Introduction
S1 visa is issued to those who intend to go to China to visit the foreigners working or studying in China to whom they are spouses, parents, parents-in-law, sons or daughters under the age of 18, or to those who intend to go to China for other private affairs. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days.
S2 visa is issued to those who intend to visit their family members who are foreigners working or studying in China, or to those who intend to go to China for other private matters. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. "Family members" refers to spouses, parents, parents-in-law, sons, daughters, spouses of sons or daughters, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grandsons, and granddaughters.
Visa checklist
(1) Passport and Passport photocopy: original passport with at least one blank visa page and valid for at least 6 months, and a copy of bio-data page of the passport.
(2) A signed and completed Visa Application Form and a signed Confirmation of Online Visa Application.
(3) A photo which must be:
·In color
·Taken in front of a plain white background
·Taken bare-headed
·Face centred looking straight
·Taken within the last 6 months
(4) Proof of residency status: Non-Australians need to submit evidence of legal residence in Australia, such as VEVO or ImmiCard.
(5) Previous Chinese passport or Chinese visa: If you have obtained a Chinese visa before and want to apply for a Chinese visa with a renewed foreign passport that does not contain any Chinese visa, you should present the photocopy of the previous passport's bio-data page, as well as the page with a previous Chinese visa. Applicants who used to have Chinese citizenship and have obtained foreign citizenship should submit the original previous Chinese passport and a copy of its bio-data page while applying for a Chinese visa for the first time. If the name on the current passport differs from that on the previous one, an official Certificate of Name Change should also be submitted.
(6) S1 visa
A . Photocopies of the passport and Residence Permit of the inviter;
B. An invitation letter issued by the inviter which should contain:
(a) Information of the applicant, including full name, gender, date of birth, passport number, etc.
(b) Information of the planned visit, including purpose of visit, arrival date, residence place, duration of stay in China, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, financial source for expenditures.
(c) Information of the inviter, including full name, telephone number, address, official stamp of the inviting entity or signature of the inviting individual.
C. Original and photocopy of certificate of relationship between applicant and the inviter, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate or certificate of kinship.
If the applicant submit S1 application together with the main applicant who are applying for a Z or a X1 visa, the following documents should be submitted:
A. Photocopies of the documents for Z or X1 visa of the main applicant;
B. Original and photocopy of certificate of relationship between the applicant and the main applicant such as marriage certificate, birth certificate or certificate of kinship;
(7) S2 visa
A. Photocopies of the passport and Chinese Residence Permit of the foreign inviter who is working or studying in China.
B. An invitation letter issued by the above inviter which should contain:
(a) Information of the applicant, including full name, gender, date of birth, passport number, etc.
(b) Information of the planned visit (purpose of visit, arrival and departure dates, place(s) to be visited, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, financial source for expenditures)
(c) Information of the inviter, including full name, telephone number, address, official stamp of the inviting entity or signature of the inviting individual.
C. Certificate of relationship between applicant and inviter, such as marriage certificate, birth certificate, or certificate of kinship.
If it's for other private matters, the applicant should provide other relevant documents depending on the request of the consular officer.
(8) Other supplementary materials requested by the Consulate-General of China in Sydney.
How to apply
(1) Ordinary passport holders need to submit visa applications to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Sydney. For more information, please refer to the website of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Sydney.
(2) Diplomatic or Official (Service) passport holders need to submit visa applications to the Consulate-General of China in Sydney directly.
Processing time
(1) Standard service: the visa will be ready for collection on the fourth working day;
(2) Express service: the visa will be ready for collection on the third working day (subject to approval).
Please note that the applications would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis, and the processing time may be longer than 4 working days.
Visa fee
Please refer to https://www.visaforchina.cn/SYD2_EN/.
Important notice
(1) All the information should be filled truly, clearly and completely.
(2) The applicant should bear all the responsibilities for the truthfulness of submitted materials including passport, application form, photo, etc.
(3) The invitation letter can be in the form of fax, photocopy or computer printout, and the applicants should bear all the responsibilities for the truthfulness and accuracy of the invitation letter, and the original invitation letter should also be submitted if requested by consular officers under some circumstances.
(4) The Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Sydney would notify the applicant if an interview is requested by the Consulate-General of China in Sydney, and the applicant must attend the interview in person.
(5) The consular officer will make decisions on a case-by-case basis.
(6) Holders of S1 Visa shall apply for Residence Permit for Foreigner in the People's Republic of China from the Exit/Entry Administrations of local Public Security within 30 days from the date of entry.
(7) According to the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China, China does not recognize dual citizenship for any Chinese citizen. Chinese citizens who have settled in a foreign country will automatically lose Chinese citizenship if they have obtained foreign citizenship.
(8) Please collect the visa in time. The visa will be canceled if it is not collected within three months from the collection date and will affect future applications.
Any change to the above information is subject to the authoritative explanation of the Consulate-General of China in Sydney.