Visa Question of the Month
August 2008
Q: Why is my B1/B2 visa good for only one year? I have a lot of business in America and I need to travel back and forth. It’s not convenient to get a new visa every year.
Mr. Wang, Suzhou
A: Visas to the United States are based on reciprocity. We can only issue visas that are the same length as the maximum amount of time that the Chinese government will issue to American citizens in a similar visa category. Since the longest visa an American businessperson in China can obtain is valid for only 12 months, 12 months is the maximum length a Chinese citizen can get for a B1/B2.
The good news is that if your last visa appointment was after November 2007, you may be able to use the CITIC bank Frequent Traveler Program to renew your visa without making an appointment to appear for an interview. Click here for more information on the frequent traveler program.
If your visa was issued prior to November 2007, you may still be eligible to use our Frequent Traveler program, but you will need to appear at the consulate for a very brief interview.
- Translation:
- 中文版