VISA SERVICES FOR OLYMPIC TEAM MEMBERS

To facilitate travel for foreign Olympic athletes, family members, coaches, and staff who require U.S. transit visas to return home after the Olympics, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing will provide walk-in service (no advance appointment required) to applicants with Olympic credentials from 2 pm - 4 pm each business day.  This service begins Monday, August 18, and will continue through Friday, August 29, 2008.

According to U.S. visa law, all visa applicants ages 14-79 must appear in person at a Consular Section for biometric enrollment and an interview with a Consular Officer.  Visas are available the following business day after the interview.

To take advantage of appointment-free walk-in service, applicants age 14-79 with Olympic credentials must:

• Be in possession of a foreign passport and an Olympic credential with a photograph.  American and Chinese passport holders will not be allowed to use this service.
• Apply for a visa for Olympics-related travel.  Ordinary tourism, business, student, and temporary employment visa applications will not be accepted as walk-in applications.
• Pay the $131 non-refundable visa application fee and fill out an electronic visa application form according to the procedures listed on the U.S. Embassy Beijing web site (http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/niv_howtoapply.html)
• Arrive to the U.S. Embassy Visa Unit between 2 pm and 3:30 pm Monday through Friday.
• Be prepared to submit to security screening.  Electronic devices, including cellular phones, are not permitted.  Backpacks, suitcases, attaché cases, and strollers are also not permitted.  Applicants should bring only documents relevant to the visa application, and they should carry any documents in a transparent folder.
• Plan to spend two full hours at the Embassy including security screening, document intake, biometric enrollment, and interview time.

Applicants under 14 or age 80 and up may send a representative who meets the criteria above to submit a visa application on their behalf.

Language assistance:

• The U.S. Embassy in Beijing regularly provides service in English and Mandarin Chinese. 
• Several U.S. Embassy Consular Officers speak Spanish.  Applicants requiring Spanish-language service should send an email requesting a Spanish-language interview to CIUBeijing@State.gov at least one business day before they plan to come to the Consular Section.
• Applicants who cannot speak English, Mandarin, or Spanish will be permitted to bring their own interpreter to the interview.  Applicants who will be accompanied by their own interpreter must send an email to CIUBeijing@State.gov at least one business day before they plan to come to the Consular Section.  The interpreter may be a Chinese or foreign citizen, but must have an Olympic credential.  The email should include the full name, date of birth, and identification number of the interpreter.