gov. The Call Center is available to answer questions travelers might have regarding EVUS and unsuccessful enrollments.   United States Embassies and Consulates are not able to provide details about EVUS enrollments or resolve issues that cause an unsuccessful enrollment.

To Report U.S. Passport and Visa Fraud

Please e-mail guangzhoutips@state.gov.  Please note that the information provided must be verifiable.