X1 & X2 Visa GuideUnofficial China student visa application: the sequence at a UK visa centre and at the US embassy
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
Between submitting the online form and holding the visa, nothing is decided yet: an online review comes first, then you hand in your passport and supporting documents, and only after that is the visa issued and collected. The two sequences are not interchangeable. In the United Kingdom the electronic form sits on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website and you then attend a visa centre in person, where your biometrics are taken; at the Chinese Embassy in Washington the new COVA system carries the form and your uploads, and the passport goes to the Visa Office once the status changes.
This page describes only what three official pages say. The two UK pages are statements by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom (page time stamp 1 July 2020); the third is a notice of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States (its September 2025 update). Neither country's page sets rules for other missions, and where a page is silent this page says so rather than filling the gap from another mission's practice.
The sequence in the United Kingdom
The Embassy's "How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only)" page sets out the order in its Application Procedure section: applicants fill in the electronic visa application form online through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in advance, then submit the passport and other supporting documents and the biometric information at the Visa Center when the online review is approved.
The Embassy's FAQs page repeats the sequence for an ordinary passport holder applying for an ordinary visa for the mainland: fill in the electronic forms on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website, then come to the relevant Visa Center in the U.K. when the online review is approved, with the passport and other supporting documents, have your biometric information taken at the Visa Center, and make the proper payments.
The same FAQ answer separates three other cases, which are worth reading carefully if any of them is yours:
- Ordinary visa for Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR: submit the application directly to the relevant Chinese Visa Application Service Center. No appointment, electronic forms or biometric information is needed.
- Diplomatic and service (official) passport holders, and applicants for a diplomatic, service or courtesy visa: fill in the visa application forms online through the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website, and submit the passport and other required supporting documents to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates-General during their working hours once the online review is approved. No appointment is required.
- Diplomatic or service visa for Hong Kong SAR or Macao SAR: submit directly to the Chinese Embassy or Consulates-General. No online application form or appointment is required.
The UK pages say nothing about who may collect a visa on your behalf, and nothing about consular jurisdiction inside the United Kingdom.
How long it takes in the United Kingdom
The Application Procedure page's Processing Time section gives two figures:
- Regular Service: the visa will be ready for collection on the fourth working day.
- Express Service: the visa will be ready for collection on the third working day.
The FAQ answer puts the same numbers in context: if the documents are well prepared it will normally take four working days, but the approval time may vary for individual applications; if there is an emergency or you intend to travel urgently you may apply for the express service that takes three working days, which carries an extra fee. Neither UK page states a fee amount. The page instead refers applicants to the latest notice on visa fees on the embassy website.
Collection has its own rule. The Embassy says it is important that applicants collect their visas within the informed date, and that failure to do so will affect any further visa applications. If a visa has been left uncollected for more than three months after the proposed collection date, it will be disposed of as unclaimed.
The sequence at the Embassy in Washington
The US notice, "Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (Updated September, 2025)", begins with jurisdiction: the consular jurisdiction of the Embassy covers Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Delaware, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Texas and Puerto Rico, and applicants are asked to confirm that they live in those states before submitting the application.
The process section then has three steps:
- Visa applicants log on to the New COVA System to fill in the forms and upload materials for preliminary review.
- After the application form shows "Passport to be submitted", the visa applicant or an agent submits the passport, the application info-page with barcode and other original documents as required to the Visa Office within office hours.
- For tips on filling in the online COVA form, the notice directs applicants to http://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ and the [Guidance on Visa Application] link there.
The notice applies to applications made to the Embassy in Washington through the new COVA system, which the Embassy introduced there on 30 September 2025. Consulates-general in the United States and other Chinese missions may follow a different sequence.
How long it takes and how you collect in Washington
The notice's Processing Time and Fees section states:
- Regular service: 4 business days.
- Express service: 3 business days (urgent situation).
It qualifies both numbers: the processing time is average and for reference only, and is calculated from the date of passport submission. Some applications may require longer processing, and a pick-up date cannot be confirmed until the Visa Office notifies you.
Collection runs on status, not on a fixed calendar slot. The pick-up form issued by the Embassy's staff indicates the earliest estimated date for pick-up; you check your online application status on or after that date, and when the status shows "Passport to be collected" you may come to the visa office for pickup. The notice asks you to make sure that all the information on the visa is correct when picking up, and to tell the staff immediately if there is any inaccuracy, so that incorrect information does not cause inconvenience later. For on-site pick-up, credit card (Master or Visa card only), money order or cashier's check are accepted. As with the UK page, the notice gives no fee figure and links to a separate fees page. The Washington notice does not mention biometrics, and it does not state a rule for visas that are left uncollected.
The two sequences side by side
| Stage | United Kingdom (Embassy in the UK pages, 2020) | United States (Embassy in Washington notice, September 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Online form | Electronic form on the Chinese Visa Application Service Center website, filled in in advance | New COVA System: fill in the forms and upload materials for preliminary review |
| What unlocks the next step | The online review is approved | The form shows "Passport to be submitted" |
| In-person step | Attend the Visa Center: passport, supporting documents, biometrics taken there, payment | Submit passport, application info-page with barcode and other required original documents to the Visa Office within office hours; the applicant or an agent may submit |
| Stated processing | Regular: ready on the fourth working day; express: the third working day. FAQ: normally four working days, three with express, varying by application | Regular: 4 business days; express: 3 business days. Average, for reference only, counted from passport submission |
| When to collect | On the working day the page states; within the informed date | Pick-up form gives the earliest estimated date; collect when the status shows "Passport to be collected" |
| Uncollected visa | Left more than 3 months after the proposed collection date: disposed of as unclaimed. Late collection affects further applications | The notice does not state an uncollected-visa rule |
| Fees | No figure on the page; it points to the latest notice on visa fees on the embassy website | No figure in the notice; it links to a separate fees page |
Questions people ask
Do I have to appear in person after filling in the online form?
In the United Kingdom, yes: the Embassy's answer requires you to come to the relevant Visa Center when the online review is approved and to have your biometric information taken there. The Washington notice does not require your personal appearance for the submission step — it says the visa applicant or an agent may submit the passport and documents — and it says nothing about biometrics.
Are four working days and four business days the same promise?
No. Each figure belongs to the page that states it. The UK page says the visa will be ready for collection on the fourth working day for regular service and the third for express, and its FAQ adds that approval time may vary for individual applications. The Washington notice says 4 business days for regular service and 3 for express, and states that the time is average, for reference only, and calculated from the date of passport submission. Neither page promises that every application is finished within those days.
What happens if I never collect the visa?
The UK Embassy states a consequence: a visa left uncollected for more than three months after the proposed collection date will be disposed of as unclaimed, and failing to collect within the informed date will affect any further visa applications. The Washington notice states no equivalent rule, so the only safe reading is that the notice does not say.
Do these pages apply to every Chinese embassy and consulate?
No. Each is one mission's own statement. The UK pages are written for applicants in the United Kingdom, and their processing days, the three-month rule and the fingerprint requirement are that Embassy's statements, not national rules. The Washington notice covers applications made to that Embassy through the new COVA system; consulates-general and other missions may differ. For the document set itself, see the checklist on this site's documents page.
Can anyone submit or collect on my behalf?
The Washington notice says the visa applicant or an agent may submit the passport, the info-page with barcode and the other required original documents. The UK pages say you must come to the Visa Center yourself for biometrics, and they do not say whether another person may submit or collect on your behalf.
Sources
- Part Two: How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom
- Part Seven: FAQs and Answers — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United Kingdom
- Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (Updated September, 2025) — Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary: it is not legal or immigration advice, it is not published by the National Immigration Administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, any embassy or any visa application centre, and the official text and the instructions of the visa office or exit-entry office handling your case prevail if they differ.