Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt had called for the system to be simplified to help "turbocharge" tourism in the wake of the London 2012 Olympics.
But a letter seen by the Daily Telegraph suggests Theresa May believes it would pose a security threat.
The letter, written by Mrs May's private secretary, says she believes the plan is "unacceptable".
On Tuesday, Mr Hunt set out a strategy to give UK tourism a boost following London's Games and said ministers were looking at simplifying visa applications for non-EU nationals.
The strategy focused on attracting visitors from China, where the government thinks there is potential to triple the number of tourists - generating more than £500m in extra spending and creating more than 14,000 jobs.
Currently, visitors can apply for a single visa to visit much of Europe - but a separate one is required to travel to the UK.
Countries such as France and Germany are far more successful at attracting Chinese visitors, and the UK could do better if getting a visa was easier, Mr Hunt has suggested.
But a letter from Mrs May's private secretary to the prime minister's private secretary said the current rules were a "key tool in protecting the public against significant harm".
There are already 400 Chinese criminals awaiting deportation and 1,000 asylum applications from Chinese citizens last year," it said.
"The proposal... is not acceptable to the home secretary for national security reasons," the letter said.
"We also face significant challenges with foreign national offenders and organised crime, including drugs, money laundering, fraud, criminal finances, intellectual property, immigration and cyber crime."
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