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Q. SF Consular District
A. SF consulate office holds jurisdiction for residents of Northern California, Alaska, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington states. For residents of other states, please send your visa application or document(s) to corresponding Chinese Consular post that holds jurisdiction over your area of residence.

Q. Holiday Schedule of 2010
A. January 1 (Friday) New Year's Day January 18 (Monday) Martin Luther King's Birthday February 15-16 (Monday-Tuesday) Chinese Spring Festival May 3 (Monday) International Labor Day May 31 (Monday) US Memorial Day July 5 (Monday) US Independence Day September 6 (Monday) US Labor Day October 1,4 (From Friday to Next Monday) Chinese National Day November 25,26 Thursday, Friday Thanksgiving Day December 27 Monday Christmas Day

Q. IMPORTANT: Latest update for non-US passport holders
A. Non-US passport bearers shall provide documents that entitle them to reside or work for an extended period of time in the US, and previous Chinese visa.

Q. What is visa?
A. A visa is an authority issued by the Embassy/Consulate of a country that permits a traveler to visit that particular country. Visas are issued with specific limitations regarding purpose of visit, length of stay, validity of visa, etc… It is the traveler's responsibility to obtain necessary visas for their travel itinerary.

Q. Do I need to obtain a visa to China?
A. All US citizens and non-Chinese citizens traveling to mainland China, whether for business, study or pleasure, require a visa which should be obtained prior to the trip.

Q. When to apply visa to China?
A. Most visas from our agency are valid for 3 months. You should apply within this time frame prior to your trip.

Q. Do I need to send my actual passport?
A. Yes, passport is needed for consulate to stamp visa inside the passport.

Q. What is passport/visa type photo?
A. The consulate office requires one 2"x2" size photo similar to the one in your passport from each applicant(black & white or color is acceptable). Please glue or staple the photo on the application form.

Q. What is a valid passport?
A. A valid passport must have at least six (6) months of remaining validity with at least one blank visa page in it to stamp the new Chinese visa.

Q. How long will it take to get visa?
A. Starting from the date we receive all required documents, below are the time frame you should expecting to receive your visa: Regular service: 7-10 business days. Express service: 4 business days' Rush: 3 business days.

Q. Can I apply for a Multiple Entry Visa valid for 6 months or 12 months?
A. Yes, if one the following requirments is met: --> Submit documents that certify he/she will come to China frequently for family visiting or sighting, e.g. an invitation letter from your family member in China or proof of the kinship, or ownership certificate of real estate in China, or sale agreement or lease agreement of an apartment in China, or a copy of adoption certificate or the child's former Chinese passport if he/she has adopted a child from China --> Foreign citizens of Chinese origin who were born in China and have visited China at least twice in the past 12 months, and shall submit a copy of the visa(s) --> Submit an official letter issued by the host institution in China, or an application letter, which explains the need to visit China frequently for tourism --> Renew a multiple entry "L" visa, and shall submit a copy of the visa if it's in a different passport rather than the one submitted for a new visa. For business "F" visa, please submit a invitation issued by the authorized Chinese institution or from your company in the US, which explains the need to visit China frequently for commercial business or, you have visited China at least twice with the "F" visa within the past 12 months.

Q. How to apply business mutiple entry "F" visa for 24 months?
A. The Visa Office of Chinese Consulate General in San Francisco now accepts applications for two-year multiple-entry business visa (F visa). The visa is issued to US citizens, who need to visit China frequently on business. The visa is valid for two years since the issuing date and for multiple entries into China's mainland, with the duration of each stay being up to 90 days. REQUIREMENTS: Please submit the following upon application: - One completed and signed Visa Application Form of the People's Republic of China (please mark "2-year multiple" in the item "Intended number of entries"), with one recent passport photo (2"X2", front-view, black or plain background). - Current passport with at least 2 years of validity and at least one blank visa page, one photocopy of the personal information page of the passport; - Supporting documents: Photocopy of the previous Chinese visas, if the applicant has two or more Chinese F visas, or at least one multiple-entry F visa; or Original and one photocopy of Certificate of Investment, Business License, or Business Contract, if the applicant has investment, branch office, or business contract to carry out in China. Please fill in the application form carefully, completely, and clearly. Otherwise, the application may be delayed or even declined.

Q. How to fill out application form (Q-1)?
A. #1, Chinese Name: only complete if applicable. #2, Former Name: only complete if applicable (e.g. maiden name or other aliases). #3-6, Last/First Name, DOB, Place of Birth: must be completed as per your passport. #7, Nationality: input "U.S.A" if you are U.S. citizen. #8, Former Nationality: only complete if applicable. #9, Occupation: must be completed (e.g. retired, student, office clerk, etc.). #10, Home Address: fill out your complete residential address include state and zip code. PO Box is not acceptable. #11, Passport Type, Passport Valid Until, and Passport Number: Most people holding "Regular" type passport. Fill out others as per your passport, "Issued by" equivalent to "Authority" on your passport. Your passport must have at least six months validity left before expiration and at least one blank visa page left in it to apply for a visa since a visa will need a "visa page" to stamp on. #12, Purpose of Your Journey in China: State "vacation", "business trip", "study", etc. #13, Province, City or County to Visit in China: fill out destination cities of your itinerary such like "Beijing", Shanghai". #14, choose number of entry. You need double entry visa if you are traveling to Hongkong as part of the trip to China. For applicants who would like to apply for multiple entry visas, you must had at least one entry to China within the recent year. #15, fill out the dates you are planning to enter into China. #16, fill out how many days will be staying in China during each visit. #17, choose visa processing time, add 3 business days for our internal process including mailing time. Please call us to confirm details on rush service. #18, please fill out contact information in China, hotel contact is also acceptble. #19-20, must be completed. If you had Chinese visa in an old passport, please make copy of it and attach with application form. Your Visa Application Form must be signed and dated to be valid.

Q. How should be photo attached to applicaton form?
A. Simply stapel on the form.