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The American Embassy in Beijing, China is booked. Solid. Chinese exhibitors trying to obtain visas to attend American exhibitions and events must wait until September to schedule an interview appointment with the U.S. Embassy. For many exhibitors, September is simply too late. But hope is not lost.
According to a knowledgeable source with the American Embassy Beijing, new opportunities were introduced last week allowing interviewees to pursue appointments in other cities where staffing and resources are not as exhausted as China’s capital.
Currently, Guangzhou, Shenyang and Chengdu are less busy. Beijing currently has a 100-day wait list and Shanghai has about 70. That will change as people consider looking at other cities. The wait times in those cities will likely increase but still not as long as Beijing or Shanghai’s wait times.
This new system may only remain in effect through the summer, but may provide relief to those seeking the visas they need to attend upcoming events. Visa applicants are encouraged to use the following process:
People with visa interview appointments in Beijing (and possibly, those without) may contact the Visa Call Center to request to move the appointment to a sooner date. Expect a long wait time when calling. Callers must be prepared to travel and stay in another city – at their own expense – if that Consular Section office has better appointment dates available in those cities.
The applicant should NOT go to another city unless they have a confirmed appointment date and time. If the applicant succeeds in getting a new appointment date, he/she should also cancel the OLD appointment date.
One final piece of advice: People going to trade shows should plan as far ahead as possible to go to long-scheduled events, which trade shows are.
TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific editorial team has an experience of over 35 years in B2B travel journalism as well as in tourism & hospitality marketing and communications.
