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China’s embassy in US to step up visa processing as applications – and frustration – rise
- Number of appointment slots and office hours to be extended
- Holders of visas issued before March 2020 will need to reapply to visit
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The Chinese embassy in the United States plans to issue more visas as demand, particularly among Chinese overseas and business travellers, rises following the reopening of China’s borders two months ago.
The decision was made “to better meet the demand for visa applications in the current situation and further optimise the service”, the embassy said in a statement late on Friday.
The number of visa application appointment slots would be expanded and office opening hours would be extended “as necessary”, it said.
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US citizens with visas – including multiple-year multi-entry visas – issued before March 2020 have not been allowed to enter China as part of the country’s effort to prevent imported infections.
That has frustrated many overseas Chinese and frequent business travellers who have not been able to visit relatives or do business in China for nearly three years.
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The embassy said last month that visas issued before March 2020 could not be used because most of them were for tourists, and long-term visa holders had to apply for a new one if they wished to go to China.
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