Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles

"Process is annoying as many others have mentioned. Security is intolerant of people who speak Chinese only and the staff is the opposite. If you’re lucky, you may meet a more decent staff member. The one that handled my visa app was condescending and speaks to her coworker off the mic while laughing. Our time is like a joke to them."

"I drove from OC to LA at 9am Thursday (a little traffic but not terrible), plenty of street parking for $2. Arrived at 10:30am and I was in and out in 10 mins. The drive back to OC was 1hr and got home by 12pm. Great experience. Just do your research and bring everything you think you might need. March 7th 2024"

"This was probably one of the smoothest Visa experiences I've had. Though the website says you need an appointment, you do not! Overall I spent a total of 15 minutes inside between passport drop off & pickup. Just make sure you follow all the steps for the COVA form and bring a copy of that, the "where you stay form", your proof of address, and of course your passport. L-Visa (Tourist) are $140 and valid for 10 years. You will pay at pickup and can pickup all the passports in your party without them needing to be there as long as you bring their claim receipt. There is $1/hr parking on the street outside the consulate, you probably won't even need the whole hour. They are also only a 5 min walk from the Metro station. Overall this was an easy and straightforward process, just make sure you wear a mask as this is required for entry into the building. I can't wait for my trip!"

"Unbelievable! We came today to apply for a tourist visa. After reviewed many posts, we came prepared for long wait and whatever documents as suggested on those posts. To our surprise, it took us less than 10 minutes. We arrived at the office 9:15am and were out by 9:25."

"Update 5-22-2023: Current wait time for a Visa is down to 3-4 days from their previous 10-days. I applied for a 12-month Visa but they gave me a 10-year visa. So that's one positive thing that came out of my experience here. Expediting is only for emergency family situation. Since making four trips here to get my Visa finalized they went from walk-in only to reservation only. So now you have to make your reservation in advance online, but it actually works out better because at least you get to sit down. You don't have to stand up for two and a half hours. Hope it helps you. Glad I won't have to do this again for 10 years."