A Business Visa (F Visa) is issued to a foreign citizen who is invited to China for a visit, research, lecture, business, exchanges in the fields of science, technology or culture, advanced study, or internship for a period of no more than 6 months.

Besides the basic documents said in the introduction of Chinese visa, one of the following documents is also required for F visa application :
- An Invitation Letter of Duly Authorized Unit or a Confirmation Letter of Invitation issued by an authorized Chinese agency;

- An invitation Letter issued by the Chinese local governments, companies, corporations and institutions other than above-mentioned Chinese agency.

The invitation letter shall include the following items:

(A) Personal information of the invitee: name, gender, date of birth, etc.

(B) Information concerning the invitee's visit to China: purpose of the visit, date of arrival and leaving, places to visit, relationship between the applicant and the inviter, and who will bear the cost of the applicant's accommodations in China.

(C) Information of the inviter: name of the unit, phone number, address, seal and signature of the legal representative.

* Generally, the invitation letter may be submitted as a fax, copy or printout. If necessary, the consular officer will ask the applicant to submit the original invitation letter, or to provide some supporting and supplementary documents, or schedule an interview.
* The application with any fake invitation letter or other fraud will be rejected.
* According to China-U.S. Agreement on Mutual Granting of Multiple-Entry Visas Valid for One Year to Business and Tourist Travelers, the U.S. citizens may apply for a single-entry or double-entry, or a multiple-entry "F"/"L"visa valid for half a year or one year.

*The U.S. citizen may apply for a multiple-entry "F" visa valid for two years, if he or she has obtained an "F" visa at least twice in the past two years or holds such documents as certificate of investment or business licence, and he or she should provide a photocopy of the original "F" visas or photocopy of the above-mentioned document.

*The Chinese citizens' spouses and children with American nationality, as well as the Chinese American born in China (including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau) and their spouses and children, are eligible to apply for a long-term valid "F" visa with multiple-entries. The applicant is required to provide an invitation letter from the relatives in China and copy of the official ID of the relative, and if applicable, marriage certificate, birth certificate and proof of filial relationship.
* In accordance with the specific application, the consular officer decides to issue visas with different validity, number of entries and duration of stay in China.