General Visa Information
New Visa Passback System 08/29/08
U.S. nonimmigrant visa application fee will be Reduced to RMB 904, Effective July 24, 2008
U.S. VISA APPLICATION FEES WILL INCREASE ON JANUARY 1, 2008
Non-Immigrant Visa Application – Procedural Note
As of November 15, 2007, applicants for non-immigrant visas (NIVs) to the United States will be required to submit 10 fingerprints at the time of interview. Previously, applicants were required to submit two fingerprints. This new procedure will be implemented world-wide by December 31, 2007; all NIV processing posts in China have implemented the new procedure. The collection of ten fingerprints enhances the integrity of the visa process and ensures that applicant’s identities are protected. This change has had no significant impact on wait or interview times and applies to all applicants between the ages of 14 and 79. Applicants for diplomatic or official visa classes, applicants under 14 or over 79 years of age, and medical emergency cases are exempt from the requirement.
Immigrant and Non Immigrant Visas: Where to Apply
Welcome to the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai. We are located on the 8th floor of the Shanghai Westgate Mall at 1038 West Nanjing Road.
To make an appointment for a visa interview or to ask general visa questions, you may call the visa call center. The Consulate General is unable to answer telephone inquiries about individual cases. To ask such questions, please contact the Consular Section by fax or e-mail. For additional contact information, click here.
The Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai processes only nonimmigrant visas for travel to the United States. For information on immigrant or fiancée fiancé visas, please contact the U.S. Consulate General in Guangzhou via e-mail at http://guangzhou.usembassy-china.org.cn/email.html. You will also find general information about immigrant visas in the State Department's Consular web pages and at the website for the National Visa Center.
If you live or work in the Shanghai Consular District and intend to engage in tourist activities, attend an educational institution, attend meetings or conferences, or work temporarily in the United States, you may apply for a visa at the Consular Section of the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai. The Shanghai Consular District comprises the Shanghai Municipality, and the provinces of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang.
If you live in Beijing, Tianjin, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Shanxi, inner Mongolia, Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, or Jiangxi, please click here.
If you live in Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet or Chongqing, please click here.
If you live in Liaoning, Jilin or Heilongjiang, please click here.
If you live in Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan or Guangxi, please click here.
Starting October 31, 2005, the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai will begin implementing a new passport pass-back system that will offer greater convenience to visa applicants. Successful visa applicants will no longer have to wait or return to the U.S. Consulate to pick up their passport and U.S. visa. Shanghai consular district customers will have their passports returned directly to their homes via Post Bureau courier or made available for direct pick-up at a local post office. Click here for more information on visa delivery and pick up services.
For information about how to obtain visas for another country, whether for China or a third country, check out the State Department Consular Affairs’ Travel Web Page.
General Information
Nonimmigrant Visas(NIV)
