The Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of China in Chicago issued a brief notice at 05:39 a.m. CST on 25 June stating that its visa and authentication office will be closed on 3 July 2026 in observance of the U.S. Independence Day long weekend. Normal service resumes on 6 July. While a routine closure, the timing is awkward for travellers aiming to secure last-minute visas before the Summer Davos follow-up events in Beijing and Tianjin in mid-July. Appointment slots for 1–2 July are already fully booked according to the consulate’s online system. HR departments in the U.S. Midwest should advise employees and dependants to ship passports to alternative missions—Houston or Los Angeles—or to use the ‘Express’ channel in Washington, D.C., which currently has a 48-hour turnaround for tourist (L) and business (M) visas. The closure does not affect Chinese citizens’ passport renewals, which are handled by a separate counter operating a self-service kiosk. Consular officials recommend that applicants avoid couriering passports over the holiday weekend due to possible delays with U.S. domestic shipping networks.
