Do you need a visa to study in China?

For the Semester in China program you WILL need to obtain a Student (X2) visa. It’s extremely important that you continue to check your email regularly, as your Program Coordinator will be emailing you a visa instructions packet that contains important information regarding how and when to apply for your Chinese student visa.

When you receive your student visa it will look similar to this and take up an entire page of your passport:

Please read through this information carefully, as visa instructions can be complicated, and materials can take weeks or months to obtain.

However, using a Visa Processing Agency, such as Travisa or A Briggs will be much quicker and more efficient. For the Spring 2019 term, you should plan to use a Visa Processing Agency. Please see your Visa Guidelines on your student portal for more details, and ask Julia if you have any questions!

IMPORTANT: CISabroad will only advise students on visa procedures for travel requirements for their CISabroad program only. CISabroad is not responsible for advising students on visa issues if they plan to travel internationally before or after the program dates.

These instructions are intended for US passport holders. International students must also be aware of additional documentation and/or processing time needed for their visas. Please contact your Program Coordinator to discuss your visa.

Please note that all consulates have varying visa processing times and/or requirements. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of their assigned consulate’s visa processing period and to send in their complete visa application well in advance to allow adequate time for processing. Each consulate lists the visa processing period on their website. Note: Required documents for your visa are always subject to change at the discretion of the consulate.