We have our Chinese Visas!

When you apply for a Chinese Visa it's kind of a Catch-22.   You have to have your airline ticket reservations and place to stay documented when you apply for the Visa.  This made me a bit nervous when I bought the airline tickets.  I got thinking, "What if they don't approve our Visas?  Then what?"  So I bought travel insurance, just in case.  I was very happy to get the phone call yesterday saying the Chinese Visas were ready to be picked up. 

Here are the directions to apply for a Chinese Visa.
PLEASE GATHER, PREPARE AND SEND THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

Valid Passport:

You must send the actual passport. The passport must have at least twelve (12) months validity remaining before expiration and has at least one complete blank visa page for the visa stamp.

Visa Application Form:

Download, completely fill-out and sign China visa application form. One form per applicant. *** Do not leave any areas blank but instead write "N/A" if you don't have answer to a question, or if the question does not apply to you.

 Additional Requirements for Minor:

All minor applicants must submit a copy of birth certificate, and a copy of both parents passport.

 Photograph:

You must provide one 2"x2" passport type photo.

Supporting Documents:

You must provide one of the following documents for a tourist visa.

• Photocopy of the roundtrip airline ticket and hotel reservation.
• An Invitation Letter for Tourist Group of Invitation Letter for Tourist by a Duly Authorized Tourism Unit;
• An Invitation Letter issued by companies, corporations, institutions and individuals in China. If the invitation letter is issued by an individual in China, the photocopy of the ID of the individual is required.
The invitation letter issued by companies, corporations, institutions and individuals in China, shall include the following items: (A) Personal information of the application: name, gender, date of birth, passport number, etc. (B) Information concerning the applicant's visit to China: purpose of the visit, date of arrival and leaving, places to visit, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, and who will bear the cost of the applicant's accommodations in China. (C) Information of the inviter: name of the unit or individual, phone number, address, and if applicable, seal and signature of the legal representative. * Generally, the invitation letter may be submitted as a fax, copy or printout. If necessary, the consular officer will ask the applicant to submit the original invitation letter, or to provide some supporting and supplementary documents, or schedule an interview.