By Stephanie Sun
Starting November 29th, nationals of the People's Republic of China holding 10-year visitor visas (B1/B2, B1, and B2) will be required to have a valid Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) enrollment to be able to enter the United States. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has recently launched the EVUS website for those seeking to enroll now. Enrollment is free at this time. CBP will eventually charge USD$8 for enrollments.
EVUS enrollments are valid for a period of two years. In order to be admitted to the U.S., a traveler must reenroll at least every two years, or upon obtaining a new passport or visa, whichever comes first. For travelers taking more than one flight to reach the United States, the EVUS enrollment will be verified upon check-in for the first flight of the journey.
To ensure that upcoming travel is as smooth as possible, we suggest that Chinese travelers enroll in EVUS as early as possible ahead of their next trip. It typically takes travelers minutes to receive a response from the system after submitting online, however some responses may take up to 72 hours. That said, until November 29 Chinese travelers with 10-year visas are still able to enter the United States without EVUS enrollment.
CBP has also launched an EVUS call center with Mandarin language access. Travelers may call +1 (202) 325-0180, which runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but only closed on U.S. federal holidays. CBP has also created an email service to help with technical difficulties: evus@cbp.dhs.gov.
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