Do You Provide an Invitation Letter for a China Business Visa? What Happens Before You Land

Yes. FBM Sourcing’s client guide says “We issue an invitation letter for your business visa”, in its answer on coming to China for the selection stage of a project. Before you land, the guide says, FBM Sourcing reviews your drawings, shortlists factories and plans the route.

This article sets out what happens before you land, then what the Chinese Embassy’s published requirements say an invitation letter has to contain, so that you can check any letter against the official list. It does not restate visa rules, because they change: whether you need a visa, which category and for how long are matters for the embassy pages linked below, all as read on 7 November 2026.

What FBM Sourcing Does Before You Land

The client guide answers the question “Should we come to China, and what happens during a visit?” like this: for a whole venue or a whole residential package, yes, because selection is the stage worth doing in person. What it says happens:

• Before you land: FBM Sourcing reviews your drawings, shortlists factories and plans the route.
• During the visit: you are accompanied throughout by your English-speaking project manager, with a car and driver. The project manager interprets, negotiates and records every selection.
• Two rules: no business cards or contact details are exchanged with factories, and communication afterwards runs through FBM Sourcing.
• Afterwards: you receive a complete quotation for every product selected or under consideration.
• Your visa: FBM Sourcing issues an invitation letter for your business visa.

The Sourcing Guide says how visits are charged: factory visits are On-site Sourcing Management, charged per day and fully credited toward your first order. Whether a quotation comes before a visit is covered in will a sourcing agent quote before you visit; a project that does not need a trip is covered in how a remote project runs; and what visiting Chinese factories with a sourcing agent looks like describes the visit itself.

Where Does an Invitation Letter Fit: Visa or Visa-Free Entry?

The embassy pages describe two routes, and an invitation letter appears on both.

• Applying for a visa. The Chinese Embassy in the United States’ visa requirements page (updated September 2025) lists the documents for each visa category. For the M visa, which it describes as issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities, it lists documents on the commercial activity issued by a trade partner in China, and refers to its Annex 2 for the contents of the invitation letter.
• Entering visa-free. The embassy’s FAQ on visa-free entry into China (updated 22 February 2026) sets out which passports are covered, the length of stay and how long the policy is stated to run. Its answer on border checks says it is recommended to take documents such as invitation letters, air tickets and reservations of accommodation as a proof corresponding to the purposes of entry into China.

This article does not repeat the list of countries, the length of stay or the end date, because those are the parts most likely to change. Read the current version of the FAQ for your passport and your travel dates before you book flights. Where you apply for a visa also depends on your country: for example, the Chinese Embassy in Australia’s page says that ordinary-passport holders there submit their applications to the Chinese Visa Application Service Centers, not to the embassy.

What the Embassy Says an Invitation Letter Contains

Annex 2 of the visa requirements page, “Contents of M, F and L Visa Invitation Letter”, lists three groups of information:

• The invited person: name, gender, date of birth, passport number, among other details.
• The visit: the reason for coming to China, the dates of arrival and departure, the place of visit, the relationship with the inviting unit or person and who will pay for the travel, among other details.
• The inviting party: name, address, telephone number, official seal, legal representative and signature, and date, among other details.

The page says the inviting party’s information must be included in the text of the invitation letter. Read any letter you are sent against these three groups. Annex 2 belongs to the United States Embassy’s page; the embassy or visa application service centre that handles your application publishes its own requirements, so check that one too.

Which Visa Category Does a Sourcing Trip Fall Under?

FBM Sourcing’s client guide speaks of a business visa. The Chinese Embassy in Australia’s page “Select Proper Visa for the Chinese Mainland” describes the M visa as issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities, and the F visa as issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities. The same page says Chinese consular officials are entitled to decide on the type, number of entries, validity and duration of each stay of a visa to be issued, and reserve the right to decline an application.

So the category, and the decision on the application, rest with the consular office handling it, not with the letter or with the agent that issues it.

What to Have Ready Before You Ask for the Letter

These are our suggestions, built from the lists above. They are not requirements set out in the client guide.

• Your name, gender, date of birth and passport number as they appear in your passport: the first group in Annex 2.
• Your reason for the trip, your intended dates of arrival and departure and the places you want to visit: the second group in Annex 2.
• Your drawings and product list. The guide puts the review of your drawings, the factory shortlist and the route plan before you land, and asks for drawings, a product list or BOQ with quantities, and reference photos, links or a finish schedule. See how to send a BOQ or drawings to a China sourcing agent.
• The current embassy pages for your passport, read on the day you book flights.

What This Article Does Not Cover

• Visa fees and processing times.
• Whether your passport can enter China without a visa, and for how long. The FAQ linked above answers that, and its answer can change.
• Which visa category suits your trip, or whether a particular letter will be accepted. Those are for the consular officials.
• How the letter is requested and when it is issued. The client guide gives one sentence on it, so this article goes no further; ask when you contact FBM Sourcing.
• Every fact taken from the embassy pages above is as read on those pages on 7 November 2026.

Questions About the Invitation Letter and the Visit

Does FBM Sourcing provide an invitation letter for a China business visa?

According to its client guide, yes: “We issue an invitation letter for your business visa.” The guide gives it in the answer on coming to China, together with the review of your drawings, the factory shortlist and the route plan before you land.

Do I need an invitation letter to enter China?

The embassy pages above word it differently. For the business category, the visa requirements page lists documents on the commercial activity issued by a trade partner in China and refers to the contents of an invitation letter. The visa-free FAQ says it is recommended to take documents such as invitation letters, air tickets and reservations of accommodation as proof of the purpose of entry. Check the current pages for your passport.

What does an invitation letter for an M visa have to contain?

Annex 2 of the Chinese Embassy in the United States’ visa requirements page lists three groups: the invited person’s name, gender, date of birth and passport number; the reason for coming to China, the dates of arrival and departure, the place of visit, the relationship with the inviting unit or person and who will pay for the travel; and the inviting party’s name, address, telephone number, official seal, legal representative and signature, and date.

Who goes with me on the visit?

According to the client guide, your English-speaking project manager accompanies you throughout, with a car and driver, and interprets, negotiates and records every selection.

Are business cards or contact details exchanged with the factories?

No. The client guide’s rule is that no business cards or contact details are exchanged with factories, and communication afterwards runs through FBM Sourcing.

What do I receive after the visit?

A complete quotation for every product selected or under consideration, according to the client guide.

How are factory visits charged?

The Sourcing Guide says factory visits are On-site Sourcing Management, charged per day and fully credited toward your first order.

How does FBM Sourcing charge for this?

For suppliers you nominate, we charge a 5% commission; for products we source for you, we quote a direct price. Our own team performs one inspection after bulk production is complete and before shipment, and the client’s project team is welcome to attend.

FBM Sourcing manages the entire China procurement package for overseas construction projects. We work with Developers · General Contractors · Builders · Commercial Project Owners · Interior Design & Construction Companies · FF&E Solution Providers.