Visa refers to the endorsement and seal of a national competent authority on the passport held by its own or foreign citizens, indicating that they are allowed to enter and leave its own territory. China citizens with valid passports, whether going abroad for business or personal reasons, must obtain visas for countries other than those that have signed visa-free agreements with China in advance. The visa is usually made on the passport and used at the same time as the passport. Countries that do not have diplomatic relations usually put their visas on another piece of paper, which is called a separate paper visa and used at the same time as their passports.

. . I. Type of visa

. . There are many kinds of visas. Generally speaking, the entry visas issued to foreigners by countries all over the world can be divided into diplomatic visas, official visas and ordinary visas. Some countries also have courtesy visas, tourist visas, non-immigrant visas and immigrant visas. Entry visas, entry visas, entry visas or transit visas are also issued according to the entry and exit situation. Exit visa, only allowed to leave the country; An entry visa allows you to enter the country with your credentials. If you need to leave the country, you must apply for an exit visa again. Entry and exit visas, you can leave the country or re-enter; Entry and exit visas allow entry and exit; Multiple entry and exit visas, multiple entry and exit within the validity period of the documents; Transit visas can only pass through the country at designated entry and exit ports for a limited time, and generally cannot go to other areas. Some countries also classify visas into visiting relatives, international students, residence visas, work visas, tourist visas and so on according to entry reasons. . .

Second, the validity period and effective number of visas.

. . Visa validity period: Passports and visa issuing authorities in different countries stipulate different validity periods for different visas. The validity of the visa shall not exceed the validity of the passport. The validity period of visas is generally 1 month, 3 months, half a year or more, and some visas are less than 1 month; The validity of transit visas is generally short, mostly within 1 week. The holder must enter, leave or transit within the time limit stipulated in the visa. You must reapply after the visa expires. To study in the United States, you can apply for a visa at the American embassy or consulate in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang.

. . Number of times the visa is valid. In addition to a certain period of validity, a visa also stipulates the number of times of validity. Some visas are valid once, that is, they will be invalid once used; Some visas are valid twice, and some visas are valid multiple times.

. . Third, apply for a visa to study abroad at your own expense.

. . Students studying abroad at their own expense may apply for entry visas at the embassies and consulates of the countries concerned after obtaining passports and exit registration cards issued by the public security organs of our country. The visa for studying in the United States at one's own expense belongs to F- 1 visa (i.e. non-immigrant student visa), and spouses or children under the age of 2 1 can apply for F-2 visa. Generally, the following materials and relevant certificates shall be provided to foreign embassies and consulates in China:

. . 1. Passport and exit registration card of the person going abroad for personal reasons, the applicant's academic credentials and school transcripts, etc.

. . 2. I-20A form issued by an American school, economic guarantee, bank deposit certificate or letter of financial aid provided by relevant foreign institutions.

. . 3. Applicants must fill in the non-immigrant visa application form, family member registration form, information questionnaire for international students, 1 photos consistent with their passports (bring more, be prepared).

. . 4, physical health checklist (hospitals at or above the county level, bilingual)

. . After all the above documents are ready, you should go to the American consulate to see the consul in person at the appointed time. At that time, the American consul will review the relevant documents to determine whether the applicant can obtain a study visa. At the same time, the American consul will also judge whether the English level of the applicant can meet the requirements of studying abroad. Applicants usually know whether the application is approved or not in a short time. The time required for a visa is about 3 to 4 weeks. Applicants should go to the consulate for an interview as soon as possible.

. . Four, the visa should pay attention to the problem.

. . 1. When you go to embassies and consulates in China for an interview, you must be dignified, neatly dressed, neatly combed, shaved, and don't eat anything or drink anything with a strange smell before the interview.

. . 2, manners should be polite, pay attention to courtesy from beginning to end.

. . Don't be nervous during the interview. You can ask again if you don't understand a foreign language. If you can't express yourself clearly when you answer the question, you can ask for permission to say it again. Don't pretend to understand. It is wrong to answer this question.

. . 4. Explain the purpose of going to America with sufficient reasons during the interview.

. . Be sure to explain that you will return to China on time after the study.

Instructions for completing passport for going abroad on private business

When filling in the application form, you should pay attention to:

(a) the "application form" must be filled in black or blue-black ink, and the handwriting is clear and neat, and no alteration is allowed.

(two) to fill in the name of the applicant, it is necessary to use the simplified words of the national standard, which are consistent with the household registration book and the resident identity card.

(3) "Pinyin name" must be spelled in Mandarin; "Date of birth" must be consistent with the household registration book and ID card; Fill in the province or municipality directly under the central government as "birthplace"; "Marital status" should be filled in according to the actual situation.

(4) "domicile" refers to the detailed address of the applicant's domicile, which shall be consistent with the records in the household registration book.

(five) "political outlook" can be filled in "party member", "League members", "names of democratic parties" and "masses".

(six) "education level" is filled in according to the highest education level recognized by the national education authorities. "Occupation, position and title" should be filled in according to the current situation of the applicant and the "title" recognized by the state.

(seven) "work unit" must fill in the full name. If the applicant's personnel file is inconsistent with the work unit, fill in the current work unit and indicate the file storage location in the remarks column. If the personnel files of retirees are stored in the original unit, fill in the original unit.

(8) "Number of applications for leaving the country for personal reasons" refers to the number of applications for leaving the country at the public security organs. Those that are not approved are also counted together, and those that are not approved are explained in the remarks column.

(9) "My resume" should be filled in from junior high school, and the starting and ending dates should be accurate and coherent.

(ten) "major family members at home and abroad" should be filled in according to the actual situation. If the family members are overseas, fill in the overseas unit and address in Chinese.

(eleven) according to the first country after leaving the country (excluding transit countries), only one reason can be selected.