Update following on from my previous post

https://www.reddit.com/r/Chinavisa/s/MWUH0uD4qj

Edit: I am receiving a trickle of DM's asking similar things, so I will update here what I'm happy to post publicly

- I have bachelor, master and PhD in physics. I have worked for a couple of years

- I have family in China, thus I've had Q visas, and similar, in the past.

- Application required only academic certificates, and list of publications and patents to be submitted. There were no interviews or any questions asked regarding the purpose of my application. List of publications can be submitted as a pdf, no need to fill in any form. Quite a simple process.

- My PhD certificate required verification (by the ministry of education possibly?). As I did not have a certificate to hand, I had to request one from my university, hence the long delay.

- The visa is 10 years, multiple entry, 180 days stay on each entry.

It was genuinely a fairly simple and easy process. Best of luck to everyone.

Hi everyone,

Firstly, complete and submit the application yourself rather than hiring an agent. No one understands your travel plans, financial situation, employment details, and supporting documents better than you. Most agents handle hundreds of applications and often rely on standard templates, which may not accurately reflect your individual circumstances. Taking the time to prepare the application yourself allows you to ensure that every detail is correct, consistent, and supported by the appropriate documentation.

I wanted to share my complete experience applying for a China Tourist Visa from India because I couldn't find many detailed posts about the new online review system. Hopefully this helps someone going through the same situation.

We are a family of four:

• Myself
• My wife
• Our 4-year-old son
• Our 1-year-old son

We are traveling purely for tourism.

Initial Online Review

We submitted all four applications together.

A few days later, something very strange happened.

Our 4-year-old son's application successfully completed the online review, while the remaining three family applications failed the preliminary review.

There was no detailed explanation as to why one family member was approved while the rest were not, despite all applications being submitted together for the same itinerary, hotels and travel plans.

Reason for Failure

The only reason shown was:

"Incomplete/Inappropriate information has been provided in the application form (6.1E columns). Kindly provide day-to-day travel itinerary."

This confused me because I had already entered the complete hotel addresses, including full addresses and postal codes.

There was no indication that finances, employment, travel history or anything else was the issue.

What I Did

Instead of giving up, I prepared a much stronger application.

I submitted:

• Detailed day-by-day itinerary
• Cover letter
• Hotel confirmations
• Flight reservations
• Updated business information
• Better employment details
• Financial documents
• Bank balance certificates
• Company incorporation documents
• Director proof
• Income Tax Returns
• Other supporting documents

I also corrected my wife's employment information.

Second Review

After resubmitting, I received another amendment request.

This time the Embassy requested:

"Please provide valid bank statement with balance exceeding 1 Lakh in recent 6 months."

This was surprising because I had already submitted bank balance certificates.

Apparently, they specifically wanted the 6-month bank statement.

So I arranged original bank statements and submitted those as requested.

Waiting...

This was honestly the most stressful part.

My elder son's application had already completed the online review, but the remaining three applications remained under review for several days.

Meanwhile, my son's approval came with a 15-working-day passport submission window, and I was worried it would expire before the rest of the family could complete the online review.

Since we live in Hyderabad and were applying directly (not through an agent), traveling multiple times to Delhi with two young children would have been extremely difficult.

I emailed the Embassy multiple times, contacted the Consular Section, called the Visa Centro and even sought guidance through every official channel I could find.

Almost every response was the same standard reply:

"Visa processing follows established procedures and regulations..."

So don't expect detailed status updates through email.

Finally...

After submitting the requested financial documents and waiting patiently...

All three remaining applications also completed the online review.

That was a huge relief.

What I Learned

• Don't assume "Preliminary Review Failed" means your visa is rejected.
• Read every amendment request carefully.
• If they ask for a day-by-day itinerary, prepare a detailed one.
• If they ask for a 6-month bank statement, submit exactly that.
• Carry much more documentation than you think you need.
• Email replies from the Embassy are usually generic.
• Patience is extremely important.

Current Status

Our family has now completed the online review stage and we are proceeding with passport submission at the Visa Application Service Centre.

I'm sharing this because during my application I couldn't find many detailed experiences from Indian applicants using the new online review system.

If you've recently completed the passport submission stage in New Delhi, I'd love to hear how long it took to receive your passport back and whether any additional documents were requested.

Hopefully this post helps someone who finds themselves in a similar situation. Good luck to everyone applying!

I am a Chinese Canadian and have Q2 because I occasionally visit relatives. While I only have a Canadian passport, I have a Chinese hukou and resident ID card solely to make it easy to pay for things, check into hotels, etc. while visiting. I don't want to live in China even if they give me my citizenship back. It's one of those "yeah, everyone knows it's illegal, but you gotta do what you gotta do, fake it 'til you make it" kind of deal. I rationalize it by "Hong Kong and Macau permanent residents can keep their citizenship, so why should I obey the law, since it is unconstitutional anyway" (article 33 says all citizens are equal before the law). The fact that Hong Kong/Macau permanent residents are allowed to keep Chinese citizenship and mainland residents are not, is directly contradicting the constitution. You don't need to be an immigration lawyer to know that. I also have the excuse of "I was born stateless anyway because of the one child policy and I am getting back at them for making me an undocumented citizen before my parents paid up".

At work, I talked to a client who is in a very strange predicament: he appears to be single and childless. He immigrated to America, alone. He became a citizen there and lost Chinese citizenship. He appeared to have a high paying job, a house and investments, living the classic American dream of a middle class person. Then, he got sick and became disabled. Like, living in a nursing home permanently level of disabled. His parents and brother tried applying for temporary visas to come visit him in the US, and those were denied because of suspected immigrant intent. He says he wants to go back to China permanently so that he can be cared for and be close to family. The only problem: China doesn't just let noncitizens to come to their country and live there permanently even if the noncitizen used to be a citizen and that status was revoked. While Q1 is an option, even for a severely disabled foreigner who needs 24-hour care, it does not lead to permanent residency until age 60. This means more instability for this person involved, for at least the next 10 years. Not to mention that he cannot access most services like citizens can until he gets permanent residency because he is by definition not a citizen since his citizenship was revoked.

Anyone applied for Visa on April 1-7(Mumbai-kar's) have you received approvals.. I applied on April 2nd, tourist visa (family 3 pacs) still under review.. no update yet.. got tickets booked for May 8 .. now rescheduling.. but can't even put new dates as not sure on when I might get it.. Any suggestions, please ?

Hi, so i have been working in china without a working visa and someone reported me for that, the immigration office called and i gave my statement but i lied, i denied working and getting paid and whatsoever, they called again and idk why yet, should i be truthful this time?

I hope to get some constructive feedback and possible guidance. I will do my best to include as much information as possible & edit to keep it up to date (hence long post) We are a family of four, 2 adults with 2 children aged under 5. All British citizens. All UK born except 2nd adult naturalised. We travelled from LHR on BA to Tokyo. Our return flight was booked separately with 2 individual flights. Osaka to Beijing (DAX) on China Eastern (non-stop and direct), and from Beijing(DAX) to LHR on China Southern (non-stop and direct) Before departing we had booked 1 hotel for 4 nights in Beijing city centre and 1 last night near Beijing airport(DAX). 5 nights total. We had printouts for the hotel reservations, with all our names, printout of tickets to LHR. At Osaka (KIX) we arrived to check in. China Eastern took our passport, and asked if we had a visa. I said we will be using the transit entry on arrival (Transit without Visa). They asked to see our onward ticket, with full ticket numbers. Which we gave. I also gave them hotel printouts. They were satisfied and issued the boarding passes. We arrived at Beijing airport around 7PM and were told to fill a landing card. I enquired that we using the TWOV. They asked us to fill the relevant form for it which is on the far side. There were a small amount of other people there using the same lane to enter China. And they were processed through after 10 mins or so. When it was our turn, they asked for our passports. And documentation for onwards travel. I provided it. They asked our reason for entering & what we had had planned. We said tourism and visiting sites like Forbidden City, Great Wall and shopping. They asked us to show bookings for these places. We said we don’t have bookings for these places. They asked how much cash we are carrying? I replied we have some, but it’s in our checked bag. But we would use our credit cards and Ali pay (which was setup on our phone). They told us how can we have plans for this if some of these sites are closed. We said we didn’t know they were closed. The conversation went back and forth but they didn’t seem convinced. Eventually ending it by saying they will not allow entry to Beijing via TWOV to us. At which point we were directed to transfers with a China eastern official, who asked us to book a ticket out within 24 hours. I couldn’t change our original online as the website kept crashing, I had an eSIM which does not have the ability to call them. Eventually being coerced to book a flight to anywhere except Japan. By this point the whole process which had lasted for 2 hours with my screaming children, running around, had become mentally and physically exhausting. So I booked a cash flight for all of us back to London for the next day costing £3k. Plus had to book the onsite hotel. I have looked and searched online including chinas own official links in English and all only discuss 3 criteria- eligible passport from selected countries, onward ticket to a 3rd country and fill the TWOV form in. What could I have possibly done differently? And what route is there for recompense? I have travel insurance (via Amex Plat) but denied entry doesn’t seem to be covered. Travel disruption does, but not sure how that works.

(Edited : thank you to everyone. A lot of useful information in understanding. And apologies for using the wrong terminology, calling it a visa, and having a spouse who once had a Pakistani nationality)

For reference, I applied for a 10 year Q2 visa, but I think it’s the same for L type

1. Submit online application
2. Wait for approval (Went back and forth 4 times resubmitting documents they requested). This took about 4 business days.
3. once status is “Passport to be submitted” go to the China consulate in Hudson yards
4. Drop off passport (nothing else is needed) and wait 3 business days
5. Pick up passport

Hope this information is helpful, I thought I had to print out the application form and 2x2 inch photos but it wasn’t needed!

So I am currently holding a Filipino passport staying here inside Mainland China. I was born in the Philippines with a Filipino mother and a Chinese father. My dad only got his permanent residency because he is married to my Filipino mother. This visa was issued year 2010 (10 years after my birth, year 2000). When I was 18, I studied in a university in Xiamen as an international student from the Philippines with a Filipino passport. Everytime I apply for a student visa, I always get rejected at the first submission because immigration officers knew that I am a person with nationality conflict. They would need me to provide my birth certificate + parents' marriage certificate with chinese translation (that was a pain in the ass btw). At that time I didn't know anything about China's nationality law and I wasn't aware that I have a nationality conflict case. Now I have already graduated from university and wanted to claim my Chinese citizenship to be able to live here freely in China without processing for visas. So I went back to Nanchang (this is my dad's hukou place) because I asked Xiamen immigration before and they told me to go to my dad's hukou place to process. Now they wouldn't acknowledge my birthright claim of Chinese citizenship just because I was holding a Filipino passport inside Mainland China and that I can't apply for nationality recognition because I'm already 25 years old and that my only path is through naturalization. I don't get it? I thought naturalization is a path only for pure foreigners that never had Chinese citizenship? What nanchang officers say contradicts with my experience with Xiamen immigration. 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Does any of you had this kind of experience and how did you solve it. I really need help please 🥺

Going home for new years, I'll be applying for the family visa, but not sure which visa he should apply for?

I just applied cova last night and canceled it today because the name was wrong because it was my last name not my actual name name and I really need my visa asap and I am regretting canceling I’m so stupid also my flight is July 2nd I feel like I am not making it. ( ps it’s my first time applying visa myself nobody was helping )
update：imma wait for a week and I’ll just change my flight ticket oh well🥀 （I spend 400 to let the notary do it for me bc of time consuming and I don’t want to make multiple mistakes and rejection so pls don’t be like me

update 2: it got cancelled already after 2 days omgomg

update 3: realized my visa havent expired yet..err

I’m planning to visit China next summer, probably around June or July. My family is going in January, and they’ve already booked their flights. My mom is planning to apply for Chinese visas for all of us in person at Washington next week.

The application asks for flight information, hotel bookings in each city, and the dates I’ll be staying in each city. The problem is that I haven’t planned my trip yet. I just want to get my visa done early to save time.

From what I understand, the online application only allows me to apply if I plan to enter China within the next 90 days. Is that correct?

Do I need to provide flight and hotel information for my application to be accepted, even though I haven’t made any travel plans yet? Can my mom submit my application along with my family’s applications, or should I wait until I have actual travel plans?

Last time I filled in a visa application for my mum I put 1 month (not sure why) and she got a 2 year Q2 visa approved, which makes me wonder what the point of the question is. Now she has had two 2 year multiple entry Q2 visas so she is applying for a 5 year visa.

When I completed the application last week I put 3 months following advice online thinking this meant the date by which you need to enter China. This was approved online, but she is staying from January to May (I stated this in the flight and dates), which is over 3 months!

Either way, it seems like the visa centre ignore whatever you put for that question, they just give you whatever length validity they want?
So I’m confused why they even ask if they seemingly ignore the question.

I am from Chennai, India. I have traveled to mainland China a few times alone pre-covid era for the trade-fairs in Guangzhou. Processing a China visa at that time wasn't a big issue, most travel agents did it and got the single entry paper visa easily.

This time around, late September (2026) wanted to take my family to Shenzhen to show them the tech landscape etc and when I inquired about Chinese tourist visa for myself, spouse and two teenage children to my horror every single agent here in Chennai refuses to do it citing delays, rejections etc.

I understand the process is simple, fill up the online form, then if approved, submit the passport with the receipt to the visa centers in Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata. The problem is I am in Chennai and cannot physically go to any of these places. This being the case, what needs to be done.

Anybody with prior & recent experience in getting a tourist visa from locations other than these 3 locations, please advice.

Thanks.

I'm going to HK for exchange next year and was looking to visit China while I'm at it. I have a Canadian passport, hukou, and Chinese identity card, but I don't know if I'm able to enter China from HK using any of them. I'm looking into applying for the Q2 visa right now with my grandparent's invitation letter and it asked me to enter my Chinese identity number, will they reject my application or ask me to revoke my identity card there first?

I’m planning my first trip to China from the US and am trying to figure out the visa process.

I was born in the US but grew up in both the US and Taiwan. And I currently work in the US. My parents only hold Taiwan citizenship, with me being the only dual citizen in my family.

From other posts I’ve seen, it looks like it might be possible to apply for the visa using my US passport. Has anyone gone through this process and can share their experience?

Thanks in advance!

Hi. I’m planning to apply for a Hong Kong spouse visa for my wife. I’m not sure what financial and relationship proofs are needed to satisfy the requirements of Hong Kong immigration.

We have £30k in savings and my family can provide free housing in Hong Kong. Based on this, how likely will my application be rejected?

We are currently full-time university students, and we don’t have a job yet.

I’m also not sure what documents we need to prove that our relationship is genuine, like does pictures together count? We have also visited Hong Kong twice and have proof that we travelled together.

I’m a Hong Kong permanent resident, and my wife is a British citizen.

Help someone out:

- Born in China to two Chinese parents (nothing foreign yet) - valid 户口 hukou and 身份证 shenfenzheng
- Acquired US citizenship through the Child Citizenship Act at age 10 because parent naturalized (not birth, not formal naturalization, no voluntary individual action taken)
- Always have been given visas since a VERY young age (Q2 visa) to enter and exit China
- hukou and shenfenzheng are still valid
- Adult now

Under the nationality law I'm looking at, it says that I only automatically lose Chinese citizenship if I (1) 定居 and reside abroad (which I fulfill) AND (2) 自愿加入外国籍 or VOLUNTARILY get another country's citizenship (which I never did, it was automatic just like a birth nationality conflict)

Can I apply for either 旅行证 travel document or 护照 passport? - it would mean the visas were issued in error way back when

Thanks yall

My dad has a Taiwan passport, has a Taiwan Resident Residence Permit and a Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan Residents and has been living in China for 5+ years. Can I apply for a Q1 Visa as a US citizen?

Hello all

I am a US citizen and I already have a L tourism visa but i want to apply for Q1.
My mother is a US citizen but my father is a Chinese citizen but living in the states.

I want to apply for the Q1 visa. My mother still has family in China... and it's her brothers and sisters or my cousins. Her parents are passed away.
My father's family are all in the states.

Is it still possible to apply with this?
Like with her brother or her brothers daughter?
Not sure..

Hello all,

I was planning on a day trip to Shenzhen with my family as part of our two week Hong Kong trip.

On the application I made a mistake on the entry form we are arriving 10/19. I put 10/20 on my application. How screwed am I and is this something I can go to the consulate to fix?

This is my first time going to China so I'm not sure how strict they are.

Traveling with my family / kids in summer to japan & china from CA-US. Kids need to get china visa as they are on US passport.

I am also on US passport but have Home Return Permit (回鄉證). Can I enter China (Xiamen) from Japan without a visa / passport?

My agent is not 100% sure.. but he's worried and said Home Return Permit (回鄉證）is typically via HK, not another country.

I know legally US passport + 3 star HK PR card is permitted.. but I also heard many immigration officer is fuzzy about it, as it maybe considered "dual citizenship"?

I know it's been asked before.. and answers seems to be that "yes, i just entered china using my 回鄉證 (i just got it 2 years ago, so it's new".. .but my agent is scaring me so want to make sure.. thank you'!

Hi everyone,
I’m looking into the naturalization process for Chinese citizenship and wanted to hear some recent data points or firsthand experiences from anyone who has gone through it (or is currently navigating it).
From what I’ve gathered across older discussions and official guidelines, processing times can vary significantly depending on the specific route (such as having close family ties or permanent residency) and the local bureau handling the paperwork. While some applicants historically reported around 9 to 12 months, I've heard rumors or comments suggesting that timelines might be stretching closer to 18 months or longer lately.

If you or someone you know has applied recently, I'd love to know:
1. **How long did the entire process take** from the day you formally submitted your application to final approval?
2. **Have you noticed any major delays** or shifts in processing speeds recently?

Any insights, advice, or shared experiences would be hugely appreciated!

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for advice from anyone who has experience inviting a sibling to visit them in China I'm currently working in China and I'd like to invite my brother to visit me for approximately 2 months。

I'm trying to understand the application process and which visa category would be most appropriate for his visit.

1，What documents do I need to provide as the inviting family member in China?
2，What documents does he need to submit when applying？

If anyone has gone through this process I would really appreciate your advice and experience.

Thank you in advance!

Or are siblings in law not included

Hi, I wanted to share my experience when applying for the Q2 visa (and L visa for my travel buddy) for New York City as a US citizen.

PLEASE, take note of the CHINESE holidays in addition to the US ones (I went on Oct 5 to drop off the passports originally once the applications were approved and found out the consulate was closed due to the Chinese national holiday) for consulate closure dates!

The application was straightforward for both types of visas; my travel partner and I submitted our applications on Sep 17 and checked the status daily on the website as no emails were sent regarding any status updates. On Sep 23, 4 business days after my original submission, I saw that there was an update to my Q2 application. The consulate had requested additional materials (proof of address had to be within 3 months I believe, I had provided an older bill because I missed this requirement). I uploaded the requested items and resubmitted my application the same day. After checking daily, the application was approved on Sep 29, 4 business days later. (My travel buddy had their applications approved on Sep 23, by the way, since their bills were all within the requested timeframe.)

I successfully dropped the passports off on Thursday Oct 8. I got to the consulate around 9:30 AM and was done around 10 AM. There was a brief security scan going into the building and plenty of seating. When called, which took about 15-20 minutes, I presented the old and current passports for me and my travel partner and although the clerk took all of them and reviewed them, she only kept the current passports. She did not request anything else, not even the barcode and the application which I had printed just in case. I did note at this time there was a line for the passport pickup, maybe about 10 people.

I was given a slip that requested me to pick up the passports on Tuesday Oct 13, 3 business days later. I arrived around that day around 10:05 AM and was done around 10:10 AM, payment and all! There was absolutely no line to pick up so my timing worked out.

Good luck to everyone applying for their visa! :)

Summary of timeline:

Sept 17 - application submission

Sept 23 - additional materials requested from consulate and application resubmitted, though approval was obtained for the other application by this day

Sept 29 - application approved

-

Oct 8 - passport dropoff (I believe you have about 90 days after approval when you can drop your passport off)

Oct 13 - passport pickup