On the 7th of this month, the much-anticipated Chinese consulate app finally opened online consular services in the North American consular area, including applications for passport and travel permit replacement.
This is great news for people like me who have expired passports but never get an appointment number. They can apply directly at home, and two-way mail does not meet each other, which saves time and convenience.
However, this is a new thing after all. The new APP is online, there are temporary defects and bugs in function, and there are places where the explanation is not clear enough.
Now the official version of the app has been updated,My application has also reached the "Pending Certificate" status.
Share the whole process here, especially someThe important part, I hope this article will light up like stars, illuminating the road ahead for friends who need to change their passports.
let us start!
Make the settings on the phone first.
All usage rights of the APP should be fully released, specific to the location and album rights, and the phone system language should also be changed to simplified Chinese.
If only part of the album permissions are allowed, it may affect the subsequent upload of photos. The cause is still unknown, so it is recommended to open them all.
About registration
CurrentlyThe APP only opens two forms of domestic mobile phone number registration and email registration, and email is strongly recommended.
Some applicants showed an abnormality in the first step, that is, when registering. You can turn off the wifi and switch to mobile phone data, and try another mailbox.
It is recommended to conduct real-name authentication immediately after registration, which helps to improve the speed of form submission.
About upload
About uploading passport photos
Everyone will encounter the most painful step in the entire application process, but most people will prompt failure.If you upload according to the following requirements:
1. Standard passport photo on white background, with full face and ears on the front, no jewelry.
2. There is no shadow on the photo.
3. The format is jpg or png.
But if you still try and fail,You can choose to skip this step,Finally, put three paper passport photos in the mailing materials.
I got through the manual consultation phone of the San Francisco consulate,The official clearly stated that if the upload of passport photos in the APP fails, then three of them will be mailed.There may be differences between the consulates, but it is always correct to put the photo in the envelope.
🌟 Emphasize
If the passport photo is uploaded, there is no need to send a paper photo, and vice versa.In addition, in theory, there is no need to burn discs anymore.
"Upload the following materials" page
The 4th, 7th and 8th options, the prompt is optional, but in fact, you cannot enter the next page if you don’t fill it in.
The solution is to write down your own situation on a piece of white paper, such as "none, no", or other actual conditions, and then take a picture and upload it.The latest version is said to have realized the real optional filling, please refer to the prompts in the new version of the APP.
Unsuccessful upload of data
It is recommended to upload the next one after uploading,Do not close the APP or switch during this period.Uploading takes time, so be patient.
Handwritten signature
At present, it seems that the success rate of using mobile phone traffic is higher than connecting to wifi. You can try both.
After the handwritten signature is completed, it will take time to display. It will most likely be blank when the signature is completed. Just wait for the signature to appear.
Some people have signed this step over and over ten times, but some people have done it at once. There is no regularity for the time being.
Face recognition
If it shows stuck, thenFind a brightly lit place and make some micro expressions,Try to get through, otherwise a video interview may be arranged.
Status update
At present, the APP does not have a system push function, so you need to check it yourself.After clicking "My Order", the blue font on the right is the current order status.
Delivery time of materials
New York consulate and San Francisco consulate display"Reviewing"When other consulates show"Pending certification"Time.
Review time
At present, the speed of initial examination and re-examination by the consulates has slowed down.From a few working days to a dozen working days, Subject to the display of the system.
Pay the fee
Currently only openWeChat payment and offline mail money orderIf you choose the latter, money order can be purchased at the post office, and you can do it together when you mail the materials.
About mailing
This part is where most applicants are confused. On the one hand, the official explanation is not clear enough, and on the other hand, they are not familiar with the mailing process.
Summarized as follows
Graduation
1. Materials to be mailed.
·Passport or travel certificate (if any) that has expired.
·Two large USPS envelopes (one for mailing and one for returning new passports).
·Print or handwriting screenshots of orders in APP.
·If you choose to pay offline, buy a money order.
·If the passport photo fails, three paper photos will be sent.
⚠️The consent form, declaration letter, etc. used to make an online appointment before are no longer needed, and the online application shall prevail.Therefore, the successful submission of the application form in the APP is the first.
2. What is the "Certificate Form"?
The "Certificate Form" or "Handwritten Applicant Information Page with Order Number Barcode" in the official instructions is yourThe order number in the App (a string of numbers starting with USA).
If there is a printer, take a screenshot and print the name together; if not, write it by hand on a piece of white paper,Both name and order numberwrite down,The handwriting must be clear and tidy.
3. Mailing options
According to the instructions of the consulate,Optional USPS PRIORITY MAIL envelopeOr USPS PRIORITY MAIL EXPRESS envelope.You can choose one of the two depending on your personal wishes.
I chose priority mail for both two-way mailing, and it will arrive in two days, hereIt is nothing more than the difference between time and cost, and there is no difference between reliability or good or bad.
4. About the envelope
Someone suggested"How to tuck two envelopes of the same size"In fact, if you go to the post office, priority also has a kind of envelope that is close to plastic, which is lighter, thinner, and larger. You can put the self-addressed envelopes flat without folding.
If you want to use two of the same size,Be careful not to forcefully fold the return envelope in half, just bend the side part slightly and put it in.The mailing address shall be the one provided by each consulate.
5. Questions about the address of the person returning the envelope
The same is based onAccording to the official requirement, both the sender and the recipient write their own addresses.
This is to prevent some unexpected problems when the consulate sends back the new passport. If the sender and recipient address are the same, even if there is an error or error in the delivery, it will be returned to the sender, then it is you Yourself.
6. Money order
When you go to the post office to send the materials, tell the customer service at the counter that you need to buy a money order, and the other party will give you a brand new blank, and you can pay 23 dollars when you pay the postage.
Pay to part:Chinese Consulate
Address below: Same as the address on the mailing envelope
MEMO part:Write your Chinese name
From part:Your name, just use pinyin
The Address section below:your address
7. Where to write the Chinese logo
Where is the blank?Officials require that "APP passport or travel permit application materials" should be clearly marked in Chinese on the envelope when mailing.
These words can be written in the blank space in the center of the envelope, or in the large blank space between the sender and the recipient. To be precise, it is not a big problem to write this sentence. It is necessary to write this sentence.
8. Have chosen to pay online
Then there is no need to send money order, but stillIt is recommended to write down the payment information and mail it together with other materials.
Theoretically speaking, this information is included in the order number, but you are not afraid of XNUMX but just in case, it is always correct to remark.
9. Return postage
Tell the counter customer service that one of the two envelopes is returned, and the other party will help you affix a stamp with the corresponding postage.Just say that, and the other party knows what to do.
The tracking number of the return envelope will be on the printed strip, this should be kept,The best way is to tear it off and paste it on the receipt, so that you are not afraid of losing it. When it shows that the new passport is about to be sent, you can check it at any time.
The specific instructions and details of the Chinese Consulate APP, as well as the key points, are in the "Notice Announcement" column on the homepage of the Chinese Consulate in New York. It is recommended that you read it carefully before filling out the online form.
After all the information is sent as required, all you need to do is to wait quietly and pay attention to the follow-up update status of the order at any time.
I wish everyone who needs to change their passports to receive new passports as soon as possible!
Writing | Jane
Typesetting | Ruibao
Pictures from the web
Edit｜Guo helmet
