China · U.S. immigration counsel
U.S. Immigration Lawyer Serving China
A practical starting point for families, professionals and employers coordinating a U.S. immigration matter from China.
HLG is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio. Remote U.S. immigration services; no HLG office in China.
Richard T. Herman, Esq.
Founder of Herman Legal Group · More than 30 years in U.S. immigration law · Co-author of Immigrant, Inc.
Meet Richard · Why trust Richard T. Herman?
How can HLG help with a case connected to China?
Herman Legal Group can assess the U.S. immigration category, legal risks, evidence and next procedural step. Start with the applicant’s actual citizenship and residence, the U.S. petitioner or employer and the complete immigration history. A location does not establish eligibility for a particular category.
Choose the location guide that fits your case
The guides below explain preparation connected with particular cities. A city guide is not an HLG branch listing and does not determine the government office that will handle the case. Follow the actual case notice.
Hong Kong: the local preparation details
Use the Hong Kong consulate’s post-specific guidance
The official Hong Kong immigrant-visa instructions explain registration, the approved medical and the document checklist. They warn that applicants with missing required physical documents or CEAC uploads may be turned away and asked to reschedule.
For records and procedures elsewhere, see the Guangzhou guide only when that post or document jurisdiction is actually relevant. A different post’s checklist does not replace the Hong Kong instructions.
Start with the Hong Kong checklist. Register the delivery address, arrange the medical with an accredited panel physician and prepare all required originals and CEAC uploads. Review the applicable category-specific evidence as part of the same file.
The instructions require all immigrant applicants, including young children, to appear in person. They also address rescheduling when the medical report is incomplete. Follow that current direction instead of assuming the practice at another consulate applies.
Keep the appointment record, required medical evidence and document checklist accessible. Do not make commitments that assume immediate issuance or a fixed passport-return date.
Use the Hong Kong civil-document schedule, including its Certificate of No Criminal Conviction instructions. The schedule explains the request-letter and delivery requirements; it specifically cautions against requesting delivery to NVC. Check the current procedure before applying or asking where the record should be sent.
Identify aliases, legal name changes, previous residence abroad and any court record. The Hong Kong schedule and the post checklist should be read together for the individual case.
Beijing: the local preparation details
Beijing temporary visas and Guangzhou immigrant visas
The State Department’s visa-issuing post directory lists Beijing for nonimmigrant visas and Guangzhou for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Follow the actual assignment and category instructions rather than assuming a Beijing residence means every interview occurs locally.
For a green-card case assigned to Guangzhou, see the Guangzhou interview guide and the official post checklist. Keep each required venue and confirmation separate in your travel plan.
The Guangzhou immigrant-visa instructions list Beijing International Travel Health Care Center among the approved medical providers. Confirm its current location and appointment requirements directly through the official list before booking.
The examination and consular interview are separate steps. Use the Guangzhou checklist for registration, the required original records and interview preparation. A local examination by an unlisted doctor is not a substitute, and completing the medical in Beijing does not change the interview assignment.
The China civil-document schedule explains the notarial-certificate system. Check the document-specific requirements and the appropriate notary office, including records originating outside Beijing. Reconcile names, dates and parent information across the passport, civil records and earlier applications.
Keep Chinese originals, required notarial documents and English translations together. A translation of a record is not automatically the required notarial certificate. Tell counsel about aliases, former names and conflicting transliterations before finalizing the application.
Shanghai: the local preparation details
Which post handles the case?
The official visa-issuing post directory lists Shanghai for nonimmigrant visas and Guangzhou for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Temporary-visa applicants should follow the assigned post’s current scheduling information.
For a Guangzhou-assigned immigrant interview, use the Guangzhou preparation guide. People coordinating a case from northern China may also find the Beijing guide useful.
The official Guangzhou immigrant-visa checklist includes Shanghai International Travel Medical Center on its approved-physician list. Confirm the current facility and instructions through that list before arranging an examination.
Build separate folders for the medical, appointment logistics and interview evidence. Review registration and delivery arrangements, required originals and English translations. Keep the completed medical evidence in the form provided; follow instructions for any sealed records rather than opening or altering them.
Use the China civil-document schedule to identify the accepted form of each record. Shanghai residence does not mean every civil document can be obtained from the same office. Check the issuing jurisdiction for births, marriages, divorces and police records.
Compare Chinese names, Romanized names, aliases, dates and passport details. Keep required notarial certificates and translations together with the supporting record. Discuss discrepancies before submitting new forms instead of adjusting an answer merely to make two documents look consistent.
Guangzhou: the local preparation details
Guangzhou consular processing: use the official checklist
The State Department’s post directory lists Guangzhou for immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. Start with the Guangzhou immigrant-visa preparation instructions for an immigrant case assigned here.
Applicants traveling from elsewhere can also use the Beijing or Shanghai guides to organize local preparation before the Guangzhou interview. The case assignment and current official instructions control.
Follow the official Guangzhou checklist in full. Its core preparation steps include online registration, an examination by an approved panel physician, the pre-interview document list and the interview guidelines.
- Register delivery details: use the authorized process linked from the government instructions.
- Arrange the medical: select a currently approved provider and complete the examination before the interview.
- Assemble the record: appointment documents, passport, application confirmation, required civil records and translations.
- Add category-specific evidence: review sponsor, relationship or employment documents as applicable.
Keep the checklist beside the physical file and check off each required item. This orientation does not replace the full official instructions or requirements for the individual category.
The Guangzhou instructions call for a notarized birth certificate for applicants born in mainland China and address certified aliases where relevant. The China civil-document schedule explains acceptable notarial records and issuing authorities. Review the document-specific requirements rather than assuming an ordinary photocopy and translation are sufficient.
Bring a dated residence and travel history for police-record review. Disclose prior arrests, convictions, refusals and inconsistencies in the record to counsel. Do not omit an unfavorable fact or alter a document in an effort to simplify the file.
Match the legal service to the real objective
Families and spouses
Review the petitioner’s status, relationship history, civil evidence, earlier marriages and sponsorship. Marriage immigration and NVC preparation involve different government stages. A petition approval is not a visa decision.
Employers and professionals
Prepare the proposed U.S. duties, employer evidence and qualifications. A corporate transfer requires analysis of the foreign/U.S. relationship and work abroad. Explore H-1B, L-1 or O-1 services according to the actual facts.
Refusals and complex history
Bring the submitted application and refusal notice, not only a summary. Administrative processing and temporary-intent refusals are different issues. Review prior stays, criminal history and any inconsistent answers before a new application.
Use official resources for current instructions
- Nonimmigrant visa appointment wait times — select the actual post and category; estimates are not guarantees.
- Immigrant interview scheduling status — a separate tool that does not promise an individual appointment.
- China civil-document and reciprocity schedule — confirm accepted issuing authorities and record formats.
- Visa-post directory — check post roles and current mission notices separately.
Government operating conditions and nationality-based restrictions may affect a case even when a checklist is published. Check applicability, exceptions and actual case messages before paying for travel. Do not assume that residence changes nationality-based rules.
Prepare for a useful consultation
Bring passports, prior applications, receipts and decisions, a complete travel/status timeline, civil records and any deadline. Identify the decision you need to make now and which evidence is already available. Consultation by phone or video is separate from attendance at a government interview; discuss any required in-person appearance and its scope.
For a prepared packet, consider Document Review. Representation begins only after the firm accepts the matter and agrees to the scope and terms.
Contact HLG or call +1 216-696-6170.
General U.S. immigration information, not individual legal advice. Government procedures can change. A consultation or page visit does not guarantee an outcome.