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After admission: the documents that turn an offer into a visa application

Unofficial summary · Sources checked

After admission you receive two documents that turn the offer into a visa application: the admission letter (also called the admission notice) and the visa application form for study, Form JW201 or JW202. The admission letter is required for the study visa application; Form JW201 or JW202 is listed for the X1 visa application.

The document checklist tool prints these two items under "Later, for the visa application" for scholarship applicants and for self-funded applicants. Open the document checklist to see the full list your answers produce; the tool prints the items, copies or prints them, and does not check, store or submit documents.

What the two documents are, by the official text

The admission letter or admission notice. Regulations Article 7, item (11) (National Immigration Administration English text) names, for the X1 visa, "the admission notice issued by the admission institution," and, for the X2 visa, "the admission notice issued by the admission institution" among the certification documents. Ministry of Education Order No. 42, Article 35 (Chinese text; the English wording here is this site's translation of the Chinese) states the applicant shall submit the school's "录取通知书" (admission notice) together with the proof filed for the record by the competent education authority.

Form JW201 or JW202. The same two provisions name the form without using the form number. Regulations Article 7, item (11) names, for the X1 visa, "the certification documents provided by the competent authority." Order No. 42 Article 35 names "the proof filed for the record by the competent education authority" (备案). The UK embassy's X1-Visa section lists, as document (2), the "Visa Application for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202)." The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) and the Chinese Trade Unions Silk Road Scholarship page (section IV) name the form as the document admitted students carry to the visa application; the ACYLS guidebook uses "Confirmation Form for Study in China (JW201)" and the Silk Road page uses "Visa Application for Study in China (JW201)." The two wordings differ; ask the office handling your case which form name it uses.

What the guides tell admitted students to do

The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) and the Silk Road page (section IV) give the same steps, in the same order: visa application first, then registration, health verification and residence permit.

Visa application

Apply for the study visa to the Chinese embassy or consulate-general. The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) states scholarship winners should apply for an X1 visa; those who study in China for less than 6 months (including 6 months) can apply for an X2 visa. The Silk Road page (section IV) states those who study for more than 6 months must apply for X1, and those who study for less than 6 months (including 6 months) can apply for X2.

Required documents for the visa application. The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) lists a valid ordinary passport, photocopies of the Admission Letter, the Confirmation Form for Study in China (JW201), and the original Foreigner Physical Examination Form. The Silk Road page (section IV) lists the original documents and photocopies of the Admission Letter, the Visa Application for Study in China (JW201), the Foreigner Physical Examination Form, and a valid ordinary passport. The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) states the visa application cost is at the student's own expense; the Silk Road page (section IV) states the same. The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) states that students who come to China with other types of passports, visas, or without the requested documents will not be able to register with the university, nor will they be able to apply for the residence permit in China; the Silk Road page (section IV) states the same.

The Silk Road page's "Tips for Coming to China" section begins its first sentence by referring to "ACYLS winners," as the page text reads, although the page concerns the Silk Road scholarship.

Registration

Scholarship students must register with the host university before the registration deadline specified in the Admission Letter. The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) requires the Admission Letter, the Confirmation Form for Study in China (JW201), and the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. The Silk Road page (section IV) requires the original Admission Letter, the Visa Application for Study in China (JW201), and the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. A student unable to register on time must get permission from the host institution directly; a student who fails to register without the institution's prior consent is considered to have voluntarily given up the scholarship, which is then automatically terminated.

Health verification and residence permit

Health verification. Students who stay in China for more than 6 months must submit their passport, Admission Letter, Foreigner Physical Examination Form and Blood Test Report to the local health quarantine office to have the physical examination report verified. A student who does not meet the requirements will be required to re-take the physical examination; a student who refuses, or who is diagnosed with a disease not permitted to stay in China under Chinese laws and regulations, will be required to leave China. (ACYLS guidebook section VI; Silk Road page section IV.)

Residence permit. Upon arrival in China, students must apply for the residence permit to the local police authority before the deadline regulated by the visa-issuing authority, with their passport, Admission Letter, the JW201 form, the verified health report, and a photograph meeting the authority's image requirements. (ACYLS guidebook section VI; Silk Road page section IV.) The UK embassy's X1-Visa section adds that X1 holders shall, within 30 days from the date of entry, apply to the exit/entry administrations of the local public security bureau for a residence permit.

The "Later, for the visa application" lines

Under the scholarship list and under the self-funded list, the tool adds two documents needed later for the visa application: the admission letter or admission notice, and Form JW201 or JW202 for the X1 visa. The tool prints these because they arrive after admission and are not part of the application you send to the university. For a Chinese Government Scholarship applicant the tool also prints the items of section VI of the official Application Guide that match the answers; for a self-funded applicant it prints what Order No. 42 requires of every school. The body that receives the application and the university may ask for more.

Questions people ask

Do I need Form JW201 or JW202 for an X2 visa?

No. The UK embassy's X2-Visa section requires the original or photocopy of the Admission Notice issued by a Chinese educational institution; it does not list Form JW201 or JW202. Form JW201 or JW202 is listed under the X1-Visa section. This article treats the form as tied to the X1 visa.

Who pays the visa application cost?

The student. The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) and the Silk Road page (section IV) each state the visa application cost is at the student's own expense.

What happens if I arrive without the requested documents?

The ACYLS guidebook (section VI) and the Silk Road page (section IV) state that students who come to China with other types of passports, visas, or without the requested original documents will not be able to register with the university, nor will they be able to apply for the residence permit in China.

Sources

Checked 10 October 2026 and 11 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the bodies named, and the official text and the instructions of the body handling your application prevail if they differ.

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