Q: Some Chinese Americans follow closely when the pre-pandemic, multi-year multi-entry visas issued by the Chinese government could return to use. Do you have any comment?

A: From January 8, 2023, China began to take COVID-19 as a Class-B infectious disease and adopted provisional measures on cross-border travel. Arrangements have been further optimized for foreign nationals traveling to China.

Visa application processing has been largely resumed, with the exception of application for tourism and medical treatment. Multi-year multi-entry visas issued before March 26, 2020 by the Chinese government are still suspended of use, mainly because many of them are tourist visas.

The Chinese government will continue to adjust measures according to the pandemic situation, and facilitate the recovery of international people-to-people exchange.

If holders of the multi-year multi-entry visas issued before March 26, 2020 need to travel to China at the current stage, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the US will issue new visas to them according to the individual needs. The specific arrangements are as follows:

1. The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General can issue free of charge a new 2-entry, 6-month valid visa to the applicants who hold a multi-year multi-entry visa issued before March 26, 2020 during the use suspension. (Visas for tourism and medical treatment in China excluded).

2. After the resumption of the normal use of visas issued before March 26, 2020, in case they have expired, the Embassy and Consulates General can issue free of charge to the visa holders a new multi-entry visa valid roughly equivalent with the suspension period.

If a visa issued before March 26, 2020 remains valid after the normal use resumed, then after its expiration date, the Embassy and Consulate General will issue a new multi-entry visa valid roughly equivalent with the suspension period. The detailed guidance will be announced in due course.

For more efficient visa processing and to improve the service, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in the US will reopen the visa office in the near future. For more information on specific procedures and requirements, please log on to the website of the according Embassy or Consulate General.