# China family visit visa: plan a reunion, one document at a time

[Service guides](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides) › China family visit visa: plan a reunion, one document at a time

Compare Q1, Q2, S1 and S2 family routes, organise the invitation and prepare each family member’s documents. Start with the person you will visit, your intended stay and any identity questions that need the consulate’s attention.

## Who you visit × how long you plan to stay

Use this comparison to prepare a discussion with your consular office. It is not an eligibility decision. For a US-born child or an uncertain nationality history, have the office determine the appropriate visa or travel-document route before using the comparison.

| Family connection in China | Intended visit | Route to discuss |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Relative who is a Chinese citizen living in China, or a foreigner with Chinese permanent residence | Up to 180 days | Q2 short family visit |
| Family of a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with Chinese permanent residence | More than 180 days; family reunion | Q1; confirm the permitted relationship and supporting evidence |
| Family member who is a foreigner working or studying in China | Up to 180 days | S2; confirm the family relationship and host documents |
| Spouse, parent, parent-in-law or child under 18 of a foreigner working or studying in China | More than 180 days | S1; confirm relationship evidence and the host’s residence permit |

Q1 also covers foster care; S1/S2 can cover other private affairs. Those cases need their own instructions. The 180-day distinction describes the application category, not an automatic grant of 180 days. A long-validity visa is not permission to live in China for its entire validity.

- [Chicago: visa requirements (September 25, 2025)](https://chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/lmbf/zytz/202509/t20250925_11716329.htm)
- [Chinese Embassy in the US: visa FAQ (updated September 2025)](https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/202309/t20230919_11144908.htm)

## Give every family member a separate document folder

| Folder | What to compare before applying |
| --- | --- |
| Applicant | Current passport, prior China documents, name spellings and US residence evidence |
| Inviter | Invitation, relationship stated consistently, and the inviter’s applicable identity documents |
| Identity history | Previous Chinese passport, naturalization or name-change records when relevant; unresolved questions for the office |
| Child | Birth record, parents’ documents and any requested guardianship or consent evidence; use the child guide |

This is an organising tool, not a claim about the most common customer mistakes. Do not assume siblings or spouses need identical documents.

- [Prepare a Q2 packet](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/q2-requirements)
- [Prepare a family invitation](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/invitation-letter)
- [Former Chinese citizens](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/former-chinese-citizens)

## From family plans to passport return

1. Confirm the office for your US residence and resolve document-route questions.
2. Complete the online visa application and upload the requested documents; respond to corrections.
3. Wait for ‘Passport to be submitted’, then prepare the barcode information page, passport and requested originals.
4. Follow any additional review instructions. Collect only when the office’s collection conditions are met, then arrange return shipping if needed.

Online review and physical submission are separate stages; neither guarantees issuance. Check the issued visa’s entries, validity and duration of stay. If granted Q1 or S1, check the visa annotation and official instructions for the residence-permit step after entry before planning a long stay.

- [Chinese Embassy in the US: online visa application guide](https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/202509/t20250920_11712388.htm)
- [Chinese Embassy in the US: visa FAQ (updated September 2025)](https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/202309/t20230919_11144908.htm)

## Choose help for the visa work you actually need

CEV is an independent service provider, not an embassy or consulate. Existing services include form review, photo processing, consular drop-off and pick-up, tracked shipping options and VIP application assistance within the selected package. The consular office decides requirements and visa issuance; service payment does not guarantee approval or timing.

- [Visa form review](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/services/china-visa-form-review)
- [Consular drop-off and pick-up](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/services/china-visa-drop-off-pick-up)
- [Plan the timing](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/processing-time)

These guides are informational. Customer cases, reviews and measured family-service statistics will be added only when supported by verified publication evidence. The artwork depicts a fictional family reunion.

## In this guide

- [Q2 visa requirements: the family document checklist](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/q2-requirements.md): Build the applicant and inviter sides of your Q2 packet, check your consular office’s instructions and distinguish a ten-year visa request from the stay actually granted.
- [Q2 family invitation letter: an annotated example](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/invitation-letter.md): See how the inviter’s identity, the family relationship and the intended visit fit together. This fictional teaching example is readable text, not an official form or a ready-to-submit letter.
- [Former Chinese citizens: old passports and your first China visa](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/former-chinese-citizens.md): Organise the link between your former Chinese passport, naturalization record and current passport. Missing records and name differences need the responsible office’s instructions, not a guessed exemption.
- [US-born children: visa or Chinese travel document?](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/children-born-in-us.md): Prepare the birth and parent-identity evidence the consulate needs, then follow its determination. This guide does not calculate a child’s nationality or select an application route for your family.
- [Chinese travel documents: application, photos and replacement](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/travel-document.md): A factual guide to official travel-document procedures for families in the US. Confirm your document route with the responsible consular office, then use its current application and evidence instructions.
- [Q2 visa processing time: plan the whole family timeline](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/processing-time.md): Separate preparation, online review, consular processing and passport return. The Embassy’s published processing reference starts with passport submission; it is not the time from starting a form to receiving a passport at home.

## Related guides

- [Q2 visa requirements: the family document checklist](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/q2-requirements.md)
- [Chinese travel documents: application, photos and replacement](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-family-visit-visa/travel-document.md)
- [Tourist and family invitations: L, Q and S are different](https://app.chinaentryvisa.com/guides/china-visa-invitation-letter/tourist-and-family.md)

## 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.

- [Chinese Embassy in the US: visa requirements (September 22, 2025)](https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/notice/202509/t20250920_11712385.htm) — verified on 2026-10-01
- [Chicago: visa requirements (September 25, 2025)](https://chicago.china-consulate.gov.cn/eng/lmbf/zytz/202509/t20250925_11716329.htm) — verified on 2026-10-01
- [Chinese Embassy in the US: online visa application guide](https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/202509/t20250920_11712388.htm) — verified on 2026-10-01
- [Chinese Embassy in the US: visa FAQ (updated September 2025)](https://us.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/lsfw/zj/qz2021/202309/t20230919_11144908.htm) — verified on 2026-10-01

Content updated: 2026-10-01

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