JW202 form: what it is and who issues it
JW202 is the form 外国留学人员来华签证申请表 (JW202), used for self-funded foreign students who come to China to study. According to the Ministry of Education reply of 15 February 2008, each university handles the form for the students it has admitted. The same reply states that every institution that recruits foreign students can provide the form.
What the 2008 reply says
The reply answers a question dated 13 December 2007 about the difference between forms JW201 and JW202. The reply is a Chinese text. The English wording in this article is this site's translation.
| JW201 | JW202 | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for (reply) | Chinese government scholarship students, or foreign students who come to China through government-to-government exchange channels | Self-funded foreign students |
| Who handles it (reply) | The secretariat of the China Scholarship Council handles the procedures, in consultation with the universities concerned | Each university, for the students it has admitted |
The reply also states that JW201 and JW202 are important documents for the study visa, entry, enrolment registration and residence formalities.
The reply does not describe the layout or the fields of either form.
Which institutions can provide JW202
The reply's third paragraph states that every institution that recruits foreign students can provide JW202.
For privately-run universities, the reply's fourth paragraph says: a privately-run university may apply to the provincial education administrative department in its locality; upon consent, it may recruit foreign students, and it may also obtain JW202 forms as needed.
The reply's answer does not name any level of university or college. The question asked about levels, and the reply answers with the general statement above.
Where the form appears in the visa process
The Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on its China Consular Services website, list two documents under the X1 visa. The first is the admission letter issued by a school or other admitting entity in China. The second is the Confirmation Form for Study in China (Form JW201 or Form JW202).
The same page adds a note: the holder must, within 30 days of entering China, apply for a residence permit at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau of the people's government at or above the county level of the intended place of residence.
Order No. 42, Article 35, is the Chinese text of the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security. The English wording here is this site's translation. Article 35 says that a foreigner applying to study at a school covered by Article 2 shall apply before entering China, according to the length of study, to a Chinese embassy or consulate in the country of nationality or residence, or to another mission entrusted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for an X1 or X2 visa. The applicant submits a certificate filed for the record with the education authority, the admission letter issued by the school, and other related material.
Article 35 does not name the JW202 form.
Questions people ask
Which university gives a JW202?
Under the 2008 reply, each university handles JW202 for the students it has admitted. The reply's third paragraph also states that every institution that recruits foreign students can provide the form.
Who handles a JW201?
The reply says JW201 is used for Chinese government scholarship students and for foreign students who come through government-to-government exchange channels. The secretariat of the China Scholarship Council handles the procedures, in consultation with the universities concerned.
Can a privately-run university give a JW202?
The reply says a privately-run university may apply to the provincial education administrative department in its locality. Upon consent, it may recruit foreign students, and it may also obtain JW202 forms as needed.
Planning suggestion (not a rule): ask the university that admitted you how it handles JW202 for your case. Confirm the current requirements with the embassy or consulate where you will apply.
Sources
- Ministry of Education: reply of 15 February 2008 on the difference between forms JW201 and JW202 (Ministry of Education)
- Visa Application Instructions of the People's Republic of China, China Consular Services (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC)
- Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, Order No. 42 (Ministry of Education of the PRC)
Checked 11 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council or any university, and it is not legal advice. If the official text or the current notice of the university or authority handling your case differs from this page, the official text and that notice prevail.