If you are applying for your visa without the assistance of a service, then you can request assistance by phone, fax, or in person at your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate. To find the contact information, go to the China Embassy website and click on the "Contact Us" link of the right side of the page. The telephone number, fax number and address of the Chinese Embassy (Washington, D.C.) and the five Chinese Consulates (Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco) can be found below in the Contact section.
If you are applying through a visa service, they can take care of any questions or problems you may have in the process of your visa application. The is generally the hassle-free route, as they tell you exactly what documents you need, take the documents to the Embassy for you, make sure everything is in order with the documents at the Embassy, and pick up you passport with your new Chinese visa. Of course, for these services, there will be a fee.
To apply for a visa (either in person or through a service), you will need your passport, a Chinese visa application form, one passport photo, round trip air tickets and hotel reservation. If you need assistance with your passport, use the contact information of the U.S. Passport Page of the U.S. State Department website. If you need assistance, with the actual application form, please see the Chinese Embassy website's guidelines, or contact the Embassy by phone, fax or in person. If you need assistance with the passport photo, these can be taken (for a fee) at most U.S. Post Offices. To find out if your local post office provides passport assistance, go to the United States Postal Service website and click on "locator." From here, you can type in your zip code and find the nearest office. For assistance with your flight reservations, contact the airline or booking agency through which you have reserved your tickets. For assistance with your hotel accommodations, please contact the hotel or booking agency through which you have made reservations.
