Regular U.S. Visa Services in China Suspended Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak; Emergency Appointments Available

The U.S. Mission in China states on its website that:

Regular visa services at the U.S Embassy in Beijing and the U.S. Consulates General in Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Shenyang are suspended. Due to the ongoing situation relating to the novel coronavirus, the U.S. Embassy and Consulates have very limited staffing and may be unable to respond to requests regarding regular visa services. While some limited emergency appointments may be available, intending applicants should note that on Sunday, February 2, a Presidential Proclamation was issued that suspended entry for individuals who have been in China, excluding the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau, less than 14 days prior to their arrival in the U.S. More information about the Proclamation can be found on our website here: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/Presidential-Proclamation-Coronavirus.html. If during this period you have urgent travel that you believe may qualify for an exemption under the proclamation, please go to https://ustraveldocs.com/cn/index.html to submit an emergency appointment request. Please note if your urgent travel does not qualify under an exemption, your request will be denied until the proclamation is rescinded.

Although routine services are suspended, still visas can be issued for spouses and other relatives of U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents and others who would be eligible to enter the U.S. despite the President’s Proclamation.

The Ustraveldocs.com website further states that:

Effective Wednesday February 12, please do not submit an Interview Waiver application at CITIC as those will not be accepted until further notice…. 

Pickup your passport at a CITIC location during March 2 to March 8: If you have received an email to inform you your passport is ready for collection at the CITIC location you choose when scheduling your interview appointment, you can check here if that CITIC branch is open or not. In case the location you choose is not available and you have an emergency, please call the CITIC hotline at 95558 and CITIC staff will help you to coordinate your passport pickup.

Julie Wernau reports for The Wall Street Journal reports that staffing at the U.S. Consulates in Shenyang, Shanghai, Chengdu and Guangzhou are at 20% to 30% of their levels preceding the coronavirus outbreak. On Jan. 31, the State Department ordered the departure of employees’ family members under 21 years old and authorized the departure of nonemergency personnel from China.

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