Non-Immigrant Visas

Applying for a Non-Immigrant Visa at U.S. Consulate General Guangzhou

Note: If you have traveled to the U.S. in the past one year, you may be able to obtain a visa by using the CITIC drop-box. Click here to learn how to apply using the Consulate's dropbox. All first-time applicants should follow the steps below.

Additionally, Passports must be valid for six months beyond the date the traveler will depart from the U.S.  The U.S. has signed agreements with a number of countries to waive this requirement, but no agreement currently exists with China.  Therefore, when you arrive at the port of entry your passport must be valid for at least six months beyond the date you will exit the U.S.  If your U.S. visa is contained in an expired passport, or a passport that will expire in less than six months, you should obtain a new valid passport and carry both the new passport and the old passport containing your valid U.S. visa.  If you travel with both passports, there is no need to re-apply for a new visa unless the visa has itself expired.

Step 1: Make sure you live in the Guangzhou consular district.

The Guangzhou Consulate serves Hainan, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces. If you do not live in one of these four provinces, you should apply for a visa at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or at one of our other Consulates in Shenyang, Shanghai, or Chengdu.

Step 2: Pay the non-immigrant visa application fee.

Applicants must pay a non-refundable application fee at CITIC bank. After paying this fee, you will receive a receipt that must be included in the visa application and present to the consular officer at the time of the interview. Please contact CITIC bank for questions regarding the application fee amount and payment procedure. Click here to find the CITIC bank branch near you.

The application fee for a U.S. nonimmigrant visa is $131.

Please do NOT tape or glue your application fee receipt on any of the printed out forms if you apply for a visa at the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou.

Step 3: Prepare the necessary documents.

All applicants are required to present:

• A passport with at least six months validity beyond the anticipated arrival in the United States.
• One set of completed DS-156 forms and two completed DS-157 forms, each with recent American passport-sized photos attached. download here.
• CITIC bank application fee receipt.
• For specific visa category information, please refer to Visa Categories.

IMPORTANT:  Applicants should also bring evidence of strong family, work, and financial ties to China that will convince the interviewing consular officer that you will return after a temporary stay in the United States. Such evidence could include bank books, housing/land deeds, family photos, marriage certificates, birth certificates, business cards, letters from your employer, etc. No specific documents are required. You may bring whatever you feel will convince the consular officer that you will return to China.

Step 4: Call the Visa Information Call Center at 4008-872-333 (For caller in Mainland China) or 86-21-3881-4611 (For caller outside Mainland China)* to make an appointment for an interview.

* The Department of State wishes to advise callers that the charges for international calls are solely the responsibility of the caller. Currently, callers are experiencing significant wait times before reaching a live operator.

Applicants who have been previously denied a visa should make this clear to the appointment operator. Failure to disclose a past refusal can harm your chances of receiving a visa.

Requests to expedite visa appointments can be made by directly faxing the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou Non-Immigrant Visa Section (86-20-3884-4424). Requests are generally only approved for humanitarian reasons or for urgent medical situations.

Please click here to see how to make appointment under the Group Leisure Tour (GLT) Appointment System

Step 5:  The Interview

At the Consulate you will have an opportunity to explain your reasons for going to the United States and present supporting documents. It is important that you respond truthfully to the consular officer's questions. Applicants frequently harm their chances of receiving a visa by making false statements about their income, employment, or family status, whereas a truthful answer would not harm their case. Applicants should not present falsified documents such as fake invitation letters, company licenses, or ID cards. Making false statements or presenting fake documents to a consular officer is a serious offense and could result in becoming permanently ineligible to travel to the United States.

For more information about the interview process and U.S. immigration laws, please read our frequently asked questions.