CBP comes with ‘Electronic Visa Update System’ (EVUS) for early subscriptions

People in China with a 10-year Visa can now update their personal information using EVUS every two years.

CBP comes with ‘Electronic Visa Update System’ (EVUS) for early subscriptions

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) launched the Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) website for early registrations at the end of October 2016. A person with a passport from the China who holds a B1/B2 Visa for America, which is valid for ten years, will need a valid EVUS registration from November 29, 2016 when they travel to the US. EVUS is an online system and is used by residents of China, who may wish to update their personal information of their Visa before they travel to America. An EVUS registration is valid for two years unless the passenger's passport or Visa expires.

Free

The CBP does not currently request compensation for an EVUS registration, but expects to ask for registration fees in the future. This has yet to be determined, but as long as the new EVUS registration fee has not been decided yet, travellers can request them free of charge.

Confirmation

Travellers can submit an EVUS registration at any time and receive a confirmation a few minutes later. However, the CBP may take 72 hours to respond. The CBP advises travellers to submit an EVUS registration as soon as they plan their trip to the US to avoid any delays. At least 72 hours prior to their trip.

29-nov

From November 29, 2016, residents of China with a Visa valid for 10 years, can no longer travel to the US without a valid EVUS registration. For travellers requiring multiple flights to travel to the US, the EVUS registration will be verified upon check-in of their first flight. This registration is also required when residents of the China intend to travel with their Visa over land or sea to the US.

Call centre

The CBP provides an EVUS call centre with Mandarin-speaking customer service staff so that travellers can call or email when they have questions or concerns regarding their EVUS registration. This call centre is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is closed on National Holidays in the US.

To update

The EVUS process is similar to the process of ESTA. If Chinese travellers do not update their personal information every two years or when they obtain a new passport after the EVUS becomes mandatory, they cannot use their 10-year Visa any longer.