Foreigners who have been given work visas of one year or longer, twice in a row, can now apply for a residence permit with a validity of up to five years, Jia Tongbin, head of the foreigner management department of the National Immigration Administration announced at a recent State Council briefing.
Foreign management and professional technical staff working in well-known enterprises and scientific research institutions and their members of scientific research and innovation teams can apply for such permits as well.
After obtaining the residence permit listed above, those who meet the relevant conditions can then be approved for permanent residence in China.
Meanwhile, foreign managers and professional technical staff are allowed to adjust their jobs across regions in their enterprises and institutions without having to re-apply for a residence permit. And the policy also applies when they are studying for degrees or continuing education in domestic universities.
Jia said that now when foreigners apply for residence permits for investment, entrepreneurship, work and study in China, their passports are exempt from being retained by the exit and entry administration authority after an on-site check.
They can hold their passports for other use during the proceedings, and bring them to the office again to get the residence permit.
When authorities take visa applications from foreigners, if the person's records such as accommodation registration record or the business license of the company employing him or her can be found on inter-department information sharing platforms, the relevant paper documents can be exempted from being checked.
