EVUS Enrollment

Who this is for: People with a People's Republic of China passport that contains a 10-year B1/B2, B1 or B2 U.S. visa (tourism, family visits, business), and family members enrolling for parents or relatives.

Facts follow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the EVUS website (evus.gov), the Federal Register and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China, last checked 2026-10-14. Items marked ⚠️ (especially fees) change, so go by what evus.gov shows when you enroll.

1. The short version

• Who: Chinese passport + 10-year B visa = you need a valid EVUS enrollment before every trip to the U.S. No age exemption; babies too.
• Where: only the official site evus.gov.
• Cost: ⚠️ charged since 2025-09-30: $30 → $30.75 from 2026-01-01 → $31.75 from 2026-10-16 (per enrollment; every new enrollment costs this).
• How long: generally 2 years; it ends earlier if your passport or visa expires first; a new passport, a new visa and similar changes require re-enrolling.
• If you don't enroll: the airline won't issue a boarding pass, and your visa is "automatically provisionally revoked"; it is restored automatically once you enroll.
• Tip: enroll at least 72 hours before departure, ideally when you book your flight.

2. What EVUS is

• EVUS (Electronic Visa Update System) is a CBP online system launched on 2016-11-29 under the 2014 U.S.-China agreement on 10-year visas: Chinese travelers with 10-year visas update their information online periodically.
• EVUS is not a visa and does not replace one. It only updates your information on top of a visa you already have.
• A successful EVUS enrollment does not guarantee entry. At the U.S. port of entry, a CBP officer still decides whether to admit you and for how long (see Entering the U.S. and the I-94).
• EVUS does not require a photo or fingerprints. Any "EVUS website" asking you to upload a photo or fingerprints is not official.

3. Who must enroll and who doesn't

Special cases:

• New passport + valid visa in the old passport: you can enroll using your new passport information and the visa information from the old passport; you don't need a new visa. Travel with both passports.
• A 10-year visa in both a service passport and a private passport: enroll once for each visa in each passport.

4. When to enroll and how often to update

First enrollment: under federal regulation (8 CFR 215.24), people who received visas after 2016-11-29 should enroll after receiving the visa; in practice, you just need a valid enrollment before you board.

Validity:

• Generally 2 years from approval, with unlimited trips during that time;
• If your passport or visa expires within the 2 years, the enrollment ends with it; CBP also explains that because entry requires a passport valid for at least 6 months, the EVUS enrollment ends 6 months before the passport expires, so the validity you see may be less than 2 years; this is not a mistake;
• If the visa isn't valid, the EVUS enrollment isn't either.

When you must re-enroll (8 CFR 215.24(e)):

1. A new passport or a new 10-year B visa;
2. A name change;
3. A change of sex;
4. A change in nationality (including becoming a dual national);
5. A change in the facts behind your earlier answers to the eligibility (yes/no) questions.

What you can update without re-enrolling: CBP says people with a valid enrollment can directly update their U.S. contact, current employer and address information.

5. Fees: the 2025–2026 changes ⚠️

• The law requires the fee to be adjusted for inflation every year, so it will keep changing. Go by the amount on the evus.gov payment page. On 2026-10-14 the evus.gov home page showed $30.75.
• Note: the U.S. Embassy page (updated 2026-02-03) still says "$30," and CBP's Chinese FAQ page (updated 2024) still says "free"; both are outdated.
• Charged per enrollment: renewing after 2 years, re-enrolling with a new passport, or re-enrolling after a mistake all cost the fee again.
• Payment methods listed on evus.gov: MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Discover (JCB or Diners Club only), and UnionPay. Foreign cards may incur bank currency conversion fees; those are not official fees.
• People who already have a valid enrollment don't need to pay retroactively; you pay the current rate at your next enrollment.

6. How to fill it out, step by step

Official site: www.evus.gov (with a Chinese interface; switch language at the top right). CBP estimates about 20 minutes.

Have ready:

• A valid Chinese passport;
• The 10-year B1, B2 or B1/B2 visa in that passport (or an old one);
• Contact details and your U.S. destination address;
• Possibly also: former names, a Global Entry number (if any), your employer's address and phone, and a U.S. contact's name, address and phone;
• A card to pay with.

The 7 steps listed on evus.gov:

1. Read and accept the disclaimer;
2. Enter travel document information (passport, visa);
3. Enter personal information;
4. Enter travel information;
5. Answer the eligibility (yes/no) questions;
6. Review your enrollment;
7. Pay.

Common mistakes:

• Answers must be in English (the interface has Chinese translations to help you understand the questions). People who don't read English can ask a trusted relative or travel agency to fill it out; the applicant is responsible for the truth of the content.
• Don't swap surname and given name; spell them exactly as in the passport; use the current passport number.
• Copy the visa information from the visa foil: visa number (the red number at the bottom right), place of issue, issue date and expiration date.
• CBP says you can enter "Unknown" if you have no U.S. contact; if you have a trip but no friends or family, you can enter the hotel name or the tour group's U.S. contact in the name field.
• Answer the eligibility questions (refusals, criminal history, overstays and so on) truthfully, consistent with your DS-160 and what you said at the interview.
• You can't "edit" a mistake: CBP says any update (including correcting one error) counts as a new enrollment, which means paying again. Check carefully before submitting.

Families and tour groups: evus.gov has a "Group of Enrollments" option, but each person still enrolls and pays separately.

7. After you submit

• Processing time: most results come back in minutes, occasionally up to 72 hours. There is no expedited service, and U.S. embassies and consulates can't speed it up or look it up.
• Checking your result: click "Check EVUS Status" on the evus.gov home page. The official site says it does not send confirmation emails or texts, and you don't need to print the confirmation; airlines verify electronically. (We suggest saving a screenshot for your own reference.)
• "Pending": just wait; allow the full 72 hours.
• "Unsuccessful": CBP advises not resubmitting within 24 hours; check cbp.gov/evus first or contact EVUS support:
  • Phone 00-1-202-325-0180 (Washington, D.C., 24/7 except U.S. federal holidays, Mandarin-speaking agents available);
  • Email evus@cbp.dhs.gov.
  • Support can answer questions, but enrollment must be submitted online; embassies and consulates don't handle EVUS issues.

8. What happens if you don't enroll or it has expired

1. You can't board: CBP says if a traveler who needs EVUS doesn't have a valid enrollment in the airline's system, the airline will not issue a boarding pass; you also can't enter at a land border.
2. Your visa is "provisionally revoked": under 8 CFR 215.24(g), failing to make the initial enrollment, an expired enrollment, or an unsuccessful or revoked enrollment all automatically provisionally revoke the visa.
3. It can be restored: as long as the visa itself is still valid and hasn't been revoked for another reason, completing EVUS enrollment automatically lifts the provisional revocation and the visa returns to its original validity. You don't need a new visa.
4. Finding out at the airport: CBP says you can submit at any time, including at the airport; most results come back in minutes, but if it takes 72 hours you'll miss your flight.
5. If your enrollment expires while you're in the U.S.: you don't need EVUS to leave; just re-enroll before your next trip.

9. At entry (EVUS has no interview, but entry does)

EVUS has no interview. The real "interview" is at the U.S. port of entry, where a CBP officer checks your passport and visa and may ask:

• Why are you coming? How long will you stay? Where will you stay?
• Have you booked a return flight? Who is paying?
• For family visits: what does your child do in the U.S.?

Your answers should match your DS-160 and what you said at the visa interview. Your permitted stay is on your I-94 record, and overstaying voids the visa (see Entering the U.S. and the I-94).

10. What applicants report (since 2025)

Common themes from 2025–2026 Chinese-language travel blogs, the flyert forum, Meiguotong and similar public content. Individual experiences, not guarantees.

• Most are approved in minutes. Before the fee started in September 2025, many enrolled ahead of September 30 and reported approval in about 5 minutes on a weekend.
• Look-alike sites are the biggest trap. Searching "EVUS" often brings up commercial sites with official-looking names that charge tens to hundreds of dollars in "service fees," some even posing as "official Chinese service." Only use evus.gov; everything else is an agent, and agent fees don't make approval faster.
• Fee information online is a mess. Chinese articles in 2026 variously say "free," "$8," "$30" or "$30.75." Go by the evus.gov payment page ($31.75 from 2026-10-16).
• A new passport is the easiest thing to forget. Common reasons for being turned away at check-in on forums: getting a new passport without re-enrolling; swapping surname and given name; using the old passport number. Use "Check EVUS Status" before leaving.
• When enrolling for parents, keep records. Children in the U.S. often enroll for their parents. Save the enrollment number and approval screenshot, send them to your parents, and check status again before departure.
• Don't skip enrolling just because you have no trip planned, but don't enroll too early either. Some suggest enrolling as soon as you get the visa; others point out that it expires after 2 years, so it's safest to check that it's still valid before you travel.

11. FAQ

1. Is EVUS a kind of visa? No. It's an information update for holders of 10-year B visas and must be used together with a valid visa.

2. How much does EVUS cost now? ⚠️ $30.75 from 2026-01-01 to 2026-10-15; $31.75 from 2026-10-16 (Federal Register, 2026-10-01). It's adjusted for inflation every year; go by evus.gov.

3. If I travel to the U.S. several times within 2 years, do I enroll each time? No. You can travel multiple times while it's valid.

4. I got a new passport and the visa is in the old one. What do I do? Re-enroll in EVUS with your new passport information and the visa information from the old passport, and travel with both passports.

5. Can I fix a mistake in my enrollment? Not directly. Any correction counts as a new enrollment (and another fee). Only the U.S. contact, employer and address can be updated in an existing enrollment.

6. Do children need to enroll? Yes. EVUS has no age exemption; anyone with a Chinese passport and a 10-year B visa must enroll.

7. My parents don't read English. Can I fill it out for them? Yes. Relatives or travel agencies can fill it out and pay, but the applicant is responsible for the content and it must be truthful.

8. My enrollment was "Unsuccessful." What now? Don't resubmit repeatedly within 24 hours. Contact EVUS support first (00-1-202-325-0180, Mandarin available; evus@cbp.dhs.gov) to find out why. Embassies and consulates can't help.

9. I have an F1/H-1B visa. Do I need EVUS? No. EVUS only covers 10-year B1/B2, B1 and B2 visas in Chinese passports.

10. Is it OK to enroll at the airport on the day I fly? Maybe: most results come back in minutes, but it can take up to 72 hours and can't be expedited. Enroll at least 72 hours ahead.

12. Official links

• EVUS official site: https://www.evus.gov/
• CBP EVUS FAQ in Chinese (note: the fee section is outdated): https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/electronic-visa-update-system-evus/frequently-asked-questions-chinese
• 8 CFR 215.24 (enrollment, validity, re-enrollment, provisional revocation): https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-215/subpart-B/section-215.24
• Federal Register 2025-08-28 ($30 EVUS fee from 2025-09-30): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/08/28/2025-16453/cbp-immigration-fees-required-by-hr-1-for-fiscal-year-2025
• Federal Register 2025-11-19 ($30.75 from 2026-01-01): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/11/19/2025-20304/certain-dhs-immigration-fees-required-by-hr-1-fiscal-year-2026-adjustments-for-inflation
• Federal Register 2026-10-01 ($31.75 from 2026-10-16): https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/10/01/2026-20185/certain-dhs-immigration-related-fees-required-by-hr-1-fiscal-year-2027-adjustments-for-inflation
• U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China, nonimmigrant visas (EVUS note): https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/visas/nonimmigrant-visas/

Related guides: B1/B2 step by step · Filling out the DS-160 · Booking a visa interview · Entering the U.S. and the I-94

Disclaimer: This guide is for reference only and is not legal advice. The EVUS fee is adjusted every year and the rules may change; follow evus.gov, CBP and the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in China. If you have a refusal, an overstay or another special situation, talk to a licensed U.S. immigration attorney.