After dedicating numerous hours to your application, receiving the green light to send us your documents marks a significant milestone in your visa journey. This progress is indeed commendable, and we are eager to offer some valuable tips to help ensure a smooth and trouble-free transit for your package.

First and foremost, we strongly advise against using postal services for shipping. Over the years, we have encountered instances of delayed and misplaced packages when relying on the postal office. While USPS is often a cost-effective and convenient choice in many regions, it is important to exercise caution when sending passports or when time sensitivity is a concern. In such cases, it is highly recommended to opt for trusted carriers such as FedEx Express, UPS Express, or UPS Ground to ensure the secure and timely delivery of your vital documents.

We have built a strong and positive relationship with FedEx over the past two decades, and as a result, we enthusiastically recommend using their services, particularly FedEx Express Overnight or FedEx 2nd Day.

While UPS Express and UPS Ground also offer excellent services, it is worth noting that we have occasionally received packages in less-than-ideal conditions. If you plan to utilize UPS for your shipment, we strongly urge you to employ a sturdy, high-quality envelope and ensure it is securely sealed. It is imperative not to use manila envelopes for shipping especially crucial documents, as the rigors of the UPS conveyor belt can subject them to significant wear and tear.

For less critical items that can be easily replaced or reproduced, FedEx Ground and Home Delivery may be suitable options. However, please be aware that these services are provided by third-party contractors, which may not consistently uphold the same level of service quality as FedEx Express.

USPS, on the other hand, can be a reliable choice in many areas and regions. We are more than willing to accommodate your preference for shipping back your passport and visa using the Postal Office. Nevertheless, we strongly discourage using USPS when sending packages to our office containing passports. If your shipment consists of only a few pieces of paper and you are not under time constraints, USPS remains a viable and cost-effective choice. Your convenience and peace of mind are our top priorities throughout this important process.

The embassy has not been reopened for long, and there have been various issues with the new appointment system and the COVA form system. We may not be able to directly share all of these situations with the applicant, but we will do our utmost to assist with the application process.

To ensure a smooth visa application process and minimize any potential issues, we will spend a considerable amount of time and effort assisting applicants with reviewing forms and organizing document submissions. The visa application process has become increasingly complex, and we need to be in control of the entire process to successfully help you obtain your visa.  Please carefully read the following instructions to begin preparing your visa application.

Procedures and steps:

Step 1: Regardless of which type of visa you are applying for, please use COVA-visa-form-filling-Tips to start filling out the COVA form, but don’t submit it.  If you have already submitted the COVA form, please go to step 2.

It’s okay if you have questions and issues during the form filling phase, please fill out the form to the best of your ability!
Don’t worry if you make mistakes, because we will help you check it later.  If you need our help to upload a visa photo, just take an upper-body selfie and email it to us. 

Step 2: Send the COVA form ID number, passport number, phone number, and the following basic materials to Oasis by email in JPG or PDF files:

1. -passport biopage (information page)
2. -Driver’s license or state issued I.D
3. -Most recently Chinese visa & Residence permit record (if any)
4. -Invitation Letter (for business visa or family visiting,  preferred to be in Chinese than English)
5. -Inviting person’s valid Chinese I.D or Residence Permit(only for family visiting visa)
6. –Where You Stay Form
7. –Credit Card Sheet (no longer needed, we will contact you for payment if your order can be accepted and processed)
8. -Our email address is “Service@OasisChinaVisa.Com”  (hosted with Google Workspace Enterprise,  S/MIME message encryption supported)
9. -For security purposes, all of your email & files are store on Google Workspace; and, we do not click external links or download .zip files;

Family visa (s2/Q2) requires a family member’s personal invitation letter;   Business visa (M or F) requires an organizational invitation letter;  Tourism visa (L) requires a friend’s personal invitation letter, tour company’s  invitation letter, or a confirm flight & hotel reservation.  We do not book flights or hotels, but you can contact agencies like Flychina.com to purchase your flight tickets to China.

Step 3: Oasis logs in to your COVA form, checks the basic materials, and then performs an evaluation.

During the process of checking your COVA form, we will make an assessment based on the information in your form and supporting documents.  If we are able to assist you with your visa application, we will charge you the relevant fee and guide you through the process of modifying your COVA form and mailing the required documents to our office.  If we determine that we are unable to assist you with your visa application, your credit card will not be charged any fees.

Step 4: Oasis will do the final inspection after receiving the materials you sent, and then help to make an appointment and submit them.

If we find any issues after receiving the materials, we will promptly contact the applicant to make supplementary or corrective measures.

Step 5: After a few weeks (or days), the applicant will receive their passport and visa in the mail(or picked up from Oasis office).

Payment Method and Fees:

Standarding processing service fee: $260 ; Embassy Fee is $185, FedEx 2nday Shipping fee $45;    2-4 weeks turn-around time.

Expedited processing service fee: $400 ; Embassy Fee is $210, FedEx Next Shipping fee $55;  2 week turn-around time.

If you need the visa in less than 2 weeks, please contact us by phone so we can have a better understanding of your needs, and provide you with other options.

Embassy fee and shipping are calculated separately based on your nationaltiy, validity of the visa, …etc

We do not charge any fees during the service introduction phase. If the applicant decides to use our service and we have started preparing the documents and providing advice, the service fee will not be refunded.

If the applicant decides to cancel the service during the processing period, the service fee will not be refunded, but the visa application fee and mailing fee can be refunded.

Jurisdictions:

We can only assist residents of the following states:Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas;.Utah,Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, Wyoming.

Frequently asked questions:

Do I need to go to the embassy in person?

No, you can entrust someone else or a service organization such as our company to do it on your behalf

How long does it take to process a visa after submitting it to the embassy?

The normal processing time of the embassy is 4-5 working days, and the expedited processing time is 2-3 working days

I go to the embassy to submit the application documents myself, can you help me to pickup and mail back my passports?

Yes, of course, our office is next to the visa section of the embassy. For passport and visa pickup services, please find more details here.

What is the passport vailidty requirement?

The minimum passport required by the Embassy to apply for a visa is valid for 6 months. If you want to apply for a visa valid for 10 years, your passport needs to be valid for at least 1 year.

My U.S. passport doesn’t have a visa page, can I get a visa?

No, you will need a new U.S. passport.

 Other notes:

If you have a new passport, the old visa is still in the old passport, please provide the original passport when applying for the visa.

If you have any questions, please send us an email, or you can send a text message to “(301) 284-0970”
Due to the sudden increase in workload, the current email response time is 1-2 working days, thank you for your understanding!

Chinese Embassy Visa Office is Reopening  on Jan 25th , 2023.

China Visa Application by mail will no longer be provided by the Chinese Embassy.    An “Appointment for Visa Application Submission (AVAS)” system will be in use for walk-in applicants starting January 16, 2023.

Consular notarization service (领事公证服务）now requires a pre-approval before an appointment can be scheduled for on-site drop off with the Visa office.

Chinese Embassy authentication （使馆认证服务）service by mail is no longer avaiable.

Chinese Embassy Visa Office Operationg Hours:  9:30-14:30 (Monday to Friday, closed on weekends and holidays)

Oasis China Visa Services will continue to provide visa processing services by mail as a visa agent.

Document authentication services by mail or appointment are still provided by Oasis.

If you have any questions, please send us an E-mail, and we will get back on the same day, or the next working day.

Thank you!

The Chinese Embassy is now accepting applications for Family reunion visa applications.    You can apply directly with the Chinese Embassy, or you may hire Oasis China Visa Services to assist with your visa application. 

How to proceed, if the applicant has already completed and submitted the COVA form:

Step 1. The applicant emails the PDF application form and the following materials to Oasis

a. A scan or photo of the passport identity page
b. A scan or photo of the applicant’s Driver’s license or statement displaying  the applicant’s address
c. Latest/last China visa obtained (if any)
d. Invitation letter from a family member in China
e. The inviter’s China Residence  ID card (front and back); or validity Chinese resident permit

Step 2. Oasis evaluates the application based on the completed application form and the above materials. Then determines whether it is necessary to fill out a new COVA form, and provide a list of other required documentation and service charges.

Step 3. The applicant submit the full payment and e-mails relevant materials to Oasis

Step 4.  Oasis double checks all the application form fields and ensure all the supporting document present,  then provide mailing instruction so the applicant to mail in the original documents

Step 5. After receiving it, Oasis will do the final inspection, make an appointment, and then submit the documents to the embassy for processing.

Step 6.  A few days later, the applicant receives the processed visa & passport in the mail.

If the applicant has not completed or submitted the COVA form, please email our office for detailed processing instructions. 

Chinese Visa Online Application Form (COVA).

To start, you should fill out the new Chinese Visa Online Application Form (COVA). This new application form is filled out online and is 8-10 pages depending on the applicant’s situation.  The new form will ask applicants for detailed information on family members, education background starting from high school, and employment histories. Therefore, we advise the applicant to complete the form, but do not submit and generate the final printable PDF form.  Although we cannot fill out the form for you, but we can review and help you to check over the form by using the Application I.D and passport number before the information gets submitted.  We cannot guarantee the form to be error free or 100% be accepted by the Embassy, but we will do our best to catch any errors or flag any issues on the form. Once the form is submitted online, the Embassy will ask the applicant to complete the form again if any edit or corrections on the form is needed. The Embassy does not accept any handwritten corrections on the generated PDF form.

Processing time

Currently 2-4 weeks

Visa Validity and Length of Stay

10 Years Multiple Entry visa for Business and family visitings are getting issued.  The length of stay of a Business visa for each entry is 30- 60 days.  The length of stay of a family visiting visa is 60-180 days.

Service & Fees

Please see HERE.

Required documents

The following documents are commonly needed to prepare for a visa application.  Supporting documents are maybe required depending on individual situation.  After the Chinese Embassy’s pre-approval, original documents will need to be mailed into our office at the time of submission.

1. 1. 1. COVA Form.* Do NOT submit after filling out the web form, wait for Oasis review first)
         * Upload a selfie for the visa photo to continue with the form.
         * Oasis can help you with the photo edit and uploading later.
      2. Passport with 6 months validity and 2 blank visa pages
      3. One visa photo in JPG format
         * You can ask friends or family to help you to take this photo.
         * Stand against a whitewall, wear something not is white.
         * Use your smartphone / digital camera to take an upper body photograph.
         * Do not wear glasses, jewelry, or necklace.
         * Make sure your face (including your forehead) and your ears are showing (not blocked by hairs), so the photo may pass the COVA photo exam.
         * Email your photo in JPG format, Oasis can help you to edit it and upload it.
      4. Photocopy of Driver’s License
      5. Invitation letter from a major family member
      6. Driver’s license or state issued I.D for residence verification & jurisdiction confirmation
      7. Other documents to be listed by Oasis after review of your application.

    

Jurisdictions and residency

Currently we can only drop off applications to the Chinese Embassy for applicants who live or work within the following states:

Washington DC,　　 Delaware,　　 Idaho,　　 Kentucky,　　 Maryland,　　 Montana,　　 Nebraska,　　 North Carolina,　　 North Dakota,　　 South Carolina,
South Dakota,　　 Tennessee,　　 Utah,　　 Virginia,　　 West Virginia,　　 Wyoming,　　 Alabama,　　 Arkansas,　　 Florida,　　 Georgia,　　 Louisiana,
Mississippi,　　 Oklahoma,　　 Texas
For residents of all other states, we also can provide application preparation services. 

Please email our office for detailed processing procedures.   You can also call or text us at 1 866 312 8472.

Is the Chinese Embassy open now?

No. the Chinese Embassy Visa Section is still closed to the public, walk-in is only available for special cases with appointment.

How to apply for a Chinese Visa?

You may apply for a visa directly with the Chinese Embassy, or you may apply through a visa agent like Oasis China Visa Services

Can my 10 years (5 years) visa now be used?

If you have a 10 years (or 5 years) visa issued prior to 03/28/2020, it is still suspended.

Can I apply the visa directly with the Embassy? 

Yes. You can apply for your visa directly with the Embassy at visaoffice.dc@vip.163.com.

How quickly should I expect to receive my visa.

The visa turn around time is affected by many factors.  Most of the cases we handled get processed within about 2 weeks. However,  the application process can often encounter various unforeseeable delays .

What documents should I prepare for my Q2 visa application?

The required documents to apply for a Q2 visa is varies slightly depending on the individual situation.  The commonly required documents are: 1.Passport;  2. visa photo; 3.Application Form; 4. Invitation Letter;  And other supporting documents.

What is the advantage of using Oasis China Visa Services?

We will provide you with clear instruction.
We will help you to pass the visa photo examinations
We will check your COVA form before submission.
We will help you with the Chinese Embassy’s pre-approval.
We will turn in your application, after double checking your application.
You are likely to encounter less foreseeable/avoidable problems and delays
Your application materials will be dropped off to the Visa office in person

The China Embassy recently announced that US citizen and non-US citizen holding valid China residence permit can utilized their permit to enter China. This change in policy pertains to residence permit holders only, applicants holding a valid visa that was issued prior to 03/28/2020 are not included. To be clear, regardless of visa type, all 10-year validity visas are still suspended and cannot be used to enter China.

For people with expired residence permit, you are now eligible to apply for a new visa to enter China. For details on how to apply for the new visa, contact us for more details. Please note, we can only help applicants from the following State to apply for their China visas:

Alabama
Arkansas
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Virginia
West Virginia
Wyoming
Washington DC

You will need to apply for a new/temporary China visa in order to enter China during the COVID 19 pandemic.  Due to travel restrictions, all China visa issue prior to 03/27/2020 are suspended until further notice. At the current time, you cannot use your visa to enter China even if your China visa has not expired. According to China Ministry of Foreign Affairs , “Entry with diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas” will not be affected by this suspension implemented on 03/28/2020.

Before applying for a China visa, please double check which Embassy/consulate/consulate general office is responsible for issuing China visas to applicants from your state of residency. For details, please use this page from the China Embassy to figure out which consulate office to use for your application: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmzlljs/t84229.htm .

Currently, only a limited group of people are eligible to apply for a new or temporary visa to enter/return to China. Generally, 6 groups of people are eligible to apply for a China visa during the covid 19 virus pandemic:

• Education professionals (Professors/Teachers) and their family entering China for the first time or returning for the new school year. (F China visa)
• Parent/Spouse/Children of people that are living or working in China, family reunion. (S2 China visa)
• Business owners/employees that has major contribution to local business economy.(F/M China visa)
• People with family emergency, circumstance such as family member in China being hospitalized, in critical condition, or passed away. (Humanitarian China visa)
• Crew member from all major airline or maritime shipping company (Crew Visa)
• Diplomats and their family members (W visa)

To be eligible for a China visa during the COVID-19 pandemic, applicant in groups 1-3 must first obtain a PU invitation letter from China. This PU invitation letter is issued by a city or provincial’s Foreign Affair’s office in China. For education professionals, business owner and business employees, please ask your employer in China to facilitate the issuance of the PU invitation letter by the Foreign affair’s office. For family members of people working or living in China, please have your family member’s China employer apply for the PU letter as well.

For humanitarian China visa applicant, you will need to contact the visa office in person to schedule for an appointment or application by mail arrangement. Please be sure to have the following 2 documents ready:

• Proof of relationship between applicant and family member in China
• Documentation/report from hospital in China justifying the urgency

Crew and diplomat visa documentation remain unchanged, no special documents required.

关于办理《在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表》的几点说明
转载 出处：  中国大使馆官网

一、问：在中国领取养老金（退休金）的基本条件是什么？
答：根据《中华人民共和国社会保险法》、《实施<中华人民共和国社会保险法>若干规定》等中国法律和规范性文件，在境外居住人员领取养老金有两个条件：一是参加基本养老保险且缴费年限达到15年；二是达到法定退休年龄（以当地或行业法规为准）。一般情况下，领取养老金，首先要在中国境内办妥退休手续，取得养老金账户。
需要指出的是，申请人在中国驻外使领馆办理的“在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表”仅用于证明申请人生存的事实，能否领取养老金将由国内主管部门最终审核并解释。
申请人可登陆拟领取养老金所在地社会保障部门网站或拨打当地12333热线，查询了解具体的政策规定。
需在香港、澳门地区领取养老金的申请人，无法使用上述审核表，而是需要办理健在公证。
二、问：我现在已经加入外国国籍，还能够继续申办“在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表”并领取养老金吗？
答：根据《中华人民共和国社会保险法》、《实施<中华人民共和国社会保险法>若干规定》以及《关于获准出国定居的退休人员加入外国籍后仍可享受退休待遇的规定》等中国法律和规范性文件，退休人员加入外籍后可继续享受相关退休待遇。
也就是说，只要您符合在中国领取养老金的基本条件，您在加入外国籍后，仍可继续领取养老金。
三、问:2015年7月1日起实行的新规定与此前办理“健在证明”的做法有什么区别？是政策变化了吗？
答：2015年7月1日起实行的《关于在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表有关问题的通知》相比于此前办理“健在证明”的有关规定，主要有以下几个变化：
一是名称变化。原“出境定居离退休、退职人员健在确认表”更名为“在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表”。
二是手续简化。此前申办“健在确认表”，申请人需提供有效护照、居留证及离退休证等，新规定不再要求申请人提供离退休证等证件，仅需提供有效护照、居留证件。
三是更人性化。因身体、路途等原因无法亲自到使领馆办理的申请人，可委托他人代为办理或邮寄办理。
以上三点是变化，新规定还有一个最大的特点就是延续了此前“当场发证、免费办证”的做法，申请人到中国驻外使领馆办理上述审核表，可当场领取并免费办理。
简言之，此次新规定的实施，是具体办证程序的调整，并非政策的改变。
四、在中国驻美国大使馆办理“在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表”的具体程序是什么？
答：在使馆领区居住的申请人，可向使馆递交申请。申请人通常情况下应当亲自到使馆办理，向使馆工作人员提供有效护照、居留证件并填写《在境外居住人员领取养老金资格审核表》一份。申请人不能亲自办理的，可委托他人代办，也可邮寄办理。

When applying for a visa, Please keep the following critical details in mind:

Anyone who wishes to visit China, under most conditions, will need to apply for a visa.

1. When applying for a Visa, applicants are simply putting in a request for a visa to China.
2. The keyword here is “request,” although rare in occurrence, but not all request are granted or approved in a timely manner
3. All Visa applications are reviewed by a Consulate officer, the consulate officer determines any and all outcomes regarding the application. Their decision is the only decision that matters, and most of the time, their judgments are final.  The following excerpt is taken directly from the official Visa FAQ’s taken from the Chinese Embassy’s website

   1. “The consular officers will determine whether or not to grant a visa and its category, validity and permitted duration of stay. The decision is final unless there is a technical error on the visa.”

4. Generally 90% of the applications are processed and approved within the designated time frame, but applicant’s request can be returned or turned away at any time for any reason
5. Many applications are returned every day for various reasons, returned applications are not considered as “Rejected” or “Denied” Visa applications.
6. Almost all of the returned applications can be re-submitted to the visa office for processing after providing supplementary documents or additional information.
7. Most returned applications can be re-submitted without many issues, the only downside is all of prior application progress is reset and the processing time start from day 1 again after the initial submission.
8. However, there are exceptions. Some application or returned applications may take longer to process than others. These applications are normally put under “To Call” status.

“To Call” Applications

1. An uncommon occurrence during the application process is applications being put down under the “To Call” Status.
2. When an application is under the “To Call” status, there is no longer a designed pick up date or a time table for the processing time (The standard and the express application processing time no longer apply).
3. The following excerpt is taken directly from the official Visa FAQ’s taken from the Chinese Embassy’s website:

   1. “Normally it takes 4 business days to process a visa application although some applications require longer processing time. You will be notified of the estimated collection date either on your pick-up slip or by phone later.”

   2. “If no pick-up date is shown on the slip, you need to wait for a call or mail notification from the Visa Office as your application may require longer processing time.”

4. After all of the requested materials are submitted, applicants are asked to wait patiently for notification phone call for Visa approval and pick up.
5. Updates or status checks are unavailable for “To call” applications, we are only given notification after the Visa has been approved and ready for pick up.
6. We recommend applicants avoid committing to or finalizing any travel plans to China until the China visa has been approved by the embassy
7. Please Keep in mind that the Visa office work on a time table of their own, they
   process hundreds if not thousands of application every day.
8. Not all special request or “To Call” applications are processed in time for the trip, but the passport and the application can be withdrawn from the embassy anytime during the application process.