Archive for June 22nd, 2010

DOS Announces Super Saturday Visa Program at Consular Posts in China

Henry Chang | June 22, 2010 in United States Immigration | Comments (0)

On June 18, 2010, the U.S. Department of State announced that the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, along with four U.S. consulates general across China, will be opening on Saturdays over the next few weeks to accommodate thousands of Chinese travelers seeking visas to visit the United States.

Trade, commerce, people-to-people exchanges, and tourism between China and the United States have grown dramatically over the past couple years. In 2009, U.S. consular posts in China issued more than 487,000 visas to Chinese travelers. 66% of these visas were for business and tourism. Growth in 2010 has been even more dramatic.

China’s 2010 visa load is up 28% over the same period last year; this has resulted in longer than usual wait times. This program, known as the Super Saturday Visa Program, is intended to address this increased backlog.