Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles — Attraction in Los Angeles

Prepare for some frustration, but it's not that much worse than the DMV. As others have mentioned while the consulate is at 443 Shatto, the Visa processing office is in the 500 Shatto building. Have a seat, here's my experience getting a tourist visa and what I've learned so far. You must use the online form (COVA) at the consulate website. It's a hideous and outdated website. Choose English, and North America as how you are applying and then SCROLL Down to find North America locations. Prepare for an incredibly invasive and thorough form. Your work experience since high school, your current supervisors name and phone number. Information about your mother and father. Your travel itinerary including the dates and addresses you'll be staying. If you've ever been to China before and gotten a visa (this is an important one if you have). If you've done all that (and successfully gotten a photo uploaded and submitted*) then you'll be able to print that document and schedule a day to visit via AVAS for the consulate. When you show up to the consulate you will have to go through a screening similar to the airport. Then you'll go to the greeters desk who will see if you have the coversheet that shows you scheduled for that day using the AVAS system and check and give you a ticket with a number. You'll sit and similar to the DMV there's a big TV that displays your number, how many folks are ahead of you and which window to be served at. The wait wasn't that bad I'd say around 45 minutes to an hour after arriving around 9:30 on a weekday. The 2 hour street parking nearby worked fine.

Make sure you have for each person getting a visa: The application (~8 pages) -The cover sheet aka confirmation of online visa application and a copy of the following supporting docs for the office: copy of passport page copy of driver's license if a minor, copy of parent's driver's license and copy of birth certificate -copy of any previous visas obtained for visits to china -copy of round trip airline ticket confirmation with the name of the applicant -copy of proof of your hotel reservation bonus fun: copy of proof of name change for example if your name was different when you got a previous visa for china copy of proof of residence if you've moved since your DL

The person at the window will check all this and if you brought everything they'll take your passport and application and give you a pink receipt and a date to come back to pickup your visa and passport (currently 3-4 business days) and pay. If you failed, you get a piece of paper telling you what you did wrong and you will need to go get whatever was missing and bring it back (ideally the same day, you just go back to your window, no waiting for a number to be called).

Now that you know, it's not so bad. The thing is, the website and the application don't really tell you that you need all these copies.

Re photos. If you took your visa photos at home here are some tips about the photo: make sure your hair isn't covering your eyebrows or too much of your face. Wear a plain dark shirt for the photo, it really wants a white background so the contrast helps. On a mac, you can use Photos and edit/curves/set white point on your...

Had a great experience here. There is a very nice security guard (all of them seemed friendly), has a kinda short beard and was standing after the scanner both days, who helped me out with some quick advice/answered my questions about what things I might get denied for (or in this case, not). Really awesome guy, thanks!

As for the office and visa process, also smooth. We decided to do a fairly last minute trip to China, had one week to get visas. I did a lot of reading about how strict they are and was worried, tried to do everything right but still messed up a few things (e.g. printed my application from the online PDF, but didn't use all capital letters).

Got there around 11a on a Monday, parking was a bear but if you can walk 2 blocks you should be fine finding something. Pay attention to the street sweeping signs, the Chinese consulate website has a diagram of them.

I went in, talked to the guard who helped answer my questions and gave me a ticket. The line was long, had 50 people in front of me. Sometimes it moves fast like 10 people in a few minutes, but about every 5 or 6 people someone goes up with a lot of questions or not at all prepared and they spend 10m on one person. Also, you can leave and come back in, as long as you have time.. if you miss your ticket being called, that's on you. No talking on cell phones in the waiting area. Security guards had to deal with so many idiots who don't listen to that rule, and they do it nicely. It's for good reason, people talking on their phones make so much noise. Several people did it while I waited and every time they were practically yelling compared to everyone else in the room about their boringass basicbitch lives, never anything important going on in those calls, lol. I suggest bringing headphones and listening to music or practice your Chinese on duolingo.

Took about an hour to get called up, nice but curt lady asked for the documents, gave her all the documents (I had an application for someone else too who wasn't there - no problem, just need the passport), and she quickly and efficiently looked through. Told me it all looked good, if they had any questions they would call me she said, otherwise I could pick it up on Thursday (non rush). (You pay on pickup.)

Didn't get any calls, but went in Thursday morning at 10a, waved at the nice security guy who probably didn't remember me haha, and the wait was maybe 5m for the pickup line (no ticket wait for pickup). Paid, the window says they take Visa, Mastercard, and discover. Got the passports back, approved and with the visa in them.. checked the info, all good. And done!

Overall a very smooth process and efficiently run office. Have your stuff together and read the requirements otherwise you're just wasting your own and other people's time, but they totally aren't as strict as some articles suggest. They could have denied me for not using all capitals on my form, but they didn't!

After all my worries, I think maybe some of the agencies that charge to do the visa process for you spike these reviews and articles with nightmare scenarios to discourage people from doing...

Open weekdays Monday-Friday 9am-2pm, located on the 3rd floor of a corner building (corner of Shatto and 5th Street) at 500 Shatto Place. There is metered street parking on Shatto Place for 1-2 hours, free residential parking on 4th street next to the public park.

No appointments necessary and a much easier process now post 2024 as you no longer need to have your trip itinerary details or where you are staying.

Come prepared with all your documents:

Printed copy of Completed online COVA application (8-9 pages China Online Visa Application) with signature and date (Online app requires you to Upload a digital photo of yourself, format to correct size with white background using free passport photo apps) Printed Copy of confirmation page with signature and date Physical passport (to be left at embassy for 4 business days for processing visa) Photocopy of complete bio page of passport Photocopy of proof of residence (Driver’s license/state ID, utility bill, or bank statement) Copy of any previous visas to China or old passport with China visas Copy of any documents with name changes, etc.

Located on the 3rd floor right in front of the elevator. The longer line to the left of security check entrance is for submitting applications, shorter line on the right is for pick-ups. You have to pass through security check, where they x-ray your belongings and metal detectors.

After security check, you’ll wait in a short line to be issued a number (show your completed app or confirmation page or pick up Pink slip), where you’ll sit and wait for your number to be called. There is a display screen which will list and call out your number and which window to report to when it’s your turn.

I arrived on a Monday and got into line at 8:40am shortly before opening and there was a moderate line. Finished turning in my application by 9:45am, came back 4 business days later to pick up the visa with my pink slip (arrived for opening and was done by 9:15am) and was able to pick up a passport for someone else with their physical pink slip.

$140 cost per visa, paid by credit card on pick up day. I got the tourist L visa valid for 10 years and 90 day stay per visit.

There is a photocopy machine in the waiting room that takes credit card payment for a cost of $1 a page if you find yourself needing it. I There is also an agency down the hall called Able tours (suite #330) which has photocopy services and pick up service for a fee, if you are unable to return for in-person pick up. They will pick up the visa with your pink slip and mail it to you.

I saw the sign advertising the tour company while waiting in line near the elevators. Fairly easy process if you come prepared with the right documents and variable...