How long does it take to apply for a visa abroad?

Generally, it is enough to apply for a visa half a month or a month in advance before traveling. In case of emergency, it is also possible to apply for a visa 10 days and a week in advance. However, you must explain it to the visa officer during the visa interview at the embassy. After applying for the visa, it doesn’t matter whether you go or not. It does not mean that you must go after you have applied for the visa.

How long does it take to apply for a visa?

In order to better arrange their time abroad, many Chinese citizens will pay more attention to the processing time before applying for a US visa. So how long does it take to process a U.S. visa in 2016? Generally speaking, the processing time is about 2 to 3 working days, but considering the existence of information collection, interview and other processes, the entire processing cycle is about 30-40 days. It is recommended that Chinese citizens start preparing for the U.S. visa application about three months in advance.

Whether it is a U.S. tourist visa or business visa, or a U.S. student visa or academic exchange visa, when the materials are complete, the U.S. Embassy will receive a visa application from a Chinese citizen to the United States. It takes about 2 to 3 working days to complete the visa procedures, but for applicants, the 2016 US visa processing time is not just a mere two or three days. Because applying for a U.S. visa requires collecting materials in advance and waiting for an interview at the embassy. Only after passing the interview can you go to the embassy to formally apply for a visa. Moreover, after the new U.S. visa policy is introduced in 2016, the process for Chinese citizens to apply for a U.S. visa will be more complicated. , it will also take longer, so the entire procedure takes about 30-40 days. If you plan to go to the United States, it is best to apply for a U.S. visa about three months in advance to avoid delaying your plan to go abroad.

Take the U.S. study visa processing time as an example. Generally speaking, April to June every year is the best time to apply for a U.S. study visa, because according to the regulations of the U.S. Embassy, ??students can apply for a U.S. study visa 4 months before the start of school. Visa within one month. It is recommended that students should prepare their visas in advance if their conditions permit. For students who have applied for admission notices from American universities, the earlier they apply for a visa, the higher their chance of obtaining it. The visa rate in July-August every year is lower than that in April-June. The reason is that the decrease in visa rates is not only due to the visa quota limit of the embassy, ??but also restricted by various factors.

In addition, the U.S. Embassy also has specific regulations on how long students holding a U.S. study visa can stay in the United States. Generally speaking, when entering the United States with a student visa, you will be allowed to stay in the United States until the completion of your stay. Throughout school. This means that you can stay in the United States as long as you are a full-time student in school, even if the student visa in your passport has expired. If a student has completed all courses and approved internships specified on the I-20 form, he may also be allowed to stay in the United States for the following additional time before leaving the United States:

F-1 students: up to You can stay for an additional 60 days to prepare for leaving the United States or changing schools.

M-1 students: can stay up to an additional 30 days (such students must complete their studies within the specified time, and the entire study period shall not exceed one year). As long as the student completes all courses and maintains student status, he or she is allowed to stay for an additional 30 days to prepare for departure. In order to complete the entire study program, certain students holding M visas can obtain approval for extension of stay for up to 3 years

Legal Basis

"Passport Visa of the People's Republic of China" Regulations

Article 3: The agencies that issue passports and visas are the agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security at home; abroad they are the diplomatic representative agencies, consular agencies and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. organ. Passports for persons traveling abroad on official business shall be issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or an agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Passports and visas for persons traveling abroad for private matters shall be handled by agencies authorized by the Ministry of Public Security. Passports and visas for Chinese citizens traveling and residing abroad shall be processed by China's diplomatic representative agencies, consular agencies or agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreigners applying for Chinese visas should be handled by China's diplomatic representative agencies, consular agencies or agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs abroad. In China, applications for visas by foreign diplomatic representatives, consular offices, consular officers, and civil servants in China shall be accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the foreign affairs agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; other foreigners holding diplomatic or official passports shall apply for visas by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Foreign affairs agencies authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or public security agencies authorized by the Ministry of Public Security will accept applications. Applications for visas by ordinary passport holders or other people coming to China for private matters shall be accepted by the public security agencies authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.

Article 5 Chinese passports are issued to Chinese citizens who are over 16 years old. Chinese citizens under the age of 16 can use the same passport as their parents; when necessary, they can also be issued separate passports.