Latest US entry policy

A few points to note before traveling to the United States

I. Acceptable proof of COVID-19 vaccination

Please ensure you have been vaccinated with the latest COVID-19 vaccine. If you are a non-U.S. citizen, non-U.S. immigrant, and not fully vaccinated you will not be allowed to board a flight to the United States.

Individuals who have received two doses domestically can be considered fully vaccinated; booster shots are not mandatory. The only Chinese vaccines recognized by the U.S. are Sinopharm and Sinovac. Other domestic vaccines are not yet recognized.

How to generate your International Travel Health Certificate (paper version required):

1 Search for the mini-program on WeChat: International Health QR Code

2 Entry for outbound travelers: View and present International Travel Health Certificate

3 Start verification: View my International Travel Health Code

It contains English vaccination information; please print it out.

II. Valid passport and visa.

Generally, foreign citizens wishing to enter the United States must first obtain a non-immigrant visa for a temporary stay or an immigrant visa for permanent residency. Non-immigrant visas are for tourists, business people, students, or professional workers who wish to stay in the United States for a specific purpose for a period of time. As required by U.S. visa laws and regulations, most non-immigrant visa applicants must prove to the consular officer that they have strong ties in their home country and will depart the U.S. after a temporary stay. A visa does not guarantee entry into the U.S. A visa purely indicates that a U.S. consular officer has determined you are eligible to apply for entry into the United States for a specific purpose.

For exhibitors, the application type is a B-1/B-2 business/tourism visa. The B-1 visa is issued to applicants traveling to the U.S. for short-term business activities, attending conferences in scientific/educational/professional/business fields, handling property, or negotiating contracts. The B-2 visa is issued to applicants traveling to the U.S. for leisure/recreation, including tourism, visiting relatives/friends, medical treatment, and other associative, social, or service activities. B-1 and B-2 visas are usually combined and issued as one category: B-1/B-2.

Applicants must be able to prove they meet the following conditions:

1. The purpose of travel to the U.S. is a temporary visit, such as for business/leisure/medical activities.

2. The planned duration of stay in the U.S. is limited and definite.

3. Sufficient funds to cover all expenses during the stay in the U.S.

4. A residence outside the U.S. and strong social and economic ties that will ensure timely return after the trip to the U.S.

How to apply

1. Complete the Electronic Nonimmigrant Visa Application Form (DS-160).

2. Pay the visa application fee.

3. Schedule an interview. To schedule an interview, you need to provide the following three pieces of information:

Passport number; the receipt number from your visa application fee payment; the ten (10) digit barcode number from your DS-160 confirmation page;

4. Please go to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General at the scheduled time for your interview. Please bring a printout of your appointment confirmation, a printout of your DS-160 confirmation page, a recent photograph taken within the last six months, and all current and old passports. If any of the above materials are missing, your application will not be accepted.

III. Apply to register with the new Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS)

All international travelers holding 10-year validity visitor visas who wish to travel to the United States must register.

What is the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS)?

The Electronic Visa Update System is an online system used by Chinese citizens holding a 10-year B1 / B2, B1, or B2 (visitor) visa to regularly update their basic personal information to assist their travel to the United States. In addition to a valid visa, the aforementioned travelers must complete an EVUS enrollment to gain authorization to enter the United States.

When will EVUS enrollment become mandatory?

Effective November 29, 2016, all individuals holding a passport from the People's Republic of China and a maximum validity (10-year) B1 / B2, B1, or B2 visa must have a valid EVUS enrollment to travel to the United States. Travelers required to have an EVUS enrollment who do not have a valid one will not be able to obtain a boarding pass or enter via a land port of entry.

B1/B2 Visa Validity Issues

1. The validity period for the vast majority of B1/B2 visas is 10 years. All 10-year B1/B2 visas must have an active EVUS electronic visa update before traveling to the United States.

2. Only a very few B1/B2 visas have a validity period of less than 10 years; in such cases, a 1-year validity B1/B2 visa is common. In this situation, EVUS registration is not required!

Passport validity issues and passport renewal issues for passports with U.S. visas

1. Passports for individuals aged 16 and above are valid for 10 years.

2. Passports for individuals under 16 are valid for 5 years.

3. Passports with less than 6 months of validity are prohibited from traveling to the U.S.

Because applicants with a 10-year visa validity and a passport with less than 6 months of validity are prohibited from traveling to the U.S.; therefore, there are situations where a visa is valid but the passport is expired or has less than 6 months validity, rendering it invalid. In such cases, applicants need to bring their old passport to the entry-exit administration in their Chinese domicile to apply for a new passport. Please submit the old passport to the entry-exit administration, which will clip the corner of the passport's first page to invalidate it, while retaining the U.S. visa. Applicants should note that if you are at the entry-exit administration and do not bring your original passport or claim your passport is lost to get a replacement, all U.S. visas on that passport will be invalidated!

IV. Negative Test Result

Negative nucleic acid test result within 48 hours before flight departure. (Regulations vary by airline; please refer to the airline's requirements.)

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, local epidemic prevention and control policies are frequently adjusted. Before traveling, please be sure to further confirm the nucleic acid test report time limit requirements and local control policies with relevant epidemic control units at your departure, destination, and transit locations, and arrange your trip accordingly.

Learn more about US entry policies and frequently asked questions: For details, please visit the official website of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/testing-international-air-travelers.html. For more information, please visit the WeChat official account of the US Embassy in China to view "CDC Rescinds Order Requiring Proof of Negative COVID-19 Test Before Flying to the US", and follow the official announcement. (Source: WeChat Official Account of the US Embassy in China) The above information is for your reference only. Due to the high risk of COVID-19 transmission, entry policies and epidemic prevention and control policies of the destination and transit points may be adjusted at any time. Please be sure to carefully check the entry requirements and the latest epidemic prevention and control regulations before your trip and make reasonable travel arrangements.