Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid in Completing a Chinese Visa Application Form
1. Submitting An Outdated Application Form
Generally, all applicants should fill in the application form on the China Online Visa Application System, print it out and sign it. You can also find it on the official website of the Chinese embassy / consulate or Chinese Visa Application Service Center (CVASC). The previous versions of China Visa Application Forms are not accepted any more.
2. Handwriting Your Application Form
A handwritten Chinese visa application form is no longer accepted. You have to fill it online as mentioned above. If you find any mistakes in your form after it is printed, you have to start a new form with personal information based on previously completed applications on the computer and make a new printout. Correction by pen is not allowed. Therefore, it is necessary to check carefully before printing.
3. Taking Your Own Passport Photo
A home-made passport photo does not meet the requirements of the Chinese visa consular offices, which may lead to the denial of your China visa. Therefore, it is best to have the photo taken at a professional photoshop.
4. Provide Wrong or Indefinite Information
Make sure all the information you provide on the application form is correct and clear. If there is any wrong or indefinite information, your visa might be turned down.
5. Forgetting to Sign Your Name and Date
As mentioned above, the form must be completed on a computer except that you should sign your name and date by pen. After printing out your form, remember to sign your name and date. Note that you are supposed to sign the application form by yourself, even if the form is completed by an agent or someone else. For minor children, their parents can sign on their behalf.
6. Using Acronyms or Abbreviations in the Employer Name Section
Avoid using acronyms or abbreviations for the company you are working for when filling out Section 3.3B Name of employer. It makes it difficult for the consular officers to figure out who your employer is.
7. Using a PO Box Address in the Home Address Section
In Section 5.1 Current residence address, you need to provide a physical street address for your home rather than a PO Box address because it's not required for mailing purposes.
8. Selecting a Travel Purpose That Doesn't Match Supporting Documents
Different visa types are available for different travel purposes and each visa type has its own set of supporting application documents. If you tick "(L)Tourism" for purpose in Section 2.1A, then you need to submit your travel itinerary, hotel and flight bookings, or an invitation letter from China, etc. If you tick "(Z)Work" for purpose, you need to provide a work permit issued from China. The documents for a tourist visa won't work in this situation.
9. Demanding an Inappropriate Number of Entries and Duration of Stay
For first-time tourist visa applicants, we do not recommend applying for multiple entries and duration of stay longer than 30 days. Otherwise, the visa might be turned down. Applicants who travel abroad often and have a good travel history in China have a better chance of approval for multiple entries and long stay duration. However, this is not an absolute because there are always unexpected outcomes.
10. Making Your Travel Itinerary Too Brief
When filling out Section 6.1, your Itinerary in China, please provide detailed addresses of your hotels or apartments. It's not enough to list only hotel names and city names. Also, do not skip any days in the travel itinerary, otherwise the consular officers may doubt what you will do during these days and question your intention for skipping it.