China: Updated Online Visa Application System for U.S. Applicants Launched

The Chinese Embassy in the United States has rolled out an upgraded version of its China Online Visa Application (COVA) System. The new platform centralizes form completion, document uploads, and application tracking, aiming to simplify the user experience. Alongside the launch, the embassy revised its visa requirements and submission procedures, with detailed guidance now available online. Notably, a newly-added consular review stage (introduced to align China’s visa processing with international standards) is expected to lengthen overall processing times by approximately one week.

Fragomen in China is Fragomen (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in China. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].