GoinGlobal

August 23, 2019
By Fragomen

At a Glance

Foreign nationals seeking entry to China should benefit from the below new policies that are effective immediately:

• Expanded eligibility for permanent residence;

• Expanded eligibility for long-term visas and Residence Permits with longer validity periods;

• Streamlined and expanded visa and Residence Permit options for recent graduates from top foreign or mainland Chinese universities and students who will undertake internships in mainland China; and

• More immigration support service centers.

The policies are meant to attract skilled foreign nationals to China and to ease requirements for foreign nationals in China.

The situation

The National Immigration Administration has issued 12 policies to attract foreign nationals to China. The policies are effective immediately.

Looking ahead

China is expected to continue to relax and streamline its immigration policies in order to attract skilled foreign nationals to work in the country. However, the impact of these positive reforms may take some time to gain traction and will be tempered by the current geopolitical situation in the region.

A closer look

The main changes involve the below summarized policies. The details of each new policy are described in this table.

NEW POLICY	DETAILS	IMPACT
Permanent residence eligibility expanded	More categories of highly-skilled foreign nationals are eligible for permanent residence, including: • Those who have made significant contributions to meet the needs of the state (as determined by a special government assessment); and • Those who have worked in China for at least four years who have resided in China for at least six months each year, who have a certain income level.	More eligible foreign nationals can apply for permanent residence.
Expanded long-term visa and Residence Permit validity	More foreign nationals, including foreign experts, foreign high-level management and professional technical personnel, among others, are now eligible for long-term visas and Residence Permits.	Eligible foreign experts and scholars benefit from a faster process that allows direct entry to China without the need for an entry visa at a Chinese consulate abroad.
Expanded eligibility for foreign students	Eligible foreign students with a Bachelor’s degree or above from top local universities, who are engaged in innovation and entrepreneurship activities in China after graduation can apply for a Residence Permit valid for two to five years.	The two-year Residence Permit allows qualifying students to stay in China to job hunt after graduation, which was previously not allowed.

Background

In the past year, China has expanded entry and exit document application locations; made it possible for employers to cancel their foreign nationals’ Work Permit Notification Letters online; and has removed the requirement for a work permit for passport holders of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. These developments are part of a trend to create a more efficient and streamlined business immigration environment in the country.

Looking ahead

China is expected to continue to relax and streamline its immigration policies in order to attract skilled foreign nationals to work in the country. However, the impact of these positive reforms may take some time to gain traction and will be tempered by the current geopolitical situation in the region.

Moreover, local governments often take considerable time to create applicable rules to implement policies within each jurisdiction, which can further delay the beneficial impact of the changes. Fragomen will report on related developments.

https://www.fragomen.com/insights/alerts/relaxed-immigration-policies-introduced