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

Note: If you are under 14 or over 79 years old, or if you previously received a U.S. visa that expired within the last 48 months and you are returning to the United States for the same purpose of travel, you may be able to obtain a visa without coming to the consulate for an interview Click here to learn how to apply using the Consulate's dropbox. All other applicants should follow the steps below.

In order to simplify the visa mailing system and improve our customer service, the Consulate will deliver visas to approved applicants by using EMS’ Cash-on-Delivery service.  Applicants will pay the delivery fee after they receive their visas.  Using EMS’ COD service will allow us to deliver your visa quickly and conveniently.  Most importantly, the U.S. Consulate can now deliver visas to 268 cities throughout all of China.  Please check for more information on EMS waybill instructions.

Additionally, passports must be valid for six months beyond the date the traveler will depart from the United States.  The United States 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 United States.  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.

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Step 1: Determine which type of visa you should apply for.  

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 presented to the consular officer at the time of the interview. Please contact CITIC bank for questions regarding the payment procedure.

The application fee for all U.S. nonimmigrant visas that are not petition-based, including B1/B2 tourist and business visitor visas and all student and exchange visitor (F, M and J) visas, is the equivalent of $160 in local currency, currently RMB 1024, subject to change in the exchange rate.

The application fee for all petition-based visas is the equivalent of $190 in local currency, currently RMB 1216, subject to change in the exchange rate. This category includes: H (temporary worker or trainee), L (intra-company transferee), O (alien with extraordinary ability), P (athlete, artist or entertainer), Q (international cultural exchange visitors) and R (religious worker).

Please glue or tape the left side of the application fee bank receipt onto the bottom of DS-160 form confirmation page. (PDF #K)

Step 3: Prepare the necessary documents.

All applicants are required to present:

• A passport with at least six months validity beyond the anticipated exit from the United States.
• A completed DS-160 form.
• One color photograph, less than 6 months old, against a white background, full frontal view, two square inches (51mm x 51mm) in size. Click for more information on photo requirements. (PDF #K)
• CITIC bank application fee receipt.
• Complete EMS waybill.  
• For specific visa category requirements, please refer to Visa Categories.
  
  

Step 4: Schedule an Interview.

Appointments are made through the Visa Information Call Center.* Applicants calling from inside Mainland China, please call 4008-872-333. Applicants outside of Mainland China, please call 86-21-3881-4611 to make an appointment for an interview.

When you make an appointment, you will be offered an appointment time at the U.S. Consulate Guangzhou if (1) you reside (place where you have lived and worked for the past 6 months) within the Guangzhou Consulate consular district, which includes Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces; or (2) if the wait time for an appointment is shorter in Guangzhou than it is in the consular district where you reside. 

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.

Expedited Appointments: See average appointment wait times.  Applicants who for special or humanitarian reasons require an earlier interview than is currently available through the Visa Call Center can request an expedited visa interview. They must provide (1) their current visa appointment date and time, (2) information about the traveler(s) (including his or her name(s), date of birth, passport number, if they have ever received or requested a visa before), (3) a detailed description of the need for an expedited interview, (4) the preferred date of the expedited interview, and (5) their contact information.

Generally, only requests falling into the following categories will be considered for an expedited interview.

• Humanitarian request for immediate family members traveling to meet and assist a seriously ill relative or to assist with a family emergency.
• Students who have not been refused a visa in the current academic year whose classes will start before their current visa interview date.
• Qualified Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Travel Card holders.

The non-immigrant visa unit will contact the traveler to confirm a new interview date within 24 hours, if possible. Please note that an expedited interview is not a guarantee of a visa issuance. Visa applicants must still meet all the requirements of United States laws and regulations to receive a visa.

* 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.  See information about the Visa Information Call Center’s refund policy.  See how to make an 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.

Please see the current average visa processing time, which is the number of working days for a passport and visa to be returned to an applicant after the consular officer has made a final decision regarding the visa application.

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

All applicants should be aware that the times given above are AVERAGES, and that the processing time of a specific application can vary due to individual circumstances and other special requirements.