China: Whether the US Embassy verifies personal information of visa applicants with Chinese authorities, including the Public Security Bureau (PSB) (2015-August 2017)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Publication Date | 18 September 2017 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ZZZ105984.E |
| Related Document(s) | Chine : information indiquant si l'ambassade des États-Unis vérifie les renseignements personnels des demandeurs de visa auprès des autorités chinoises, y compris le Bureau de la sécurité publique (Public Security Bureau - PSB) (2015-août 2017) |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, China: Whether the US Embassy verifies personal information of visa applicants with Chinese authorities, including the Public Security Bureau (PSB) (2015-August 2017), 18 September 2017, ZZZ105984.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a09a9584.html [accessed 21 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a representative from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing provided the following:
We can confirm that the DS-160 form and the applicant's passport are the only documents required by the U.S. Embassy and Consulate services for the nonimmigrant visa application of mainland Chinese citizens.
The U.S. Embassy and Consular services in China do not consult the Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) for information stored in the PSB's [National Basic Population Information Database] to verify personal information of visa applicants.
Nonimmigrant visa applications of those who are suspected to have adverse criminal records but who are otherwise deemed suitable for travel to the United States would generally be required to submit additional documentation, such as a certificate of no criminal record and/or official court records for any prior criminal proceedings, in order to rule out potential visa ineligibilities. Nonimmigrant visa applications of those who are otherwise deemed unsuitable for travel to the United States would be directly rejected under the relevant section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, instead of having the applicant's personal information further checked against PSB's information database. (US 28 Aug. 2017)
According to the same source, this information is "applicable at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and each of … [the American] Consulates across Mission China" (US 28 Aug. 2017). According to a 2011 case study by Neusoft [1] on the development of a population information management system, the "Public Security Ministry's National Basic Population Information Database" is "an important component of the Golden Shield Project" (Neusoft 27 Oct. 2011).
Note
[1] Neusoft is a Chinese provider of industry and product engineering solutions with a focus on software technology (Neusoft n.d.a). Its client base includes, among others, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Finance, and the State Administration of Taxation of the People's Republic of China (Neusoft n.d.b).
References
Neusoft. 27 October 2011. Case Study: Project for the Development of a Ministry-Level Population Information Management System for the Ministry of Public Security. Translated by the Translation Bureau, Public Services and Procurement Canada. [Accessed 25 Aug. 2017]
Neusoft. N.d.a. "About Neusoft." [Accessed 25 Aug. 2017]
Neusoft. N.d.b. "Government." [Accessed 25 Aug. 2017]
United States (US). 28 August 2017. Embassy of the United States in Beijing. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.
Additional Sources Consulted
Internet sites, including: China - Ministry of Public Security.
