One year multi entry Visa: LA Consulate grants readily.
 

Was told that now the LA office grants one year multi entry visas without any invitation letter to anyone? $130. Any experiences? How to get it for two years?

I got one from LA consulate but now because of the economy have no money to
get to China. I will go to Shatto place office and ask clerk for a refund.:p

Write an invitation letter to yourself. If you really want to knock their socks off, email your letter to a company in China, have them print on letter head and chop, then fax or mail it back to you. FWIW, in case you missed my January post on this topic, the DC consulate girl actually encouraged me to go to Kinko's (a block away) and crank out an invitation letter.

That's a lot easier than securing 100K to 200K RMB in a bank account for 90 days, to appease the US consulate.

Just got a 1-year multi-entry 60 day/visit tourist visa. Same as I had last time.

No problem getting a 1-year, multiple entry/90 days L visa from the Houston consulate last month, either.

With those good reports, maybe I will go for the 1-year.
What is the time deadline between issue and first entry?

1 year.

Thanks, that would be outstanding.

I am not talking about the total validity,
but the time allowed between Visa issuance and First entry.

My previous single/double entry L-Visas required entry
within two months, so I can't prepare too far ahead.

This time I am going to Lhasa,
and have the complications of the Tibet Travel permit as well,
which can't be started until China visa is in hand.

You get one year's time to enter. Upon entering then your time
starts as far as the duration days of your stay. So if you got
90 days duration you could enter on the last day of the 1 year
and stay on past the year for 3 more months.

I don't know about two years, but I got a one-year multi-entry last October. The visa cost is now the same for single-entry, double-entry and multiple entry -- something to do with reciprocity due to U.S. visa policy. I've been to China many, many times, so I'm sure I'm on their, "No problem Gweilo" list. :) However, when I handed in the application, the clerk who processed it didn't even look twice -- just asked if I needed it the same day (I didn't), told me to come back the following day after noon and thanked me.

I believe same day pickup starts at 2:30PM. So if you are going to LA
for pickup the line after that time is long.

Yeah, I'm up to about a dozen visas by now, although there is only one old one in this passport.

The TA that did the visa for us didn't consider a 2-year for me a possibility at this time, though.

Very interesting, thank you!^
That is better news than I expected, as I can
do the China visa app earlier than I thought.
Will probably try at Houston.

Houston seems to be one of the most cooperative and least persnickety of all the USA Chinese Consulates. I just asked for, and received, a 12-month multiple entry, 90 days per entry. But mine is an F visa, not an L. F needs invitation letter, L doesn't. I suspect Houston will give out 12-month, multiple L's with 60 day entries like candy, maybe you can get 90 day also. I'm not anywhere close to Houston, so I used mychinavisa.com as agent and they came through for me quickly.