Beginning in November 2016, nationals of China using a 10-year business or tourist visitor visa (B-1/B-2) to enter the United States will be required, before being admitted, to also enroll in the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS). The requirement is the result of a reciprocal agreement between China and the U.S. to issue visitor visas with a 10-year validity period. Currently, visitor visas are only issued for one year at a time for travelers between the two countries.
The EVUS is the online system that is used to periodically update biographic information in order to facilitate travel to the United States. All visitors from China, including current visa holders, will be required to enroll in EVUS before November. Enrollment consists of completing a form and paying a nominal fee. Enrollment in the system will only stay valid for two years at most, when Chinese nationals will have to re-enroll to continue traveling to the U.S. on a B-1/B-2 visa.