China changes visa rules for US citizens

Source: Economic Times India

5 May 2009, 2023 hrs IST, AGENCIES

BEIJING: China has changed visa rules for citizens from the United States, which has reported the second highest number of swine flu cases in the world.

A notice dated May 3 on the Web site for the Chinese Embassy and its consulates in the US said that all visa applications would now require six business days to process, with express and rush services for visa applications suspended until further notice.

It is unclear exactly why the rules have been changed, but it came hot on the heels of strident measures by China to contain any possible spread of swine flu, including quarantining of some foreign nationals.

The new visa regulation, effective as of May 4, appears to apply to all Chinese visas, including tourist and business categories. Visa applicants are also required to fill out a form declaring which countries and US states they had visited two weeks prior.

Previously, US nationals could obtain visas in as little as one day.


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