New visa extension will boost Chinese tourism to the United States 中國人美簽效期延至10年 歐巴馬 學生簽證變五年明起生效 北京立即回應予美公民同等待遇 中美簽證互延華人歡欣 不必每年受煎熬?......
Johnson Choi-1008 11/11 505685.0/1 
New visa extension will boost Chinese tourism to the United States 中國人美簽效期延至10年 歐巴馬 學生簽證變五年明起生效 北京立即回應予美公民同等待遇 中美簽證互延華人歡欣 不必每年受煎熬⋯旅遊探親更便利 經貿商機無限 旅遊業樂觀 本地團大增
A new visa extension for US and Chinese citizens is expected to boost US tourism and is being looked upon as a positive step in relations between the two super powers.
US President Barack Obama announced on Monday in Beijing that the US and China had agreed to a reciprocal 10-year visa policy for tourists and businessmen. Speaking during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Obama said the move would "benefit everyone".
It will allow citizens of each country to travel between the two countries for up to 10 years on a single visa, putting China on level footing with other major trade partners like Brazil and several European countries. Travelers and students can currently receive one-year visas. Students will also now be able to obtain five-year visas. The visa extensions will start on Wednesday.
The change is expected to be a boon for the US economy, creating up to 440,000 American jobs by 2021 because increased tourism and business spurred by visits from more than 7 million Chinese would generate nearly $85 billion in revenue, according to a White House estimate.
Last year 1.8 million Chinese travelers visited the US, contributing $21.1 billion to the economy and supporting more than 109,000 American jobs, according to a White House estimate.
The tourism industry accounted for 2.8 percent of US GDP and nearly 70 million international tourists spent $166 billion in the US in 2012, according to the US Commerce Department's International Trade Administration.
"Where this will make the most impact is on the repeat traveler to the US from China," said Evan Saunders, CEO of Attract China, a Boston and Beijing consultant that helps US businesses attract Chinese tourists.
He said many Chinese visitors who want to make multiple visits to the US won't have to go through what can be a time-consuming process of renewing a visa every year.
"By 2018, Chinese tourists are expected to be the top overseas traveler to the US," Saunders told China Daily.
What do US businesses have to do to take advantage of the projected influx of tourists?
"US businesses need to utilize the Internet and social media to engage the Chinese consumer," said Saunders. "And they need to do it about six months before the Chinese tourist departs for the US."
In 2012, Obama issued an executive order to ease the issuance of visas to visiting Chinese and to speed up the visa request process at China's US consulates.
"This convinced hundreds of thousands of Chinese visitors to choose the US as a leisure and shopping destination and knowing that an average Chinese visitor to the US spends an average of $7,000 per trip, the impact on the US economy could be measured in additional billions," said Pierre Gervois, CEO and publisher of China Elite Focus Magazines.
The visa extension will bring explosive growth to the tourism industry, said Ralph Zhu, marketing director of US International Trip, a California-based travel agency which expects 300,000 customers from China this year.
"The biggest growth may come from Chinese students studying in the US," he said, "A student may spend three or four years in the United States. Under the new visa policy, their family and friends won't worry about renewing their visas and therefore are more likely to visit them every year."
The Chinese account for about 28 percent of the foreign students studying in the US according to the Institute of International Education's Open Door report.
The basic visa processing fee will remain the same, according to the US State Department.
Obama arrived in Beijing earlier for a week-long trip to the region and the APEC summit. Later he is scheduled for a state visit with Xi.
"The fact that President Obama announced these changes with what he termed the strong approval of Chinese President Xi Jinping at a major multi-lateral event like the APEC summit is a positive step," Kenneth Lieberthal, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Washington-based Brookings Institution，told China Daily.
However, Lieberthal said the agreement's effect on the relationship between the two super powers will probably be muted.
"It's a huge and complicated relationship. Still it does suggest that both sides want to accomplish some positive things. The new visa requirements will provide a boost to travel and it will increase interaction between the two countries. That is always a good thing," he said.
Lu Huiquan in New York contributed to this report.
By PAUL WELITZKIN in New York(China Daily USA)paulwelitzkin@chinadailyusa.com
2014年11月11日世界日報-舊金山 中國人美簽效期延至10年 歐巴馬 學生簽證變五年明起生效 北京立即回應予美公民同等待遇 北京立即回應予 美公民 同等待遇
美國總統歐巴馬10日下午在北京APEC工商峰會演說中宣布，將中國民眾赴美從事商務、旅遊活動頒發最長十年簽證，中國外交部立即回應，指中方也對美方民眾提供同等待遇。中國外交部發言人秦剛說，中美雙方經過友好協商並本著平等互惠原則，已就互為對方商務、旅遊和留學人員頒發長期多次簽證達成共識，將於近日通過互換照會方式確認。秦剛表示，根據中美共識，雙方將為前往對方國家從事商務、旅遊活動的另一方公民，頒發有效期最長為十年的多次入境簽證，為從事留學活動的公民頒發有效期最長為五年的多次入境簽證。「這將便利中美兩國人員往來，對促進各領域交流與合作，具有重要意義」。秦剛表示，近年來，中國外交部積極有序地推動中外人員交往的便利化，努力提高中國護照「含金量」，取得了積極進展。
中美簽證互延華人歡欣 不必每年受煎熬⋯旅遊探親更便利 經貿商機無限
總統歐巴馬10日在北京APEC峰會 演講時上表示，美方同意作出新簽 證安排，學生簽證有效期最長延至 五年，商業旅遊簽證延長至十年， 具體措施將於12日生效。這項新政 策影響巨大，而且商機無限，不僅 帶動美中兩地經貿旅遊往來，學生 和美籍華人返鄉不再受簽證時效限 制，五年或十年內可多次往返。
中國駐洛杉磯總領事館新聞組領事張松表示，目前該政策還沒實施，中領館也沒接到細則，未來是否有大規模美籍華人來領館領取簽證，很難作出估計，要等到有進一步指令下來才會操作。
對於這項簽證新政策帶來的影響，各方面都有不同的聲音，有華人表示「少收100多元的簽證費，換更多中美遊客，穩賺不賠」，「美籍華人和學生想回中國就能回國了，而父母則十年內想來就來」。
律師楊羚表示，往返中美的商人和學生將不需要每年都去領館繳納100多元的簽證費，也不用每年面臨被拒簽的風險。對投資移民更是利多，以往投資移民遞交申請後，投資人就很難再拿到非移民簽證，對於經營美國事業是一個頭疼的問題。現在投資人可先去拿一個十年有效的商務觀光簽證，即使投資移民審批時間漫長，依然可用旅遊簽證進出美國經營事業。他說，根據美國國務院的解釋，簽證有效期限延長不會改變簽證申請費，申請簽證的資格和標準也不會改變。但簽證時間和停留時間不同，外國人入境美國時，海關會另外決定此次合法停留美國的期限(觀光簽證一般是六個月)，簽證有效期延長不會改變可停留美國的時間。
旅行社業者陸先生表示，簽證時效延長是一件好事情，對各方面都會促進，中國民眾來往美國更加方便，尤其是擔心拿了一年簽證不知道下次能否拿到簽證的顧慮減少。對遊客來說，十年有效期的簽證，尤其會帶動自由行的遊客增長。自由行遊客在餐飲、酒店、購物等方面的消費更加全方位能帶動美國經濟的增長。
比起簽證有效期長短，有民眾更擔心的是好不好簽的問題。華人旅遊業者林旭表示，實際上簽證難度不是時間問題，而是審查的嚴格與否。現在簽證延長時限只是方便那些來過美國一次的人，對那些沒來過美國的人能否更順利獲得簽證依然是一個問題。對於留學生來說，簽證政策變化讓其探親越來越容易，家裡有事就可以隨時回去，但入美國海關的時候還是要符合其在美國讀書的條件才能進入。
增進華社繁榮孟昭文點讚美中雙方10日就簽證互惠達成共識，旅遊商務簽證效期增至十年，學生簽證增至五年。紐約州國會眾議員孟昭文和市議員顧雅明認為，這有助增進美國華人社區的繁榮，讓僑胞及親屬回國或來美旅遊探親更加便利。孟昭文表示，她和內華達州國會議員提圖斯(Dina Titus)去年就曾致函國務卿柯瑞(John Kerry)，敦促國務院延長中國公民來美的簽證時間，「延長簽證對皇后區乃至紐約和全國居民和整體經濟都大有助益。」孟昭文說：「如此可以讓家庭親友有充裕的時間相處，同時也能為紐約和美國吸引更多的遊客，帶來更多的就業機會和經濟增長。感謝總統推進這項計畫。」
孟昭文去年寄給柯瑞的信中提到，中國遊客來美旅遊時的花費比其他國家都高，平均每次旅遊花費7100元，且從2005至去年增長了五倍。2012年，中國遊客共在美國消費了88億元，中國遊客對美國的旅遊業有重大的意義。但與此同時，去年僅有200萬中國遊客能持簽證來美旅遊，由於中國政府鼓勵民眾出國旅遊，這一數字到2015年估計僅占出國旅遊的中國遊客總數的2%。孟昭文希望美國政府重視中國遊客帶來的巨大市場。法拉盛選區市議員顧雅明也表示，該項政策對地方社區大有好處，作為移民社區，法拉盛將吸引更多來紐約探親旅遊的華人，促進商業、旅遊業、文化交流等方面的繁榮。
旅遊業樂觀 本地團大增
對總統歐巴馬在北京出席亞太經合會透露對中國民的新簽證規定，舊金山灣區旅遊業者表示，由於簽證有效期放寬，到美國的遊客人數應會增加，美國「本地團」的業績將有大幅度成長。
歐巴馬總統10日在亞太經合會議宣布將延長中國赴美短期旅遊和商務簽證的有效期限。上圖為中國遊客參觀曼哈坦時報廣場，左圖為中國民眾手持護照。
「王牌旅遊」代表Sandy表示，這幾年來中國遊客數量龐大，從北加出發參加巴士團者，南加團的詢問度特別高，指定前往迪士尼、環球影城等著名景點。未來簽證效期放寬，預計中國遊客將會大幅增加，「希望期待已久的大好時光快點到來。」「美加旅遊」老闆杜兆明則說，放寬簽證效期，對旅遊業絕對是利多，判斷對於美國的好處更勝於中國的好處。他解釋，以旅遊來說，中國到美國的遊客還是比美國到中國的遊客多，且很多中國客希望多次造訪美國，簽證效期長很方便。不過他也說，實質上的效應還須看旅客每次能在美國待的時間而定，畢竟除簽證以外，海關可以決定I-94核發的時限，旅客在美國愈久，消費自然愈多。
美亞旅行社代表張漱石則說，美國將會依據諸多指標綜合考量簽證效期的放寬，甚至直接免簽，像台灣就在兩年前被納入免簽計畫，而中國經濟持續發展，效期放寬是意料中事，也是美中之間條件互換、政治角力的一項籌碼。承辦不少中國簽證的張漱石說，簽證效期延長多少會影響簽證業務量，必須從其他地方彌補。
