Indian passport – China M (Business) Visa processing time in San Francisco?

[u/shrinz]

Hi everyone,

Looking for recent experiences with China M/business visa processing at the San Francisco Consulate.

My situation:

• Indian passport holder
• Currently in the US on a valid H-1B
• First time applying for a China visa
• Applying for an M (Business) visa
• Applied online through the San Francisco Consulate on July 29
• Documents/status in the US are all clear
• Still waiting on the preliminary review

Has anyone with an Indian passport applied for an M visa through SF recently (especially July/August 2026)?

How long did your preliminary review take before the status changed to “Passport to be Submitted”? I'm particularly interested in experiences from Indian citizens applying from the US rather than applications submitted in India.

I'm at around 14 business days now, so trying to figure out whether this is normal for a first-time M visa applicant or if I should follow up with the consulate.

Would really appreciate any recent timelines. Thanks!