EVUS - Electronic Visa Update System

Since November 29, 2016, Chinese citizens and Chinese passport holders who wish to travel to the United States with a 10-year visitor visa in the categories B-1, B-2 or B-1 / B-2 must register online for the Electronic Visa Update System, or EVUS, in addition to their visa.

EVUS is not to be confused with ESTA, which allows citizens of certain countries to enter the USA without a visa.

Background

The electronic visa update system introduced by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is designed to improve national security and regularly update certain biographical visa information, making it easier for Chinese citizens to enter the United States.

The starting point for the introduction of EVUS was the reciprocal agreement concluded in November 2014 between the United States of America and the People's Republic of China on the issuance of visitor visas for multiple entries and a validity of 10 years. Prior to this agreement, holders of a passport from the Republic of China were only able to obtain B visas with a significantly shorter period of validity.

Who is affected by EVUS?

EVUS only applies to persons who hold a valid passport of the People's Republic of China and a corresponding B-1, B-2 or B-1 / B-2 visa valid for 10 years.

Authorization with EVUS is independent of age and place of residence.

Who is exempt from EVUS?

Persons with passport documents from Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR or Taiwanese nationals are not required to register for EVUS. In addition, Chinese citizens whose visitor visas have not been issued for the maximum duration of 10 years are also not affected by EVUS.

Travelers of other nationalities do not have to meet the EVUS requirement either.

Online registration – how it works

The Electronic Visa Update System can be found online in Mandarin and in English at www.evus.gov. The online form asks information such as

• name,
• date of birth,
• passport information,
• emergency contact details,
• further biographical information and
• professional information.

The processing process takes only a few minutes on average, but can take up to 72 hours under certain circumstances, which is why it is advisable to register for EVUS well in advance of your planned departure date.

If you encounter problems during the application process – e.g. due to a system or input error – please contact the EVUS Call Center at +1-202-325-0180 or submit a request via the US Border Patrol (CBP) help page: www.help.cbp.gov

Validity and costs

The EVUS authorization is valid for 2 years. Chinese nationals must therefore update their personal data online via the EVUS website at least every 2 years.

Regardless of the regular two-year period, EVUS registration must also be updated if the old passport expires or a new passport is issued during this period. In this case, the EVUS authorization loses its validity prematurely and must be completely reapplied for.

To date, authorization with EVUS has been free of charge. In the course of the adoption of the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act", a fee of 30 $ is planned. It is not yet clear exactly when the EVUS System Fee will come into force and be implemented.

Conclusion

For persons with a valid passport of the People's Republic of China who meet the above requirements, EVUS registration is mandatory in addition to the US visa. Without a valid EVUS authorization, entry into the United States is not possible.

At present, EVUS only applies to certain Chinese nationals. Should the system be changed or extended to other countries in the future, we will inform you immediately.