China's passport renewal business resumed?
"Difficulty in applying for a passport" is a topic that netizens are most concerned about since last year, many netizens say that they have a US visa, but they cannot renew a new passport because of the expired passport, and they cannot travel to the United States. And a message on February 9 brushed the screen in the circle of friends:
Soon some netizens verified in the circle of friends, using the mobile APP to apply for a new passport in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing and other regions can be booked.
Earlier, due to the seriousness of the global epidemic, China's National Immigration Bureau has issued notices on many occasions, emphasizing that in order to protect the health and safety of citizens and do a good job in preventing the import of the epidemic abroad, the National Immigration Administration has implemented the implementation of "for non-essential non-emergency exit reasons, ordinary passports and other entry and exit documents are temporarily not issued, and if the applicant has no urgent and necessary reasons, it is recommended to cancel or postpone the exit plan." ”
This also led to the number of ordinary passports issued by China in 2020, which was only 2% of the same period in 2019. Most people are studying abroad and business visas.
On December 20, 2021, it announced that it will unswervingly and unswervingly implement various measures of "external prevention of import and internal prevention of rebound", continue to adhere to the strict entry and exit policy, and implement non-essential non-emergency non-exit.
Nowadays, according to information from a number of travel companies and visa service companies. Restrictions on applications have been lifted due to private passports.
Is this also an important signal that outbreak management has entered a new phase?
If you have recently planned a family visit, study abroad or business visit to the United States, please contact your local passport issuing office as soon as possible to see if this news is true
You can also call the 24-hour 12367 service hotline of the national immigration administration to understand the situation in advance, make corresponding preparations, and properly arrange personal itinerary.
Official announcement: Gradually resume international shipping and start inbound tourism in a timely manner
During the pandemic, domestic flights to and from the United States, Canada and other countries have been circuit-broken due to the epidemic, and as the pandemic is under control, the Civil Aviation Administration of China has also issued the "14th Five-Year Plan for Civil Aviation Development": China will gradually resume international shipping between 2023 and 2025 and increase the scale of national opening-up.
The document said that it will be implemented in two phases from 2021 to 2025, of which 2021-2022 is the recovery period and the savings period, and 2023-2025 is the growth period and release period, focusing on expanding the domestic market, restoring the international market, improving the level of opening up, and accelerating the improvement of capacity and quality efficiency.
In the "14th Five-Year Plan" Tourism Development Plan issued by the State Council, it is also mentioned that it is necessary to promote inbound tourism in a step-by-step and orderly manner under the premise of effective control of the international epidemic, and to launch inbound tourism promotion actions in a timely manner.
The document proposes: Timely study and judge the situation of prevention and control of the new crown pneumonia epidemic at home and abroad, the development and changes of the international environment, scientifically adjust the management measures for relevant personnel to come to China, and actively build a healthy, safe and orderly order of personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries under the premise of ensuring the safety of epidemic prevention. Timely launch inbound tourism promotion actions, introduce support policies for the development of inbound tourism, and take effective measures to promote the high-quality development of inbound tourism.
Although there is no mention in the above two documents of the full resumption of international shipping and when inbound tourism will be launched at a specific point in time, this has already released a signal: to increase the opening of the country's doors. Specific to when it fully returns to pre-pandemic levels, it may also need to be flexibly handled in practice according to the degree of control of the pandemic.
It is very gratifying that passport renewal services have begun to resume in some areas, and other immigration services will gradually open up. So, in 2022, it's worth looking forward to!
U.S. immigration laws are expected to pass this year
On Friday, the House passed the U.S. Opportunities for Manufacturing, Technological Excellence, and Economic Power Act of 2022 (the America Competes Act) to expand immigration opportunities for foreign scientists and engineers.
The bill aims to improve the competitiveness of the United States and China, especially in semiconductor manufacturing and research. If preserved in negotiations with the Senate, the bill would be the most significant legal immigration measure passed by Congress in more than 30 years.
The House passed the bill with only a Republican vote, and the Senate passed a similar bill last June, and there are enough differences between the two bills to make it uncertain whether it will eventually pass.
The bill passed by the House of Representatives contains two major immigration reforms:
1) Provide a new visa for entrepreneurs
2) Provide a direct route to obtaining a green card for immigrants who earned a Ph.D. degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in the United States.
The new W visa category will apply to foreign entrepreneurs and startup founders of start-ups, their key employees, and their spouses and children. If the business is successful, the entrepreneur can apply for legal green card status.
The bill also consists of several previous proposals and hundreds of new amendments authorizing billions of dollars to promote domestic semiconductor research and development, as well as critical supply chain and STEM education and training.
People who get a green card or status under the bill also have to pay a $1,000 surcharge to also provide additional scholarships for U.S. students in STEM fields.
At the same time, there are other amendments proposing to add "health professions and related programs" to STEM fields, international students with "dual intent" STEM field F visas, people who extend the bill to master's degrees, etc.