Visa Information: Syracuse Beijing Center Fall 2018
In order to participate on the Syracuse Beijing program, you will need to obtain a Chinese student visa.
This information booklet provides you with detailed information about the application process.
Passports
First of all, you must have a passport. If you do not have a passport, apply for one now.
Your passport MUST be valid until August 1, 2019. If your passport expires on or before August 1, 2019,
the Chinese consulate will not issue you a visa. (You also must have at least two blank pages in your
passport.)
It is highly recommended that you use the expedited service to apply for or renew your passport. This will
allow you to get your passport in 2-3 weeks instead of the regular 6-8 week processing time. There are
some additional fees involved (approximately $65) but it is worth not compromising your study abroad
semester.
Details about obtaining a passport can be found on the National Passport Agency website at:
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports.html
Syracuse University students can go to the Marshall Square Mall post office near campus to apply for a
passport. Passport information, passport application forms, and assistance are available.
Remember to sign your passport upon receipt.
Chinese Student Visa
There are three basic components to applying for a Chinese student visa:
Part 1: Apply on-line to Tsinghua University (between March 15 and April 9, 2018); instructions start on
page 2.
Part 2: Submit your paperwork (see page 5) to Syracuse Abroad by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2018.
Part 3: Apply on your own for a Chinese student visa through the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in your
jurisdiction OR through a visa processing agency. (Between July 5 – July 31, 2018 or as soon as you
receive your Tsinghua University admissions letter and JW202 from Syracuse Abroad.) See page 6 for
detailed instructions.
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Part 1 – Apply on-line to Tsinghua University (between March 15 and April 9)
You will need to upload a passport photo to your Tsinghua on-line application according to specific
dimensions that will require your use of a photo-editing program. Give yourself enough time to have the
application submitted by April 9.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ON-LINE TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY APPLICATION
• Go to the Tsinghua University website: http://intlstudent.cic.tsinghua.edu.cn/app/
• Click on English
• Click “Register”
• Note only the following browsers are supported:
• Create a username (use your email address) and a password; then click “register.” Once you have
done this, you will receive an activation code in your email, with a link to activate. Please click on
this link to activate your account, and you will be redirected to the “Online Application System for
Foreign Students at Tsinghua University” website.
• Go to the “Online Application System for Foreign Students at Tsinghua University” webpage, then
click “login” in the upper right hand corner, and login using your username and password.
• Once you have been logged in, please click “To Apply”
• Scroll down to “Visiting /Exchange Student” & click “CLICK TO SEE DETAILS”
• Scroll down to “Special Programs”
• Click on drop-down box and select “SU Abroad in Beijing (Syracuse)” and click “CLICK HERE TO
APPLY”
USE THESE ANSWERS TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM:
1. Legal Name: Enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your passport
Surname: Last Name
Given Names: First Name and Middle Name (if applicable), as it appears on your passport
2. Chinese Name: Please complete ONLY if you have a Chinese name given to you birth. If not, LEAVE
BLANK.
3. Gender: Select Male or Female
4. Birth Date: YYYY-MM-DD
5. Place of Birth:
Country/Region of Birth: USA (or as applicable)
Location: City/State of Birth
6. Country of Citizenship: (must match the passport that you will use to enter China)
7. Passport Number: (must match the passport that you will use to enter China)
8. Passport Expiration Date: YYYY-MM-DD
9. Marital Status: Select Marital Status
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10. Permanent Contact
Address: Your permanent home address including country
District: Type N/A
Telephone: Phone number including area code
FAX: You may leave “fax” blank
11. Address to Receive Admission Documents:
U
NCHECK BOX - SAME AS THE PERMANENT ADDRESS – USE ADDRESS BELOW
Country: China
House/Apt/Room #: SU Beijing at Tsinghua University
Street: Zijing Building 23, Rm. 228-229
District: Haidian District
City/Town: Beijing
Post/Zip Code: 100084
Province/State: Beijing
Telephone: 5153-5576
Fax: 5153-5573
12. Primary Email: Email address that you will check daily
13. Email for Backup: You can use your parents or another email address if you would like
or you can just leave blank
14. Current School:
Country/Region: United States
Name of Current School: Syracuse University (regardless of home school)
15. School/Department and Subject to Apply (use one of the following selections below based on your
courses or degree status):
• If you are planning on taking Tsinghua Economics courses you should select:
“School of Economics and Management”
• If you are not planning on taking Tsinghua Economics course you should select:
“School of Social Sciences”
• If you are a Maxwell School grad student you should select:
“School of Public Policy and Management”
Subject: Pick “International Relations” (regardless of your major)
16. Program Dates: (Use Tsinghua semester dates provided on application – do not change)
17. Highest Degree: In College
18. Educational Background:
Time Period: The period during which you are enrolled in college this academic year, for example:
2017-08 to 2018-05
Education: University or College
School: Syracuse University (regardless of home school)
Location/Country: United States
City: Syracuse
Subject: Enter current major of study
19. Current Occupation: Student
20. Work Experience: Leave Blank
21. Language Skills: Enter “mother tongue” and leave rest blank or complete as applicable
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22. Family Members (in case of emergency): Enter as much information as possible regarding emergency
contacts that you have. Check the box “Emergency Contact.”
23. Financial Sponsor: Parent/Guardian name, address and phone number (Do not use your name here
even if you are financially independent). DO NOT LEAVE BLANK.
24. Person or Agency to Act on Behalf of you in China: (This information should show up automatically but if
it doesn’t, type in this information.)
Name: Caroline Tong (her name will already appear in Chinese characters)
Address: Zijing Building. 23, Rm. 228-229, Tsinghua University
Haidian District, Beijing, P.R. China 100084
Telephone: 5153-5577, 5153-5576
25. Recommending Institution:
Name: Syracuse University (regardless of home school)
Telephone Number: 315-443-3471
26. Publications and Thesis: Leave Blank
27. Special Skills in Literature, Arts and Sports: Leave Blank
When you have completed the application, it is recommended that you “Save as Draft” to review your
application. Once you are satisfied that all information is accurate, click “Submit.”
UPLOADING THE PHOTO
NOTE: You will need to upload an official passport photo with a white background to the Tsinghua
University application. (See page 5 for info about passport photo.) You may get passport photos at
Marshall Square post office, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, etc.
The size of the photo must be 400-420 px in width and 600-630px in height or it will not be accepted. You
can use Microsoft Paint or Adobe Photoshop to resize the photo. Jpeg format is required.
After you submit your Tsinghua application, go back to “My Application” on the menu bar and upload your
photo.
It will take two to three days for Tsinghua University to verify your application. You will receive an email
from Tsinghua University informing you that your application has been verified or you can check the
application status by going to “My Application” on the menu bar. Once your application has been verified,
you must print out the “verified” application form and sign it where indicated. Parents do NOT need to sign
this verified application.
Some quirks about the Tsinghua on-line application:
Do not cut and paste information into the Tsinghua application. Type it new.
If Tsinghua University indicates that an answer you provided is incorrect or not acceptable, you
must go back into the application; delete the incorrect information; log out; then log back in and
make the correction; save and submit.
*** DO NOT PRINT OUT APPLICATION PRIOR TO TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY’S VERIFICATION! ***
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Part 2: Submit your paperwork to Syracuse Abroad by 5 p.m. on Friday, April 13, 2018
1. Printed “verified” Tsinghua University on-line application form with your original signature
2. Four official passport photos with white background (but you will need five photos in total for this
program)
Don’t wear sleeveless or white/flesh-colored shirts; such photos will be rejected by the
Chinese consulate. No jewelry, no eyeglasses, no hats, no white garments.
Neutral expression with closed mouth; color photo with white/plain background; no
shadows
For specific instructions for photo requirements, please check this link:
http://newyork.china-consulate.org/eng/lsfwss/t1423500.htm
3. A clear photocopy of the information page/signature
page of your passport
Be sure that you have signed your passport
or it will not be accepted.
The photocopy must be a clear copy showing
the page in its entirety. Please place your
passport flat on the middle of the
scanner/copier. Photos of your passport are
not accepted.
Make sure your passport does not expire
before August 1, 2019 or it will not be
accepted.
4. Non-U.S. citizens: Photocopy of your U.S. student visa & I-20, or green card.
If you are mailing your paperwork, please send it to:
Mary Fedorko
Syracuse Abroad
106 Walnut Place
Syracuse, NY 13244
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Part 3 – Apply for your Chinese student visa (July 4 – July 31, 2018 or as soon as you
receive your Tsinghua University admissions letter and JW202 from Syracuse Abroad.)
In order to apply for your Chinese student visa, you will need to have a Tsinghua University admission letter
and a JW202. Both of these documents will be express mailed to your home address around July 4.
Syracuse Abroad will confirm your address with you prior to mailing.
When you receive your JW202, please be sure to sign and date the form in blue ink where it indicates
“signature of applicant.”
Apply for your Chinese student visa as soon as you receive your Tsinghua University admission letter and
JW202 from Syracuse Abroad. It usually takes about five business days for a U.S. citizen to receive his/her
Chinese student visa. It may take longer if you completed the forms incorrectly or if you are asked to
supply additional information. Non-U.S. citizens may face delays and may receive requests for additional
documents, so apply for your Chinese student visa as soon as you receive your Tsinghua University
admission letter and JW202.
How do you apply for your Chinese student visa?
There are two different ways to do this:
--You can apply in person to the Chinese consulate in your jurisdiction. (To locate the Chinese consulate in
your jurisdiction, check http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/zmzlglj/t84229.htm.) You must go in person
or you can send someone you trust to submit your visa application to the Chinese consulate. (Check their
website to confirm the hours they accept visa applications.) You cannot mail your application directly to the
consulate. You will also need to go back to the Chinese consulate to pick up your passport stamped with
your visa. When you or your guardian submits your visa application, you will be given a pickup form.
Remember to take this form with you at the time of visa pickup.
--If you cannot or do not want to go in person, you can apply through a visa processing company such as
Travisa (www.travisa.com). Both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens can apply for their Chinese student visa
through Travisa. Their service fee is approximately $139. This does not include the actual visa fee that the
Chinese consulate charges and the express mailing costs. If you have questions when applying through
Travisa, please call their office directly or contact Mary Fedorko at Syracuse Abroad (315-443-9424).
What will you need to apply for a Chinese student visa?
• Your actual passport, plus one clear photocopy of the information page.
--Be sure that you have signed your passport or it will not be accepted.
--Make sure your passport does not expire before August 1, 2019 or it will not be accepted.
--Make sure that you have at least two blank pages in your passport.
• Chinese visa application form V.2013,
plus one copy
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/visas/fd/W020130830801798289342.pdf
--An application template is included in this packet on page 9. Please review carefully before beginning the
application and complete as instructed.
--Applications must be typed on-line in CAPITAL letters.
--Every question must be answered. Write “NONE” if a question does not apply to you.
--Print the forms single-sided (only) upon completion. Remember to sign and date page 4.
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• One official color passport photo
-- Don’t wear sleeveless or white/flesh-colored shirts; no jewelry, eyeglasses, uniforms, or hats; no open-
mouthed smiles; such photos will be rejected by the Chinese consulate. For specific instructions for photo
requirements, please check this link:
http://newyork.china-consulate.org/eng/lsfwss/t1423500.htm
--Use a paperclip to attach the photo to the first page of your application, where indicated.
• Tsinghua University admission letter, plus one copy
--This letter will be mailed to you from Syracuse Abroad around July 4.
• JW202 form, plus one copy
--This will be mailed to you from Syracuse Abroad around July 4.
--You must sign and date this form in blue ink where it says “signature of applicant.”
• Other documents, if applicable
--Students who are not U.S. citizens will also be required to provide proof of residency in the U.S. (such as
green card, or U.S. student visa and I-20). Other documents may also be required from non-U.S. citizens.
--Some consulates may require a clear photocopy of state issued ID (such as your driver’s license).
•
For applicants applying through New York or Houston consulates only:
--Applicants who have previously traveled to China must provide a copy of the previous Chinese visa. If the
visa was issued to a previous passport, a photocopy of the canceled passport’s information page must
also be included.
--New York consulate only: Travelers who have visited Turkey, Kazakhstan, and Pakistan must provide
affidavit with exact dates and purpose of each trip
•
Applicants of Chinese origin (born in China) must include a copy of a previous Chinese visa or their
last original Chinese passport. Make sure the Chinese Name field is completed on the Chinese visa
application form, in Chinese characters.
•
Visa processing fee
--The price of the visa varies for citizens of different countries due to China’s reciprocal agreements.
--Please pay by Visa, MasterCard, money order, cashier’s check or company check. Cash or personal
checks are not accepted.
Special Instructions for Non-U.S. Citizens and U.S. Citizens NOT born in the U.S.
Students who are citizens of countries other than the United States and students who are not carrying a
U.S. passport may have visa requirements different from those for U.S. citizens. If you are applying in
person to the Chinese consulate, please check the consulate website carefully. If you are applying through
a visa processing agency, check their website carefully for information on the documents you need.
Visa processing times for non-U.S. citizens and even U.S. citizens not born in the U.S. can take longer than
normal, so please apply early.
Chinese Citizens:
Students holding Chinese citizenship and who travel on the passport of that country will not need a visa to
study in China. But they must complete the Tsinghua on-line application. Students holding Hong Kong IDs
do not need to apply for a Chinese student visa. But they must complete the Tsinghua on-line application.
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Sample Chinese
Student Visa Application
V.2013
(Please use this template to complete your application)
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