Issuing Date

Hello, I plan to travel to PRC in November or December of 2013 and then again in 2014 at some point in the year. At this time i do not know the initial exact date of departure from the United States. I live about 450 miles from the San Francisco Chinese Consulate and will be in the bay area to visit relatives within the next two weeks..Can I apply for a 1 year multiple entry visa while I'm in the area even though I do not have the exact date of the initial trip to PRC?