Program for Chinese travelers now accepting enrollments

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Electronic Visa Update System (EVUS) for Chinese travelers is now accepting enrollments. EVUS enrollment is mandatory for Chinese nationals holding 10-year visitor visas who are traveling to the U.S. on or after Nov. 29.

Key points:

• Affected Chinese nationals can now enroll online on the Customs and Border Protection’s EVUS enrollment site.
• The EVUS requirement applies to Chinese nationals (mainland only) who hold 10-year visitor (B1/B2, B1, and B2) visas. Travelers will have to renew their enrollment every two years or when their passport expires, whichever comes first. The requirement will apply to both new visa applicants and current visa holders. Enrollment is currently free during early enrollment, but a fee will be implemented in the future.
• The enrollment process involves providing biographical and employment information as well as  travel history. In most cases, enrollments will be processed within minutes, although some cases may take as long as 72 hours.
• For now, the EVUS requirement only applies to Chinese nationals. The government has said that the requirement may be applied to other countries in the future.

BAL Analysis: Chinese nationals traveling to the U.S. on or after Nov. 29 must complete the EVUS enrollment requirement before traveling. The system is now accepting enrollments, and those with plans to travel to the U.S. on or after Nov. 29 should consider enrolling ahead of time in order to avoid possible travel delays. Additional information about the program is available on this website.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice group. For additional information, please contact BerryApplemanLeiden@bal.com. Copyright © 2016 Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. All rights reserved. Reprinting or digital redistribution to the public is permitted only with the express written permission of Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP. For inquiries please contact copyright@bal.com.