Prepare to visit your family

China Family Visa Assistance in Los Angeles

Planning time with family in China? China Visa Depot provides China family visa assistance in Los Angeles for Q1, Q2, S1 and S2 applications. We help review invitations and supporting records, prepare application information, and plan passport submission.

China Visa Depot is a private visa assistance company. The Chinese Consulate makes the visa decision and may request further documents or review.

Inviter’s status

Chinese citizen, permanent resident or foreign resident.

Length of stay

More than 180 days or 180 days or less.

Family relationship

Check the category’s eligible relationships.

Document review

Keep the invitation and records consistent.

Start with your family plans

Get your application ready for review

Tell us who you will visit, how long you intend to stay and which records you have. We will explain the preparation and review support available.

Begin with general details. Ask how to provide documents before sending passport images or other sensitive records.

student visa document review
Family comparison guide

Q1, Q2, S1 or S2: which category fits?

Start with the inviter’s status in China, then check your intended stay and family relationship.

Q1

Long-term family reunion

More than 180 days with eligible family of a Chinese citizen living in China or a foreign citizen with Chinese permanent resident status.

Q2

Short-term visit to relatives

180 days or less to visit relatives who are Chinese citizens living in China or foreign citizens with Chinese permanent resident status living in China.

S1

Long-term visit to foreign residents

More than 180 days to visit a foreign resident working or studying in China. The family category covers spouses, parents, children under 18 and parents-in-law.

S2

Short-term visit to foreign residents

180 days or less for family members visiting a foreign resident working or studying in China.

Q1’s family list includes spouses, parents, sons, daughters, their spouses, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and parents-in-law. This comparison covers ordinary family visits and reunion. Foster-care and other private-affairs cases have different checklists.

Compare your circumstances with the Consulate’s Q1, Q2, S1 and S2 category requirements. The visa issued determines your permitted stay and entries.

Help with the paperwork

Clear support for your family visa application

We help you organize the preparation tasks and understand the next step.

Invitation review

We check the letter for visible gaps in names, visit dates, relationship information and inviter details.

Application preparation

We help organize your information and review application entries against the supporting records before submission.

Supporting-record review

We look for differences between passport details, invitation information and relationship records.

Correction and submission support

We help interpret official review requests and discuss passport submission and collection support included in your service.

We confirm the available support, fees and service scope before work begins. Learn more about our application and document review service.

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Prepare your records

Documents depend on your family visa category

Basic applicant records

Prepare a passport with more than six months’ remaining validity and a blank visa page, an online application photo, and proof of residence. Prior Chinese visas, nationality, U.S. status, name changes or a minor applicant may require more records.

Q1 and Q2 inviter identification

A Chinese inviter’s ID, front and back, or a foreign inviter’s passport and Chinese permanent residence card, front and back.

S1 and S2 inviter identification

The foreign inviter’s passport and Chinese residence permit.

Relationship evidence

Q1 and S1 require uploaded relationship certificates plus an original and copy at submission. S2 family visits require uploaded relationship evidence. Q2’s standard category checklist lists the invitation and inviter ID; further evidence may be requested.

Documents for minor applicants

Age and family nationality can affect the records required. Tell us if the applicant is a minor so the relevant checklist can be reviewed.

Use the current Los Angeles document checklist and the official system’s instructions for your case.

Keep your records consistent

Review the invitation alongside your documents

Check the visitor’s identity and passport details, the family relationship, visit dates and intended stay. Include the inviter’s identity, address in China, contact details, signature and date.

For example, if a name differs between a marriage certificate and current passport, gather the available name-change record so the difference can be explained in the application.

The inviter supplies and signs the letter. We review the information provided; we do not create family records or sign for your relative. See the official invitation letter guidance.

Applying through Los Angeles

Check your residence before applying

The Los Angeles Consulate covers Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Applicants using a Chinese embassy or consulate in the United States must be physically in the United States.

Your family member’s address in China does not select your U.S. consular office. Check the Los Angeles consular jurisdiction guide against your residence.

Know what comes next

From preparation to passport collection

Prepare and upload

Check your category, complete the form and upload the applicable records.

Follow online review

Check messages and respond to correction or additional-document requests.

Submit physical materials

At Passport to be submitted, bring the passport, printed barcode/status page and required originals.

Collect the passport

Follow the official collection status and agreed pickup or return arrangements.

Plan around your travel dates

Leave time for each application stage

The Consulate recommends applying one to two months before travel. Its general four-working-day review period begins after online review has passed and the passport has been submitted. Individual cases may take longer.

Invitation or relationship-document corrections, online review, office closures and passport return sit outside that period. If your travel date is close, contact us with your current status so we can discuss the remaining tasks.

Understand your costs

A clear quote for the help you need

Government charges

Visa charges follow the official fee schedule.

Private assistance

Your quote identifies the preparation, review or submission support included.

Delivery arrangements

Any agreed courier or passport return costs appear separately.

After you arrive

Plan your stay with your family

Q1 and S1 holders must apply for a residence permit through local immigration authorities within 30 days after entry. Prepare for this separate stage before travel.

For Q2 and S2, follow the stay and entry conditions on the issued visa. Check the visa details when you collect your passport.

Family visa questions

China family visa questions

What is the difference between Q and S family visas?

Q visas relate to family in China who are Chinese citizens or foreign citizens with Chinese permanent resident status. S family-visit visas relate to qualifying family of foreign residents working or studying in China. Your inviter’s status and your intended stay help determine the category.

For a qualifying visit to a Chinese citizen or Chinese permanent resident, a stay of 180 days or less falls within Q2. Q1 is the long-term family reunion category for more than 180 days. The issued visa determines the stay you are permitted.

S1’s family list includes spouses, parents, children under 18 and parents-in-law. An adult child is outside that specific child category. Tell us the intended stay and inviter’s status so the applicable official checklist can be reviewed.

The Los Angeles checklist requires online uploads plus the original relationship certificate and a copy for Q1 and S1. S2 family visits require uploaded relationship evidence without routine physical submission. Q2’s standard category checklist lists the invitation and inviter identification; additional evidence may still be requested.

We can help review the information in an invitation letter against the application and supporting records. The inviter must provide truthful information and sign the letter. We do not issue an invitation on behalf of a family member.

An authorized representative may submit physical materials when the application reaches Passport to be submitted. Each applicant needs their own application and applicable records. We confirm available submission and collection support before service begins.

Ask for a quote based on the preparation, review and submission support you need. Your quote separates private assistance, government charges and any agreed delivery costs. We explain the service scope before work begins.

Q1 and S1 holders must apply for a residence permit through the local immigration authorities within 30 days after entry. Plan the required records and local arrangements before traveling. This is a separate stage from the visa application.

Official requirements

Sources for your family visa preparation

Los Angeles Consulate: ordinary visa documents

Q1, Q2, S1 and S2 records, invitation details and physical submission rules.

Los Angeles Consulate: family visa categories in Chinese

Inviter status, family relationships and long-term versus short-term categories.

Los Angeles Consulate: September 2026 application FAQs

Online review, timing, authorized representatives and invitation guidance.

Los Angeles Consulate: visa conditions and residence permits

Stay conditions and the Q1/S1 residence permit requirement.

Helpful next steps

Resources for your application

Visa services

Explore help for your application stage.

View China visa services

 

Family comparison guide

Check Q1, Q2, S1 and S2 side by side.

Compare family visa categories

Application process

Understand review and submission stages.

Review the visa process

Passport security

Read about document handling.

View passport security information

 

Prepare to reconnect

Get help with your China family visa

Tell us who you will visit, your relationship, the intended stay, citizenship, state of residence and application status. We will explain the assistance available and the service scope before work begins.

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