Journalist Visa (J-visa)
Journalist Visa (J-visa) is issued to foreign journalists. J-visa has two categories: J-I visa and J-2 visa. J-1 visa is issued to resident foreign journalists in China and their accompanying spouses and under-age children; J-2 visa is issued to foreign journalists who visit China for temporary news coverage.
i. Please provide the following documents:
(i) Original passport which has more than six months left before it expires from the date of application and at least 2 blank visa pages and a photocopy of their current passport (photo page only).
(ii) One completed Visa Application Form (e-Form / Download) with a recently-taken colored passport photo (no hat, no veiling) affixed on it. The application form should be fully filled in with genuine information; if the applicant has a Chinese name, the Chinese name should be filled in; false or incomplete information and illegible characters may lead to refusal of a visa.
(iii) Applicants who have not been to mainland China, should provide copies of other ID, e.g. previous passport, driver license, etc. Applicants under 16 can be exempted.
(iv) Applicants who have been granted Chinese visa(s) before, should provide copies of recent Chinese visa with entry record. In case they are not on the current passport, copies of the previous passport with the above data are required.
(v) Foreign nationals who once held Chinese nationality,
① who apply for Chinese visa for the first time, should submit the former Chinese passport (the Consulate General will cancel its validity), HK/Macau SAR passport, or Taiwan travel document.
② who have been granted Chinese visa(s) before, should do as point "(iv)" requires.
(vi) Non-Australian passport holders, besides meeting the above points, should provide valid Australian visa as well as entry record, both the original and the copy. Applicants who are in Australia free of visa or with ETA and electronic visa, Australian entry record should be provided, both the original and the copy. On some special occasions, International Movement Record or evidence in other forms released by DIAC might be required by the Consulate General.
(vii) Applicants for J-1 visa (resident journalist) should provide a Visa Notification issued by the Information Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry (the media employing the journalist may apply for it from the Information Department of the Chinese Foreign Ministry). His or her accompanying family members need to provide certificate(s) to prove their status as dependants of the journalist.
(viii) Applicants for J-2 visa (journalists visiting China for temporary news coverage) should provide an Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit.
Above-mentioned Visa Notification or letter is required to be sent to relevant Chinese Consulates-General in advance, otherwise the visa processing may be prolonged.
ii. Method for application and time for processing
(i) Method: An applicant may submit his or her visa application to the Center in person or entrusts someone or a travel agency to submit on his or her behalf. You may book in advance via the Center's website for submission. You may be required to go to the Chinese Consulate-General for an interview if the Chinese Consulate-General deems it necessary. Applicants can apply for visa by mail application as well.
(ii) Visa processing time: Regular pick-up time is on the fourth working day. The Center offers express service or rush service. For express service, visa will be ready for collection on the third working day. For rush service, application should be submitted before 12:00 noon and visa is ready for collection on the second working day (after 11:00A.M.). For mail application, the processing time is ten working days (from the day of all the required documents receipt to the day of mailing out).
iii. Visa fee, period of validity and duration of stay
(i) Schedule of Visa Fees and Service Fees
(ii) Pay visa and service fees when collecting passport; Cash,money order,bank cheque,company cheque and credit card (Visa and Master card) are acceptable. No personal cheques. Please make cheques and money orders payable to: CITS V Service (Australia) Pty Ltd. For mail visa application, only credit card payment will be accepted by providing a completed "Payment Authorization Form".
(iii) J-1 visa is valid for three months with single entry and 000 duration of stay. J-1 visa holders should go through formalities for a residence permit at a local public security authority within 30 days after entry into China. The validity of the residence permit is the legal period by which the holder is allowed to stay in China. The validity and duration of stay of J-2 visa is decided by Consular Officer in the light of the visa regulations and applicant's actual need.
iv. Please note:
(i) Please apply for a visa about one month in advance of your intended date of entry into China, and do not apply three months earlier than your intended date of entry into China. You should take upon yourself any consequences resulting from your failure to submit visa application at an appropriate time, which may lead to either your already-issued visa becoming expired or it would be too late to get a visa before your planned departure date.
(ii) The visa application form should be fully filled in and signed by the applicant upon completion (application for an applicant under 16 years of age should be signed by one of his or her parents). Items which are not applicable should be filled in with N/A. No visa application documents will be returned, therefore, please copy it yourself in advance if necessary. The service fee will be charged by the CVASC regardless of the outcome of the visa application.
(iii) Whether a visa is to be issued or not and what type of visa to be issued shall be decided by Consular Officers in the light of China's relevant laws and regulations. Consular Officers may request an applicant to provide additional supporting documents when needed. The applicant should submit them promptly.
(iv)If two or more foreign news agencies appoint the same foreign citizen as their resident journalist in China, each of them should go through normal application procedures, and the status of the resident journalist in China should be indicated in their applications.
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