The American Chamber of Commerce-China, located in Beijing, is increasing fees for its corporate visa program. Â Effective January 1, 2011, the fee will increase to 300 RMB, except that for applicants who do not require a consular interview the fee will remain 250 RMB.
As background, U.S. companies with offices in China can join the AmCham organizations in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Dalian. Each AmCham has established a program with the local consulate to facilitate U.S. nonimmigrant visa applications for employees (and in some cases business partners and employees’ family members). While the programs vary, the basic idea is that the Consulate does a background investigation of the company and assigns a responsible individual at the company to coordinate the visa applications. The Consulate then sets aside visa interview slots for the AmCham program, so interviews are usually faster than through the regular channel. Employees also spend less time waiting at the Consulate on their appointment day than regular applicants. Resulting visa approval rates are high because the Embassy has already confirmed that the company is legit and that the company has truly asked the employee to travel to the U.S. on business.
Our law firm represents companies and individuals with respect to all aspects of U.S. immigration law. We can coordinate visa applications at all Consulates in China to provide clarity regarding the visa application timeline and visa eligibility. This includes not just the AmCham corporate visa programs, but all the different channels, including CITIC Bank visa renewals, APEC travelers, the waiban channel for certain government employees, etc. Careful compliance with U.S. immigration laws can help a company establish a good reputation with the U.S. Consulates in China and can help minimize potential company and employee liability for U.S. immigration law violations.
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