Friday, August 21st, 2015
President Obama announced a reciprocal visa validity arrangement between the United States and the
People’s Republic of China that will strengthen our ever-broadening economic and people-to-people ties.
Both countries have agreed to increase the validity of short-term tourist and business visas issued to each
other’s citizens from one to ten years – the longest validity possible under U.S. law – and increase the
validity of student and exchange visas from one to five years. The United States and China began issuing
visas in accordance with the new reciprocal agreement on November 12, 2014.