Businessmen and students set to benefit most

On Nov 12, US Secretary of State John Kerry handed over the first batch of new 10-year tourist visas issued by the US embassy in Beijing, and in the week after the policy change came into effect, tens of thousands of new visas were issued.

Elaine Liu, a pharmacist in Shanghai who received her 10-year visa on Nov 20, was excited because she travels between China and the US several times a year, and the new policy will save her a lot of time and money.

"In the past, the application procedure for a trip to the US took at least two weeks and cost $160, but now I will be able to travel to the US whenever I want in the coming 10 years," she said.