China has visa waiver agreements with only a few countries. No visa is required for ordinary passport holders from Singapore, Brunei and Japan to visit China for up to 15 days for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends or transit. For travelers from most other countries, a visa is required for entering China. A visa can be obtained from a local Consulate of China without difficulty of document preparation and long waiting. For most attendees, it is easier to apply for a Tourist ("L") visa; an invitation letter is not required for obtaining a Tourist visa.
In principle, there are no restrictions for potential participants regarding of nationality except that any person suffering from mental disorder, leprosy, AIDS, venereal diseases, contagious tuberculosis or other such infectious diseases are not permitted to enter China. For the delegates participating in Interspeech 2020 in Shanghai, the secretariat of organizing committee will provide official invitation letters and other necessary documents to assure the visa.
To avoid uncertainty, participants will be advised to apply for a visa as early as possible. It is recommended that they apply for a Chinese visa one month in advance.
While the Chinese visa application requires personal appearance and hand-in of passport in application, various travel agencies can help apply for the Chinese visa. Here are some such companies, but you are welcome to check out your local agencies:
● China Visa Service Center
http://www.mychinavisa.com/index.php
● China Travel Service (USA)
http://www.chinatravelservice.com/
For more information regarding the requirements and procedure for obtaining a visa to China, please see:
● Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China
http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/default.htm
● China Visa Application Service Center
https://www.visaforchina.org/
● Embassy of China in USA
http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/hzqz/zgqz/t84246.htm