Chinese tech workers report US visa issues despite CES invitations
As more than a thousand Chinese tech companies prepare to showcase their latest products at the CES (formerly known as the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, the world’s leading tech exhibition, many employees are reporting being denied US visas despite holding invitations to attend.
Analysts said that such CES visa denials were unprecedented and signalled a further deterioration in bilateral relations.
First held in 1967, CES is a global platform for the technology industry and a business-to-business hub that sets the stage for the year ahead in trade and innovation. The next show takes place from January 7 through 10, days before US president-elect Donald Trump assumes office on January 20.
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Around 4,000 exhibitors from around the world have registered to attend, with more than 30 per cent estimated to be from China.
The visa rejections come as US-China tensions escalate, with Trump vowing to impose a 10 per cent tariff on all Chinese imports and pledging to protect American manufacturers by imposing stricter restrictions on Chinese companies’ access to the US market.
“There’s so much disappointment,” said a 28-year-old tech marketer in Beijing, who requested anonymity because she plans to reapply at a different US consulate in China.
At her visa interview at the US embassy, she recounted, she told her interviewer that “I would visit my clients in the States and attend the CES. I showed her the invitation letter, which clearly states that I’m attending the CES.
“I don’t think she considered that.”
After speaking with industry colleagues, she said, she learned that many other tech companies were facing the same issue. “They told me that if you mention attending CES, there’s a 90 per cent chance you’ll be denied a visa.”
The US State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shenzhen-based virtual reality headset maker EmdoorVR showcasing its Apple Vision Pro-inspired device at CES in January 2024. Photo: EmdoorVR alt=Shenzhen-based virtual reality headset maker EmdoorVR showcasing its Apple Vision Pro-inspired device at CES in January 2024. Photo: EmdoorVR>
Chris Pereira, the founder of iMpact, a New York-based consultancy, posted this month on LinkedIn that during a cross-cultural leadership training programme for Chinese companies expanding abroad, he learned that “half of the 40 companies in attendance reported their staff were being denied visas, despite holding official invitation letters from CES”.
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