A lecture was given to introduce China-US visa deal by Ms. Jewell, Consular Chief of Consulate General of the United States in Shanghai, in Nanjing University, Jiangsu province, on Dec 15.
China and the United States have agreed to extend tourist and business visas to 10 years from one year, said US President Barack Obama on Nov 10 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing. The new agreement will extend the validity of B1, B2 and B1/B2 visas to 10 years from one year for Chinese citizens traveling to the US for business or leisure.
US citizens applying for tourism, business and visiting visas will enjoy a reciprocal arrangement. A B1 visa is for business and a B2 visa for tourism, while a B1/ B2 covers both. The visa validity extension will strengthen ties and mutual economic growth between US and China and offer more convenient for Chinese students, tourists, and business people, said Ms. Jewell.
One point Ms. Jewell kept emphasizing was that only visa validity had changed and visa holders could still stay in US for up to 6 months; 10 years’ validity extension doesn’t mean Chinese non-immigrant visa holders can stay in US for 10 years.