Business Immigration Insights

The Department of State has revised its "visa reciprocity" schedule for China, effective July 9, 2010, allowing US embassies and consulates to issue 1-year, multiple-entry H-1B visas to Chinese nationals.  The new reciprocity schedule for China may be viewed at the State Department's website here.

Validity periods and other restrictions on US nonimmigrant visas, such as H-1B visas, are based on the concept of "reciprocity":  the validity and limitations another country imposes on US citizens for similar types of visas.  Previously, Chinese H-1B visas were limited to 3 months and only 2 entries to the United States, making frequent foreign travel problematic for Chinese H-1B workers and their U.S. employers.