How to Apply for a China Visa in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City (OKC), the capital and most populous city in Oklahoma, is located in the southern Great Plains of Central Oklahoma.  The OKC metropolitan area has a population of almost 1.5 million people, while the city itself is home to some 700,000 residents.  The region’s economy has historically focused on petroleum and agriculture, including hosting one of the world’s largest livestock markets.  In recent years, it has begun diversifying into such industries as aviation and aerospace (now its largest sector), bioscience, logistics, finance, IT processing, and telecommunications.  Six Fortune 500 organizations are headquartered in Oklahoma, with three of those -- Devon Energy, Chesapeake Energy, and Continental Resources -- based in Oklahoma City.  Electric vehicle manufacturer Canoo is investing more than $320 million in expanding its Oklahoma City assembly and battery plants.  OKC is also located on the I-35 and I-40 corridors, a top transportation artery connecting the Southwest with major U.S. markets.

China remains an important export destination for Oklahoma companies, with trade increasing by 48% in 2022.  Agricultural products such as beef, wheat, and pork are in high demand in China: Oklahoma crop exports rose 219% in 2022 and meat exports were up 44%.  In 2023, Oklahoma exported $576 million in goods and $155 million in services to China.  Those exports supported 4,270 jobs, while more than 38 Chinese companies enabled another 1,220 jobs.  Chinese companies have also drawn statewide attention for their purchases of large agricultural tracts in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma City area has also drawn significant foreign investment and hosts numerous offices of multinational companies, such as Shenzhen Hepalink Pharmaceutical’s Cytovance Biologics.  Local manufacturing facilities such as Michelin, Seaboard, Hubbell, and 3M provide a stream of products to Chinese markets.  In 2023, the Greater Oklahoma City Asian Chamber of Commerce was launched, providing support to the Chinese and Asian business community in the OKC region.  People from China were the first Asians to settle in Oklahoma during the 1880s.  Oklahoma City’s Asia District (which includes the area formerly known as Old Chinatown) is now considered the state’s center of Asian culture, cuisine, and commerce.  More than 15,600 Chinese-Americans reside in the state, not to mention hundreds of China citizens who attend school or work corporate jobs here.  The number of Chinese students attending the 15 OKC colleges has also risen.  Some 742 Chinese students are currently enrolled in Oklahoma educational institutions, with the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Central Oklahoma ranking as the top institutions for Chinese enrollment.  Central Oklahoma, the third-largest institution in the state, is headquartered in the Oklahoma City metro area, while the other two universities have campuses in the city. 

With more than 5,000 years of recorded history, China is one of the world’s oldest civilizations.  It is also the largest country in Asia by area and the second largest by population globally.  After decades of poverty and struggle, the People’s Republic of China has emerged as one of the world’s most powerful countries in recent decades.  Its $17.8 trillion GDP makes it the second largest economy in the world.  Relations between Oklahoma and China were at an all-time high just a few years ago, but ties have been diminished by ongoing political and trade disputes, including concerns over China’s vast agricultural holdings in the state.  Although cultural exchanges and tourism have been restricted in recent years, China remains an important travel, business, and academic destination for many residents of Oklahoma City.

Obtaining a China Visa from Oklahoma City

Citizens of the United States planning to visit China must first have a valid passport that does not expire within six months beyond the date they will enter China.  People from the U.S. and most other countries must also obtain a visa before entering China.  Issued by a Chinese government official, a visa allows foreigners to enter, exit from, or transit through mainland China.  Like all sovereign states, Chinese laws and government officials determine whether to issue a visa; decline a visa application; or cancel an issued visa.

The visa must be issued and obtained before arriving in China. (NOTE: The special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau have separate border control policies and visa requirements.  Travel to either region plus mainland China may also require additional visas for each jurisdiction visited.)

Visas for China are issued by the government of China in the United States.  The government of China has an embassy in Washington, D.C. along with four consulates in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.  Unfortunately, there is no Chinese embassy or consulate in Oklahoma City where local residents can obtain a visa, and the consulate in Houston, Texas, closed in 2020.  Residents of Oklahoma must file an application with the China government office that is responsible for their state of residence (which for Oklahoma City means the embassy in Washington, D.C.).  This means you will complete the visa application online and appear in person at the embassy in Washington, D.C.  Alternatively, you can use a service company such as Visa Supply to submit the application on your behalf.

Here is the address of the embassy:

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
3505 International Place, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20008

It is important to review the requirements for visas on the China embassy website and ensure your application and all supporting documents are accurate. (Please be sure to review both the “Basic Documents” and “General Documents” sections for the visa you wish to obtain).  Here is the link to their website that provides this information: http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/notice/202206/t20220614_10702581.htm.

It should also be noted that China recently introduced an online application called “China Online Visa Application (COVA).  Here is the link to the application: https://cova.mfa.gov.cn/qzCoCommonController.do?show&pageId=index&locale=en_US.

The application must be filled out completely and accurately.  Applications with incomplete or incorrect information will be rejected.  Once the application has been completed, it must be printed and signed with a black pen in Section 9.  You will also print out and sign the confirmation page, which must be printed on one page so that your signature is on the same page as the QR code.  This may require you to shrink the size of the page or adjust the paper size on the settings of your computer when you print.  For example, you can try adjusting the paper size from “Letter” to “A4”.

Which Type of Visa Do You Need?

There are 16 types of visas that residents of Oklahoma City can obtain for visiting China, with the most popular being the tourist (Class L) and business (Class M) visa.  A tourist visa is for leisure travelers, while the business visa allows the visitor to engage in such activities as making investments or buying commercial products for export.  The following link to China’s U.S. Embassy contains the complete list of visa types: http://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/notice/202206/t20220614_10702581.htm.

The Visa Supply website includes details on the specific documentation requirements for tourist visas (https://www.visasupply.com/china-tourist-visa.html) and business visas (https://www.visasupply.com/china-business-visa.html).  However, government officials may also ask for additional supporting documents beyond these basic lists.

Some consulates offer expedited visa service, so if you need a quick turnaround, verify whether the service is still available at that office.  Also note that on occasion, the embassy or consulate will require you to appear in person at their office, even if you use an authorized agent and file all the proper paperwork.

Visa Supply recommends allowing at least six weeks for processing a visa application.  It typically takes five business days for the China consulate to process a visa after it has received the application.  However, you should also consider the time required for you to appear in person at the consulate, plus any extra time needed in case the consulate asks for more documentation or rejects the initial application because it was filled out incorrectly.

Once you complete the application and approval process, the China government will typically issue U.S. citizens a visa that is good for 10 years.  Both tourist and business visas allow travels to stay in China for up to 90 days per visit.  For more information about the China visa process, here is a link to a government overview that offers details on the program: http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/zgqz/.

Other things to consider:

 

We Can Help if You Need Assistance

If you live in Oklahoma City or anywhere in the state of Oklahoma and have difficulty applying for a China visa or require assistance with any part of the visa process, please call our office at 404-682-5445 or schedule an appointment through our website, https://www.visasupply.com.  We are a private agency in Atlanta providing China visa services for Americans and other U.S.-based residents.  Our number one goal is to ensure your application documents for a visa are submitted accurately to the government of China.  Our services eliminate delays and give you the peace of mind to focus on your travel plans.

We provide the following China visa services for our customers in Oklahoma City:

  • China Tourist Visa (L Visa)
  • China Business Visa (M Visa)
  • China Noncommercial Visit Visa (F Visa)
  • China Student Visa (X1/X2 Visa)
  • China Work Visa (Z Visa)
  • China Crew Visa (C Visa)
  • China Journalist Visa (J1/J2 Visa)
  • China Family Visit Visa (Q1/Q2 Visa)
  • China Private Visit Visa (S1/S2 Visa)
  • China Talent Visa (R Visa)
  • China Transit Visa (G Visa)
  • China Hotel Accommodations
  • China Organized Tours