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.

Which Consulates give 2 year multiple with a letter?

I recently got a 1 year multiple entry F visa from the New York Consulate through Zierer Visa Service.
2 year did not even seem to be an option.

I've never had a problem getting a one-year F visa at the LA consulate. Same day is pretty easy too. I always go around late morning after the lines have worked their way down to nothing. Go have a nice Mexican lunch nearby, then pick up my visa afterward. Couldn't be easier.

anyone know if there has been any change recently in the granting of 1 yr. multi entry L visas? Word in China is that visa policy is tightening down in preparation for the 60 yr celebrations in October. Supposedly can not get an F visa past Sept. 15.

DC is my only recent (first-hand) data point, but I've gotten them in Los Angeles and San Francisco previously (and prior to the Olympic frenzy).

Just renewed a 1-year multi/business visa last week in DC.

China is pretty much over now.

The meet and greet game is long past.

If you don't already have established relationships...don't waste your time.

Just email..and a few phone calls. No need to show your face.

I once bought a "house" at a DC tax auction (as the henchman of a group of investors who just wanted to walk away with something), only to subsequently discover that there wasn't any sort of house on the said piece of land.

(There is a lesson here that applies to China.)

I'm looking at a Chinese visa application right now. Do I need to submit any proof of my itn when submitting the application? Will including itns showing multiple entries into China increase my chance of getting a multi-entry Visa? As a UA 1k, I can book/change/cancel multiple awards into China for no extra fee.

What kind of visa? Business or tourist? For a business visa, you just ask for 1 yr multi-entry. I've never had to show an itin.

You don't need to include an itin, but photocopying your past China visas (yes, even if they are in the same passport) is a nice touch. Also, if you want a 2-year (F) visa, try to either get or write your own invitation letter.

Tourist (L) visa. Multi-entry valid for 12 months

Received a 1 year multi-entry 90 day duration visa last week from the Chicago office. Didn't ask, they completed the box for me - I had left it blank meaning to ask.

I just tried today at the Chinese Embassy in Prague and was told an L visa for 12 months, multi-entry was not possible without an invitation. The best they could do was 6mo, double entry. This is on a US passport with a Czech Residency Permit.

Was this for your first Chinese visa? If so I have a feeling that is pretty much standard. Multi entry comes after you already have one of these double entry.

US citizens applying at US consulates are often granted 1-year visas, even if they don't have previous China visas (due to reciprocity, I think).

I had a 5 Day SEZ visa for going across the border from Hong Kong., but I didn't really need multi-entry, only double (to go and return from North Korea), but the multi is the same price so thought I'd try.

Moondog is correct. DN, if you had applied at a Chinese mission in the USA, you would almost certainly have gotten the 12 month multiple entry. This deal is not normally available if you are a US citizen applying for a visa in a 3rd country. The older policy of not granting a multiple until you had at least one (or 2 or 3) entries into China on singles and doubles doesn't seem to apply anymore, at least to US citizens.

I paid my $130 and only got a 30 day visa. =( I believe it is my 5th visa. Not that I would go back to China again.
I was expecting a one year visa.

I confirm this.

I am planning on going to china on tourism. However I have a friend who is working there. Is there any benifit to an F over an L visa or the other way around. I shouldn't have a problem getting a letter if that helps at all. I am in DC this week so applying there makes the most sense for me.

Just get the L visa for tourism--you didn't describe any reason that you'd need an F for. Keep it simple. You won't need a letter for an L visa. I can't figure out why your friend working in China has any bearing on your visa application. If you will be travelling inside China for longer than 30 day standard visa duration, then ask for 60 day duration on the application form and put down a longer list of cities (need not match your real travel plans). Because they are now all same price for US citizens, you should check the box for multiple entry, 12 months validity.

If you ever find yourself in need of an extension while in China, L's are straightforward to deal with yourself--F extensions can be more problematic.

I am going to China in June and want to get the visa taken care now so am looking at a 6 month double or multi entry visa (though only plan on entering once). Any disadvantage to getting a double/multi with no intention of using more than one entry?

Absolutely none. The cost is the same.

Thanks! I wasn't sure if they kept track for the future. I think I will just go for the 6 month double entry - don't want to be too greedy:)