Visas to the U.S.

Visa Information Center for the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China

The Visa Information Call Center provides non-immigrant and immigrant visa-related information to visa applicants and schedules non-immigrant visa interview appointments for the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Shenyang. The Visa Information Call Center reopened on June 3, 2004.

Contact Information
The Visa Information Call Center can be reached by dialing 4008-872-333(toll free) or from within China or internationally by dialing 86-21-3881-4611 (local Shanghai number).

Available Services

• Callers are be able to access information on all visa-types and application procedures for both immigrant and non-immigrant visas
• All non-immigrant visa appointments for Mainland China are now made through the Visa Information Call Center.
• Service is offered in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, the Fuzhou dialect and the Taishan dialect.

Hours
The Visa Information Call Center has pre-recorded visa information available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Live operators are available from 7 am to 7 pm, Monday through Friday and 8 am to 5 pm, Saturday.

Payment
This is a user-pays service and the charge is 54 RMB for 12 minutes or 36 RMB for 8 minutes. Any unused minutes can be reused at a later time or transferred to another party. There are 3 methods of payment.

CITIC pre-paid PIN card
All CITIC banks that sell the MRV fee also sell pre-paid PIN cards for 54 RMB that can be used to access the Visa Information Call Center for 12 minutes and cards for 36 RMB that can be used to access the Visa Information Call Center for 8 minutes, respectively.

Credit/Debit Cards via the Visa Information Call Center website
Users can go to https://www.usavisainformation.com.cn/eng/index.aspx to use credit/debit cards to pay for the service. Users pay 54 RMB or 36 RMB and receive a PIN number which can be used for 12 minutes or 8 minutes, respectively.

Bank/Postal Order
To pay via money order or postal note, users should send a money order or postal note payable to "XinAn Information Services, Ltd."（上海新岸信��务有�公�）for 36 RMB or 54 RMB lasting 8 or 12 minutes, respectively, to:"P.O. Box 122-063, Shanghai, China, post code 200122"（中国上海邮政信箱122-063, 邮编200122）. Please note that it must be filled in Chinese only. Users must include their ID Card number with the money order or postal note. ID numbers will be used as the PIN number to access the service. Users should allow 10 working days for the money order or postal note to reach the Visa Information Call Center and be entered into the system before calling 4008-872-333. Personal checks will not be accepted. Payment must be by money order or postal note only.

Refund Policy

Posted on July 22, 2004

1. Refunds will be given under the following circumstances:
   • Only refund to the customer who has not activated the PIN within 12 months from the date of purchase subject to verification by the database of Xin An Information Service Ltd;
   • The refund request has to be in writing via letter; and
   • That the customer shall have paid for the pin by mail postal order or money order or by Visa, MasterCard or China issued credit card or debit card via our website or by purchasing a CITIC Bank prepaid pin card (36RMB for 8 minutes or 54RMB for 12 minutes).
2. Refunds will be NOT given under the following circumstances:
   • If the customer used the PIN to call the visa information service for any reasons and this has been verified by XinAn database.
   • If the customer has purchased a damaged (i.e. PIN number is not readable) CITIC Prepaid pin card from the CITIC Bank and has the right to exchange the damaged card for a replacement pin card with CITIC Bank counter immediately.
   • FAO and waiban service payment are not refundable as payments are pursuant to post-paid service
   • Non FAO group payments are not refundable

Business Rules

1. The letter should be sent to:
   Xin An Shanghai Information Service Ltd.
   Shanghai Mail box 122-063
2. Information Required in the letter:
   • Contact person's name
   • Contact person's phone number and address
   • Contact person's ID number
   • Person's bank account number for refund
   • Name of the bank for refund
   • Money order or postal note number or copy of the slip
   • Date and method of the purchase
   • CITIC Bank Prepaid PIN card if the customer never used
   • If the pin was purchased from the website:
     • Order number
     • Pin number

The customer is advised to send the refund request letter by EMS or express mail to ensure receipt of the same by XinAn. Xin An will not be responsible if the customer's refund request letter is lost in the post.

Standard turnaround time

Standard turnaround time for refund is within one month from the date of receipt by XinAn of the customer refund request letter. XinAn will notify the customer of its decision to refund or to reject the refund request for the reasons stated in this policy within one month from the date of receipt by XinAn of the customer refund request letter.