Built From Personal Experience

I created China Visa Companion to make a difficult visa process easier, clearer, and less stressful for families like mine.

During COVID, my mother was in China and became seriously ill after a brain hemorrhage. In early 2021, I applied for a special visa so I could travel to see her, but because of the COVID period and the visa restrictions at the time, I was not able to get the visa.

My mother passed away on November 10, 2022. I was not there. It is the biggest regret of my life.

Years later, when my family and I had to apply for China visas again, I was reminded how difficult the process still was. Even with simplified document requirements, the application remained time-consuming and stressful: nine sections of forms, detailed validation rules, supporting documents, strict photo requirements, and the constant fear of delays or rejection.

I spent about four hours completing the process, and each family member spent another two hours beyond the help I gave them. And that was only the paperwork, not including two trips to the China consulate office.

I built China Visa Companion to help people save time, reduce stress, and prepare their applications with more confidence. That is why the extension includes planning tools, copy-paste support for COVA preparation, and optional AI tools for things like visa photos, passport scans, and resume parsing to help fill work and education history.

Running servers and AI services costs money, but I chose to keep this tool free.

I built it in memory of my mother. She was an elementary school teacher, and she was proud to be called Teacher Li.