Congratulations on your acceptance to ChinaVoice! Now that you have been accepted, please make sure that you take care of the following responsibilities. Your acceptance packet will provide instructions on additional procedures.

1. Enrollment Forms and Cancellation Policy

Upon your acceptance to The Beijing Center, the Chicago office will ask you to complete the following forms through the online application center.

-Intent to Enroll
-Housing Questions
-Health Self-Disclosure Form
-Flight Itinerary

At this time, we also ask that you make yourself familiar with the program's cancellation policy.
You will also be sent an acceptance packet via email that has important pre-depature information such as the visa process for China, registration instructions, arrival and details, etc.

2. Sign Up for Study Abroad Health Insurance

All Beijing Center participants are required to have CISI health insurance prior to arriving in China. It is not possible for any student to waive out of the plan.

3. Apply for a passport

Each student is responsible for getting his or her own passport. If you currently have a passport, you may use it for China as long as it does not expire until at least six months after your expected departure from China. If you don’t have a valid passport, you are advised to apply for one or renew your current one as soon as possible--ideally as soon as you know you are applying to the program. A passport can take several weeks to obtain, especially during busy seasons. Additionally, after you’re admitted we’ll ask that you send us a copy of your passport. This is necessary so that we may begin processing the documents you need for your visa application.

One can apply for a passport at selected courthouses or post offices. Visit http://iafdb.travel.state.gov/ to find the location nearest you. You will need to bring a completed passport form (DS-11), proof of US citizenship (birth certificate), personal identification with a photo and signature (driver’s license or state issued identification card), two recent passport size photos, your social security number, and a check, money order, or credit card. Passports are valid for a period of ten years. If you are not a U.S. citizen, check with your country’s embassy for the necessary information and documents.

4. Apply for a student visa

You will need a visa before you may depart the U.S. and enter China. You will submit the application on your own. Administrators of The Beijing Center will assist you, but take no responsibility if you fail to complete the necessary steps.

ChinaVoice students should apply for an F VISA which allows you to enter China once and stay in China for the duration of the program. Students who will continue the study at The Beijing Center in the fall can also apply for an X visa.

Before you Apply
Before you apply, you'll need a valid passport plus three forms from The Beijing Center. After you're admitted, The Beijing Center will give you a deadline by which you must get us your passport information. Provided that you meet our deadline, we will issue you the necessary documents for your visa application: the JW202 form and the admission notice.  These forms are filled out by our host university in China (UIBE) and then submitted to the Chinese Ministry of Education for an official seal. You must wait until we send you these forms before going to apply for the visa. As soon as they arrive in Chicago, we'll send you the forms along with detailed visa application instructions.

How to Apply
Once you receive the two documents from us, you’ll then need to visit the Chinese embassy or consulate that is in the jurisdiction of your residence (there are six throughout the U.S.; you may check http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/t84229.htm to find out which one you should visit). You or someone you trust must go in person to the embassy/consulate for both the visa application and the visa pick up. Normal processing time at most consulates is about five business days, though at some consulates it can take weeks and at others you can get it in a day or two by paying a “rush service” fee. If it is not convenient for you to travel to the Chinese consulate, you could have a friend or relative visit the consulate on your behalf, or you may wish to use the services of an agent or company that provides visa application services.

There are many such services in existence that will charge you a service fee to bring your application materials to the consulate and pick them up for you. This is a very common practice since many people do not live near one of the consulates. To find such service providers, you could do an internet search for “Chinese visa services” or “Chinese visa agents, “ and perhaps include in your search the name of the city or state of the consulate in your jurisdiction. The Beijing Center is not able to recommend any specific companies, but an internet search should yield several from which to choose.

Think through the process for obtaining the visa while you are waiting for the JW202 and admission notice so that you can act as soon as they arrive: Which consulate will you apply at? Will you or someone else go to the consulate for the drop off and the pick up? How long does it take your consulate to process visas? Will you be able to receive your visa before you leave for Chicago?

If you are not going to be in your home country during the last few weeks before the Beijing program begins, please contact The Beijing Center Chicago Office to discuss alternate options for getting your visa.

Application Items
Below are the items you should bring to the consulate/embassy when you apply: