Make a Visa Appointment

• When To Apply
• Appointments Through the Call Center
• Visa Renewals: Walk-In Appointments
• Visa Renewals: CITIC Drop Box Service
• Emergency Appointments

We recommend that all NIV applicants make their appointment early and interview as far in advance of their planned travel as possible. Applying early will ensure that we have time to conduct your interview, review your application, and determine whether we can issue you a visa.

The majority of visas can be processed in several days; however, some visa applications require additional administrative processing. Administrative processing for NIV applicants is currently taking about two to four weeks, and at time it can take longer.

Applying as early as possible will help ensure that we have plenty of time to schedule your appointment, conduct your interview, review your application, and determine whether we can issue a visa.  Thank you for your cooperation, and for your interest in visiting our country.

To make an NIV interview appointment, call the appointment Call Center at 4008-872-333.  There is a fee of RMB 54 per 12 minutes to access the Call Center, and most calls take less than 12 minutes. There are two methods of payment:

• CITIC Bank:  Applicants may purchase Call Center calling cards directly from CITIC Bank at the time application fees are paid.
• Internet using credit or debit card: Payment can be made by entering the credit/debit card number when logging on to www.usavisainformation.com.cn.

To book an appointment from the United States, please call (86-21) 3881-4611.

Appointment availability varies based on current visa demand and staffing availability.  Current wait-times for appointments in Chengdu can be found on the State Department’s Travel Website.

You do not need to make an appointment through the Call Center if meet all of the following criteria:

• You want to renew an F, J or H visa;
• Your visa expired less than 12 months ago;
• You traveled to the United States on your prior visa; and
• You are returning to the same school, institution or employer.

Applicants qualifying for this service may bring their applications and supporting documentation to the Consulate Monday, Tuesday and Thursday before 10:00 AM to be interviewed the same day.

Please check our holiday schedule to make sure that we are open before you come in.

Repeat travelers to the United States may qualify to use the CITIC Bank Drop-off Visa Renewal Service to renew their visas.  This process allows qualifying applicants to apply for a new visa by submitting their visa application via CITIC bank. Using the service may eliminate the need to come to the Consulate. The use of the drop-off service does not guarantee visa issuance. The Consulate may in some cases, after reviewing an application submitted through CITIC Bank, require an applicant to appear in person for a visa interview at the Consulate.

Please note that using the CITIC drop box service can increase your processing time.  If your travel plans are within one month or less, please consider coming in person to the Consulate.  If you qualify for a visa renewal, you may be able to use our walk-in service, and may not need to make an appointment. Please see the above section.  

Applicants may drop-off their visa application at China CITIC Bank if they meet the following requirements:

• The previous visa was issued on or after November 14, 2007.
• The previous visa must be currently valid or must have expired within the last 12 months.
• The applicant must have used the previous visa to travel to the United States.
• The applicant must be applying for the exact same type of visa.
• The applicant must be applying in the place where they usually live.

Applicants must be traveling on a People’s Republic of China passport.  Applicants with passports issued by authorities in Taiwan, Hong Kong, or Macao are NOT eligible to use this drop-off service.

Applicants whose visa application requires additional administrative processing time, or who have any previous visas with a “clearance received” date printed in the annotation area, cannot use the drop-off service and must make an appointment to interview in person.

Specific requirements may also apply to certain types of applicants:

• Applicants seeking to renew F, J, H and L visas must be returning to the same school, institution, or workplace as was indicated on their previous visa application.  J visa holders must be applying under the same exchange visitor program number as their previous visas.
• F and J visa applicants returning to schools in the United States must submit their official transcripts of their coursework with their applications.
• For applicants going to the United States for a business purpose, it helps to provide a copy of the invitation, itinerary, and applicant’s résumé when submitting the application.

Applicants who meet the requirements to use this service may go in person or send a representative to any participating China CITIC Bank branch during working hours with the necessary supporting documents, including the passport that contains the original of the applicant’s previous U.S. visa.

At most locations, China CITIC Bank charges a non-refundable service fee of RMB 200.  The fee may be slightly higher in certain locations.  For more information about submitting visa applications at a local branch of China CITIC Bank, please visit their website or inquire at a CITIC Bank location near you.

Under certain emergency circumstances applicants who cannot wait for a normal visa interview appointment may request an expedited appointment.  Valid reasons may include:

• Emergency medical treatment
• Emergency business travel
• Family emergencies (such as death)
• Other emergencies (such as appearance in a U.S. court)

To request an expedited appointment, make an appointment through the Call Center and then send an email to AppointmentsChengdu@state.gov requesting that your appointment be expedited.

Please include the appointment information in your email:

• Your full name (in both pinyin and Chinese characters),
• Your Passport number,
• Your date of birth,
• A local contact phone number,
• Your appointment number from the call center (you must have an existing appointment before we can help you expedite it and we can only process the appointment scheduled with Chengdu Consulate),
• Your appointment time from the call center, and
• A compelling reason as to why your appointment must be moved forward.
  

Please send either an email or a fax—not both. We normally respond to email inquiries within 3 business days. We will respond to faxed requests for expedited appointments, only if are able to grant the request.