U.S. State Department to Reduce H and L Visa Interviews in China to Three Locations
February 1, 2019
At a glance
- Starting March 1, 2019, H and L visa interviews in China will only be conducted at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing or the U.S. Consulates in Guangzhou or Shanghai.
- Due to the consolidation of interviews to three locations, from five originally, H and L visa applicants may experience longer wait times at the three consular posts.
The situation
The U.S. State Department has announced that, starting March 1, 2019, its China mission will only conduct H and L visa interviews at three locations – the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou and the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai. H and L visa interviews will no longer take place at the U.S. Consulates in Chengdu or Shenyang. The State Department says it is reducing the number of interviewing posts to three, from five originally, to consolidate the resources and expertise allocated to a large H and L caseload.
What this means
As consular posts in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai absorb H and L cases from Chengdu and Shenyang, applicants may experience longer wait times for visa interviews at the three remaining locations. In addition, applicants accustomed to applying for visas in Chengdu or Shenyang may need to account for increased travel to one of the remaining locations in making visa application travel plans.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen.
Explore more at Fragomen
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Fragomen news
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Senior Immigration Analyst Nicole Dobromirova discusses updates to the UK visitor visa process, including the shift from visa stickers to electronic visas and how travellers can access their digital immigration status.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
Fragomen news
Fragomen and SICPA announced the formation of a global joint venture to advance next-generation digital identity solutions for governments, enterprises and individuals.
Blog post
Senior Associate Kyle Sommer and Adam Schwartz, Director in the Global Mobility practice at Andersen, discuss how immigration and tax considerations intersect across common US immigration classifications and why early coordination can help travelers, employers and advisors reduce compliance risks and make more informed mobility decisions.
Podcast
In this episode of The Immigration Conversation, Senior Associates Sarah Melnick and Kimberly Elmazi discuss key considerations for foreign nationals planning international summer travel, including visa appointment planning, document preparation, consular interviews, port-of-entry procedures and I-94 review.
Podcast
UK Government Affairs Strategy Director Shuyeb Muquit is joined by Jonathan Thomas of the Social Market Foundation, Dr. Ben Brindle of the Migration Observatory, University of Oxford and Steve McCauley of the University of Cambridge to discuss what a new UK Prime Minister could mean for immigration policy, employers and workforce mobility.
Fragomen news
Media mentions
Partner Rick Lamanna said Canada’s expanded citizenship rules could make hundreds of thousands if not millions of people eligible while moving against a global trend of tighter citizenship laws.
Media mentions
Senior Counsel Dr. Anna Boucher shares insights on the factors influencing Australia's migration trends.
Video
In this Mobility Minute, Senior Immigration Analyst Nicole Dobromirova discusses updates to the UK visitor visa process, including the shift from visa stickers to electronic visas and how travellers can access their digital immigration status.
Media mentions
Partner Daniel Pierce discussed the implications of the US Supreme Court's latest Temporary Protected Status ruling.
Blog post
In this blog, Senior Counsel Jo Antoon explores what multinational employers need to know about pay transparency, cross-border workers and mobility-related compensation differences as implementation unfolds across the EU.
Media mentions
Immigration Supervisor Sanjay Parmar discussed how recent UK Basic Compliance Assessment changes are driving universities toward more data-led, proactive compliance management.
Blog post
In this blog, Fragomen’s Nadine Barnole, Jonathan Hill, Anastasia Vasiljeva and Nicole Williams examine how higher Skilled Worker salary thresholds, rising sponsorship costs and proposed Graduate Route changes are making it harder for employers to attract and retain international engineering talent.
