Visas for US citizens -- the 2010 changes
 

I need to get tourist visas for my family for August travel. I've always done this myself, by showing up at a Chinese embassy or consulate in various US cities when I happen to be there. If my memory is correct, I've typically gotten a money order for the right amount and dropped off a "next day air" envelope for the consulate to ship the passports back to me.

I'm going to be in DC in a couple of weeks and planned to apply there. But, looking at their not-very-clear website, it looks like things have changed. First, they seem to want to be paid by credit card. That's certainly a good thing! Second -- and not so good -- they don't seem to want to mail the passports back to me.

Can anyone who's recently applied -- especially in DC -- shed light on what's going on these days? If I can wait a day, can I get my passport back, or is processing slower than that? And how slow is it? Am I allowed to rope a colleague or family member into picking up the passports (and mailing them back to me) -- or can I cajole the Embassy into doing it for me despite the supposed prohibition? Finally, is there an easier way to do this, if I don't want to spend a lot of money on a passport service (there are 4 of us, so it's usually "real money" to use a service)?

I'm also assuming that the maximum validity for a visa is still under a year (so that I'll have to do this nonsense again if, say, I want to visit next year).

Thanks for the help!

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Nothing changed. You pay the rush fee and you're able to get it back he same day. Also, your old visa in your old or current pastport helps, too. At least the old visa numbers that needed when you fill out the applications.
As for one-year max, it stays for non-Chinese Americans. Chinese-Americans get 2 year for the same price, go figure.

OK, I think I found the right form. $30 extra per passport for "emergency" visa. That would be $120 extra for my 4. Hmmm, makes me want to drag somebody down there to pick them up. :) That's why the "mail back" service was good for me.

I got my 2009 visa in person at the DC Consulate and they were not offering mail back service at that time (a clear policy change from previous years). On a more positive note, I've had nothing but good experiences with the staff there. Furthermore, if anyone is willing to process 2 year visas for people without Chinese blood, it's these guys (also in 2009, they encouraged me to go to Kinko's and return with "a letter"). It might be tough to convince them that your kids need business visas though, child actors?

Interesting. If I don't have a REAL business justification (I mean, I'm an investor, so I guess I could claim I'm scouting business opportunities), could a get a multi-year business visa? Same for my wife? I'd like to save the trouble and, obviously, the $130 expense for each visa.

Do they still give only 1 years to the spouses of US Citizen Chinese-Americans?

If you're so inclined, you can personalize the following and email it to pretty much any Chinese company for them to print on letterhead, chop, and fax/scan. Once again, I feel compelled to disclaim that I've tried 3 times for 2-year visas this year alone and have a zero percent success rate (did get 120 days per stay, though). The only thing that gives me a glimmer of hope for your case is my last experience at the DC consulate (noted above).

I wish that was true but now everyone get's only one year. They gave two years prior to 2008 to avoid having to 'renew' in event your visa expired near 8.8.08.

I haven't run into anyone who's gotten a 2 year in quite some time, including myself and extended family members in the states.

What about Loren Petchel's wife?

Thanks, Moondog. I like the letter. :)

But it doesn't seem like my odds are too good.

For those who are wondering about the 2 year Chinese American visa, I did see specific reference to that on the consulate web page of the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

Whether you can actually get it, well, that could be a different story.

Tourist not business visa
 

What about her? I don't see him saying she got 2 years?

Again, I'm only sharing my experience from last 14-20 months. After my two yr tourist visa expired March 2009, couldn't get another 2 yr, they said "meiyou", only 1 year. I just applied this week - let's see if they give me 1 or 2 yr....

My wife (Taiwan born), my cousins (China born), my brother, etc. all have gotten only 1 years in past 12 months?

If someone has gotten a two year, congratulations and tell us how you got it?

Hers was issued in Oct 2008.

The one year China Visa is such a waste of time an money.

There are 1 million+ Chinese Nationals in the US on immigrant visas,permanent visas, GreenCards, permanent residents visas, I-551s. What's the reciprocity?

The least China could do is offer a 5 year Visa to people who have no history of
causing any trouble.

The reciprocity is that US only gives your quoted 1 million+ Chinese Nationals 1 year visas to the US, sometimes 2... that's reciprocity...

i don't like it...but hey... can't do much about it.
one year visa here for me from SF consulate last year.

Why give a two year visa when requiring 2 one-year visas instead is obviously so profitable?

Heck, a number of my former work colleagues in China got 10 year B visas from the U.S.