JW202 form: the visa application form for self-funded students

The JW202 form (外国留学人员来华签证申请表) is the form that each university handles for self-funded international students it has admitted. The definition comes from a reply the Ministry of Education issued on 15 February 2008 on the difference between forms JW201 and JW202. The admission side of the process is covered in Admission and documents.

Definition

JW202 is the form used for self-funded international students who come to China to study. According to the Ministry of Education reply, each university handles the JW202 form for the students it has admitted. The reply describes JW201 and JW202 together as important documents for the study visa application, for entry, for reporting to the school and for residence procedures.

What the official text says

The English wording on this page is this site's translation of the Chinese text of the reply and of Article 35 of Order No. 42.

Ministry of Education reply, 15 February 2008. The reply answers a question dated 13 December 2007 about the difference between JW201 and JW202 and about which institutions may issue them. It states:

• JW202 is for self-funded international students. Each university handles it for students it has admitted.
• JW201 is for students on the Chinese Government Scholarship or coming through intergovernmental exchange channels. The secretariat of the China Scholarship Council arranges the procedures with the relevant universities.
• Any institution that recruits foreign students may provide the JW202 form.
• A private university may apply to the provincial education administrative department in its locality. If that department agrees, the university may recruit foreign students, and it may also obtain the JW202 form as needed.

Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom. In Part Two of its visa guidance for mainland China, the embassy lists the following under the X1 visa: "Original or photocopy of 'Visa Application for Study in China' (Form JW201 or Form JW202)." The same list asks for the admission letter issued by a college, university or other educational institution in China. This is the list of that embassy.

Embassy of the PRC in the United States. In its requirements and procedures for Chinese visa applications (updated September 2025), the embassy describes the X1 visa as issued to those who intend to study in China for a period of more than 180 days. Its X1 row, for foreign higher education institution students, lists "Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202)" and a photocopy of the admission letter issued by a school or other entities in China. This notice names the form differently from the UK list. Both are the statements of those embassies.

Regulations on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (State Council Decree No. 637), Article 7(11). For the X1 visa, the applicant submits the admission notice issued by the admission institution and the certification documents provided by the competent authority. For the X2 visa, the applicant submits, in accordance with relevant provisions, such certification documents as the admission notice issued by the admission institution. Article 7(11) names no form.

Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42), Article 35. A foreigner applying to study at a school referred to in Article 2 of the Measures shall, before entry, apply for an X1 or X2 visa according to the period of study. The application is made at a Chinese embassy or consulate in the applicant's country of nationality or country of residence, or at another mission entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The applicant submits, as provided, a certificate filed for the record with the competent education authority, the admission notice issued by the school, and other relevant materials. Article 35 names no form.

Related terms

• X1 and X2 visas
• JW201 and JW202
• Residence permit for study
• Chinese Government Scholarship
• Private university
• Admission notice
• Confirmation Form for Elementary Stage Students Study in China

Sources

• Ministry of Education reply of 15 February 2008 on forms JW201 and JW202 — Ministry of Education
• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners — National Immigration Administration
• Part Two: How to Apply for a Visa for China (Mainland only) — Embassy of the PRC in the United Kingdom
• Requirements and Procedures for Chinese Visa Application (Updated September, 2025) — Embassy of the PRC in the United States
• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education

Checked 11 October 2026.

This entry is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by the bodies named. If the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case differ, the official text and those instructions prevail.