COVA is the online visa application and preliminary-review system at consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/. You complete the form online, select the correct consulate or embassy for your current US residence, monitor your own application status, respond to any requested corrections, and wait for the exact status "Passport to be Submitted." Only then does the process move to physical passport submission.
ChinaVisaMail serves applicants under three jurisdictions: San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. — together covering 29 states plus Washington DC and Puerto Rico.
- Which office handles your application?
- What to have ready before starting
- How to complete the COVA application
- Common COVA mistakes to avoid
- What the COVA statuses mean
- "Rejected and to be Modified" — what to do
- "Passport to be Submitted" — what it means
- SF vs LA vs DC — submission differences
- Pre-Mail Important Checks
- Mailing your passport
- What ChinaVisaMail does next
- Standard vs Express service
- Frequently asked questions
Ready to Start?
ChinaVisaMail guides you through the COVA and passport-submission process for SF, LA, and DC jurisdictions — no trip to the consulate or embassy required.
Start My Application →Which Embassy or Consulate Should You Select?
Your correct office is determined primarily by your current US residence — proof of residence such as a driver's license, state ID, utility bill, or bank statement. Selecting the wrong office in COVA can route your entire application somewhere that will not accept your case.
Do not determine your jurisdiction using your phone area code, your birthplace, or your travel destination in China.
Not sure which one is yours? Use our jurisdiction lookup tool to check by state.
What to Have Ready Before Starting COVA
Gather these before you begin — COVA can time out if you leave it idle too long:
- Your passport as issued — number, issue date, expiration date, exactly as printed
- Your current US residence address
- Your travel information — approximate dates are fine if you don't have confirmed bookings yet
- The correct visa category for your trip (tourism, visiting family, business, and so on)
- A compliant digital photo (white background, no glare on glasses if worn, recent)
- Details of any previous Chinese visa, if you have one
For business, family-visit, or other non-tourist visa categories, COVA may request additional supporting documents specific to that category. Tourist (L visa) applicants generally do not need these extra uploads.
How to Complete the COVA Application
Go to consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/ and switch to English using the language toggle if needed. Register with an email address you check often — COVA sends verification codes and status updates there.
Start a new application, then select your correct office (San Francisco, Los Angeles, or Washington D.C.) based on your current residence as explained above. Choose the visa category matching your travel purpose, then complete your personal, passport, and travel information exactly as it appears on your passport. Upload your compliant digital photo and any requested supporting documents.
Review every field carefully, then submit for preliminary review. This is a general orientation — for a full screen-by-screen walkthrough with every field and error message explained, see our in-depth SF Consulate COVA form guide, which applies to the online form itself regardless of which office you selected.
Common COVA Mistakes to Avoid
- Selecting the wrong nationality — select the nationality shown on your own passport (for most ChinaVisaMail clients, this is United States), not "Chinese," unless that is genuinely your passport nationality
- Selecting the wrong office — always based on current residence, never area code or birthplace
- Name spelling mismatches — every field must match your passport exactly, including middle names
- Letting the session time out — save frequently if you step away
- Photo rejections — use a plain white background and a recent, compliant photo
- Mailing your passport too early — wait for the exact "Passport to be Submitted" status unless Mandy has told you to mail early for a rush case
Need Help With the Next Step?
Whether you're still completing COVA or you've already reached "Passport to be Submitted," Mandy handles the mail-in submission end-to-end for SF, LA, and DC jurisdictions.
See How It Works →What the COVA Statuses Mean
You are the only one who can see your own COVA account — please check it yourself and let Mandy know when it changes. Here are the three statuses that matter most:
Your application is being checked. No action needed yet — just keep checking back. ChinaVisaMail has observed this commonly taking about 4–10 business days, though this is not an officially published timeframe.
Something needs correction on your existing application. This is not a refusal and does not mean starting over — see the section below.
You've cleared preliminary review and can move to physical passport submission. This is not the same as visa approval — see the section below.
"Rejected and to be Modified" — What to Do
Despite the word "rejected," this status generally means a specific field or upload needs correction — not that your visa has been refused. Log back into your COVA account, review the requested correction, modify the flagged field or upload what was requested, and resubmit through COVA. Your other answers stay as you entered them; you're only fixing what was flagged.
There is no confirmed official limit on how many times an application can be corrected and resubmitted this way, though it's obviously easier to catch a mistake before your first submission than to wait for this status.
"Passport to be Submitted" — What This Means
This status means your online application has cleared preliminary review and the process has moved to the physical passport-submission stage. It does not mean your visa has been approved. The consulate or embassy still reviews and issues your visa after your physical passport is submitted in person. See our dedicated "Passport to be Submitted" guide for the full breakdown of what to email, what to mail, jurisdiction differences, and deadlines.
Does Your COVA Say "Passport to be Submitted"?
You're at the passport-submission stage. ChinaVisaMail can handle the in-person consulate or embassy submission and pickup for you. Before mailing, Mandy will send you the correct mailing instructions and our Pre-Mail Important Checks PDF.
Get My Mailing Instructions →San Francisco vs Los Angeles vs Washington D.C. — Physical Submission Differences
The three offices are similar but not identical. Here is how physical passport submission compares once you reach "Passport to be Submitted":
| Requirement | San Francisco | Los Angeles | Washington D.C. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original passport required | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minimum blank visa pages | 2 blank pages | 1 blank page (official minimum) | 2 blank pages |
| Minimum passport validity | More than 6 months | More than 6 months | More than 6 months |
| COVA barcode / application-info page | Printed copy mailed with passport | ChinaVisaMail screenshot workflow — see below | Printed copy mailed with passport |
| Required original documents | Only if specifically requested by the Consulate | Only if specifically requested by the Consulate | Only if specifically requested by the Embassy |
| Standard processing (after physical submission) | 4 business days | 4 business days | 4–5 business days |
| Express processing | 2–3 business days | 2–3 business days | 3 business days |
| Submission address | 1450 Laguna Street, San Francisco, CA | 500 Shatto Place, Los Angeles, CA | 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington DC |
Processing times begin once physical submission occurs, not from when your passport is mailed to ChinaVisaMail. Some cases may take longer depending on individual review. When in doubt about blank pages, 2 or more is the safer target across all three offices.
Los Angeles: Screenshot Workflow
For Los Angeles-jurisdiction cases, once your COVA account shows "Passport to be Submitted," you do not need to print anything. Email Mandy one screenshot showing your full name, your barcode, and the words "Passport to be Submitted" together on the same page. ChinaVisaMail prints the page on your behalf for the courier.
San Francisco and Washington D.C.: Barcode / Application-Information Page
For San Francisco and Washington D.C. cases, physical submission includes a printed copy of your COVA barcode or application-information page mailed alongside your original passport, plus any original documents the consulate or embassy has specifically requested for your case.
ChinaVisaMail Pre-Mail Important Checks
Before you mail your passport, run through these checks. This section closely follows our Pre-Mail Important Checks PDF, which Mandy sends every client before mailing.
- 1. Passport validity — More than 12 months remaining: proceed to check #2. More than 6 but 12 months or less: contact Mandy before mailing — visa validity may be affected and you may need to sign our Shorter Visa Validity Statement. 6 months or less: do not mail — renew your passport first.
- 2. Previous Chinese visa — If you've never had one, this is usually not needed. If you have, and the valid visa is in an old passport, mail that old passport with your current one. If the prior visa had already expired before you started COVA, you generally don't need to send the old passport unless the consulate or embassy specifically asks for it.
- 3. Exact COVA status — Must read the exact phrase "Passport to be Submitted." Don't confuse this with under review, submitted, preliminary review, or Rejected and to be Modified. Rush exception: if Mandy tells you to mail early, you may — ChinaVisaMail holds your passport and submits it as soon as your status changes.
- 4. Original document requests — If COVA or the consulate/embassy specifically asks for an original document with your passport, contact Mandy before mailing rather than sending extra originals on your own.
- 5. Barcode / application information — Keep your COVA submission information ready — printed page for SF/DC, screenshot for LA, as described above.
- 6. Follow Mandy's mailing instructions — Use the specific mailing address and instructions Mandy sends for your case, not a generic address found elsewhere.
Mailing Your Passport to ChinaVisaMail
- Mail via USPS Priority Mail with tracking — this is ChinaVisaMail's standard recommended method
- Package your passport (and any accompanying documents) securely
- Photograph your passport's bio page — and any previous Chinese visa pages, if applicable — before mailing
- Keep your tracking number and email it to Mandy after mailing so ChinaVisaMail can confirm your package is on its way
- Follow the case-specific mailing address and instructions Mandy sends you — they can vary by case
For a full walkthrough of the mailing process, including packaging tips, see our guide to mailing your passport for a China visa and our passport-mailing safety guide.
What ChinaVisaMail Does After Receiving It
Once your passport and required materials arrive and your case is ready, Mandy personally handles the physical consulate or embassy drop-off, required submission, pickup, and tracked return shipping to you. ChinaVisaMail is an independent drop-off agent — not the Chinese Embassy or Consulate, not part of the Chinese government, and unable to guarantee visa issuance, a specific pickup date, or approval outcome. ChinaVisaMail also cannot see or monitor your COVA account; that visibility belongs to you alone.
Standard vs Express Service
| Applicants | Standard | Express |
|---|---|---|
| 1 applicant | $449 | $494 |
| 2 applicants | $799 | $849 |
| 3 applicants | $928 | $982 |
| 4 applicants | $1,079 | $1,128 |
These are all-inclusive ChinaVisaMail package prices — they include the ChinaVisaMail service, the applicable Chinese visa fee, consulate or embassy submission, pickup, handling, and tracked return shipping to you. Your inbound mailing cost to ChinaVisaMail is separate. For 5 or more applicants, contact Mandy for a custom quote. See our Standard vs Express service comparison for more detail on what changes between the two tiers.
Ready for Us to Handle the Consulate?
Complete COVA, mail your passport with tracking, and Mandy handles the rest — for San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. jurisdictions alike.
Start With ChinaVisaMail →Questions first? [email protected] · (415) 987-8661
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Requirements Checked
- Chinese Consulate-General in San Francisco — official visa requirements page (sanfrancisco.china-consulate.gov.cn)
- Chinese Consulate-General in Los Angeles — official visa application information (losangeles.china-consulate.gov.cn)
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States — visa application requirements and FAQ (us.china-embassy.gov.cn)
- Official COVA portal — consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/
Last reviewed for current COVA procedure: August 2026. ChinaVisaMail.com is an independent visa/passport-submission service and is not the Chinese Embassy or Consulate. Embassy and Consulate requirements and decisions remain under their own authority.