China Entry Visa · CEV

China M-visa requirements: a business-trip document checklist

Build one packet per applicant. Check the passport, residence evidence and Chinese host invitation together, then separate online uploads from the originals needed for submission.

Content updated · 2026-10-01

Choose the office before preparing the packet

Use your actual US residence, not your employer’s headquarters or the closest airport. The Embassy’s official jurisdiction map links to the five responsible offices. The local checkpoints below were checked against each office’s published requirements on October 1, 2026. Use them with the preparation checklist, then follow your office’s current requests for additional documents.

Responsible office	Routing check	Local material checkpoint
Washington, DC Embassy	Includes its listed eastern states and the former Houston jurisdiction, including Texas and Florida.	M commercial-activity evidence plus general documents. Passport: more than six months valid, at least two blank visa pages; follow the current application-statement instructions.
New York	Match your residence to its states on the official map.	M commercial-activity evidence plus general uploads; passport over six months valid with at least two blank visa pages. Barcode page and requested originals follow online review.
Chicago	Match your residence to its states on the official map.	M commercial-activity evidence plus general documents. The published checklist specifically lists an application statement with a handwritten signature; passport over six months valid with at least two blank pages.
San Francisco	Northern California and other assigned states: confirm the boundary if needed.	M commercial-activity evidence and residence proof; passport over six months valid with at least two blank pages. Read the specific prior-visa and name-change requirements.
Los Angeles	Southern California and other assigned states or territories: confirm the boundary if needed.	March 2026 checklist: passport over six months valid with at least one blank visa page. M invitation is listed for online upload without routine physical submission; individual review can add requirements.

Find your service area

Printable preparation checklist

Print this page from your browser and mark each item against the responsible office’s live checklist. This baseline follows the Embassy’s September 2025 requirements and online guidance, checked October 1, 2026; an individual request can add documents.

Check	Prepare	Review before upload or handoff
Passport	Bio-page and blank-page images; original for the later handoff.	Embassy baseline: more than six months remaining validity and at least two blank visa pages; see the Los Angeles difference above.
Application and photo	Complete COVA; provide the required photo, uploads and application statement.	Confirm passport recognition did not introduce errors; use the current official form, not a recreated template.
US residence	Residence proof, such as a driver’s licence, utility bill or bank bill.	Address must support the chosen jurisdiction. Non-US citizens also upload evidence of lawful US status.
China history / identity	Latest Chinese visa or residence permit; former Chinese passport and naturalization evidence where applicable.	For a first application after a name change, include the name-change document; follow individual requirements.
Commercial purpose	Business-activity documents from the Chinese trade partner, including the invitation information below.	Names, dates, cities, relationship and expense responsibility should agree with COVA.
Physical submission	Original passport, barcode information page showing the submission status, required old passports and requested originals.	Wait for ‘Passport to be submitted’; check your order’s receiving instructions before mailing.

Ask the Chinese host for an invitation with three parts

Applicant: full name, gender, date of birth and passport number.
Visit: commercial purpose, arrival and departure dates, places to visit, relationship with the host and who pays expenses.
Inviter: name, address, telephone, official seal, legal representative and signature, and date, as required in Embassy Annex 2.

Los Angeles’s September 17, 2026 FAQ also requires the inviter’s signature and rejects invitations transmitted solely by email. Online upload and whether an original is requested are separate from those content requirements. The host supplies truthful business evidence; CEV does not issue invitation letters. The Embassy’s M-visa list requires commercial-activity documents. The tourist visa’s simplified flight/hotel rule is not a substitute for M-visa evidence. Follow any specific request for itinerary, bookings or further documents; do not buy non-refundable travel solely to fill a presumed checklist item.

Check consistency before submission

Compare the passport spelling with COVA and the invitation.
Make sure travel dates and meeting cities agree across the packet.
Check the inviter’s contact details, signature and seal against the official requirements.
Open each uploaded image at readable size; retain the current version for any correction.

These are preventive checks, not a ranked list of refusal reasons. A verified aggregate analysis of material omissions and returns is pending; we do not infer frequencies or invent client cases.

Official references

Follow the current instructions of the Embassy or Consulate handling your application. These references do not confirm CEV service availability or an order-specific receiving address.