Effective November, 2016, Chinese nationals, including nationals
from People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau
will be required to use an on-line enrollment system, referred to
as EVUS to update biographic information if they are holding a
10-year B-1/B-2 or B-2 visitor’s visa in order to be
permitted to enter the U.S. EVUS is a separate requirement from
obtaining a B-1/B-2 or B-2 visa. Information required to update
EVUS will include: holder’s name, birth date, and passport
information as well as other biographical and employment
information.
Friends, relatives or travel industry professionals, or another
third party may submit the required information to EVUS on the
traveler’s behalf as well as pay the related fees; however,
the traveler is responsible for the truthfulness and accuracy of
the information submitted to EVUS.
The new requirement goes hand-in-hand with the Chinese and U.S.
government’s reciprocal arrangement to issue visitors’
visas with 10-year validity periods so long as travelers
periodically update biographic information in an on-line format. At
present, only Chinese nationals will be required to participate in
EVUS, but the U.S. expects that this requirement may be applied to
nationals of additional countries in the future.
Travelers holding a 10-year B-1/B-2 or B-2 visa will begin using
the new system in November. Before that date, travelers holding a
10-year B-1/B-2 or B-2 visa may travel to the U.S. without any
further action. Any traveler holding a 10-year B-1/B-2 or B-2 visa
will need to participate, regardless of whether the visa was issued
before or after November, 2016. Enrollment in EVUS for all
applicants will remain valid for two years or until the
traveler’s visa or passport expires, whichever comes first,
or in the case where the traveler obtains a new passport. Visa
holders will then need to update their information in EVUS before
traveling to the U.S. again.
The most up-to-date information can be found on www.cbp.gov/EVUS,
and travelers are urged to monitor the website for the most current
information. There will be a monitoring fee (not yet determined) to
enroll in EVUS which will be used to cover the cost of running the
system. Information will be required in English, but the website
will be in both English and Mandarin Chinese.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.