| Requirements for Permanent Residence Permit |
| Application Procedures for Permanent Residence Permit |
| Application for Residence Permit by Foreigners Working in Permanent Representative Offices |
| Application for Residence Permit by Foreigners Working in Sino-foreign Joint Ventures |
| Application for Residence Permit by Foreign Journalists |
Requirements for Permanent Residence Permit
You Should Submit: (a) Valid Passport or equivalent; (b) Health certificate issued at state level; (c) Credentials proving no criminal record by China embassies or consulates; (d) Two passport photos, no hat; (e) Other relevant credentials if required.
Fees: The fee for the new green card certificate is 300 yuan or about US$36. The cost of getting a new card is 1500 yuan or about US$180.
Time: The agency is open from Monday to Saturday, 8:30 to 12:00 in the morning, 13:00 to 17:00 in the afternoon.
In order to qualify for permanent residence status, you must fulfill at least one of the following criteria:
I. Be a high-level foreign expert holding a post which promotes China's economic, scientific and technological development, or social progress.
II. Have made outstanding contributions of special importance to China
III. Have made a large direct investment of over US$ 500,000 in China
IV. Have come to China to be with your family, such as spouse, dependent minors or senior citizens.
(Beijing.gov.cn, China Daily, October 16, 2006)
Application Procedures for Permanent Residence Permit
I. Submit an application to a city-level Public Security Bureau or at the county-level branch of the Public Security Bureau directly responsible for the community of the applicant's major investment or long-term residence.
II. Provide the specified application documents.
III. The public security body shall investigate and verify the conditions of the applicant according to the specified pre-requisites.
IV. The local department will submit the application to the Ministry of Public Security for examination and approval.
V. The ministry shall decide whether to approve or reject the application for permanent residence permit within 6 months of receiving the application.
VI. Upon the approval of the Ministry of Public Security, the applicant will be granted a Foreigner Permanent Residency Permit by the Ministry of Public Security.
A Chinese permanent residence card is not equivalent to Chinese nationality. Presently China does not recognize dual or multiple nationalities. Thus, if one wants to become a Chinese national, original nationality status would have to be cancelled.
Those who obtain a Chinese permanent residence card should not stay in China less than three months in a year or less than a year in five years. Special causes will need approval from city level public security bureaus.
Expats with a Chinese permanent residence card will still need to observe rules concerning traveling, temporary living in other cities, and visiting areas closed to the public.
For further information or for a free copy of the "Chinese Green Card Guide," call Xiang Yang at the Beijing Zhongfu Law Firm at 6329-3541.
Location: Beijing Commercial Guild Hall, Bldg 1 Yulinli, You'anmenwai
(Beijing.gov.cn, China Daily, October 16, 2006)
Application for Residence Permit by Foreigners Working in Permanent Representative Offices
Foreigners working in the permanent representative offices of foreign enterprises in China and their family members (spouse, underage children) should hold Visa "Z" (work) to enter China and apply for, within 30 days of entry, residence permit to the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau. The residence permit shall be valid for no more than 1 year within the period of the passport.
I. When applying for residence permit, the applicants should present the following documents and certificates:
1. Valid passports and visa;
2. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employee's card" of the representative office of foreign enterprises in China, issued by the Administrative Bodies for Industry and Commerce;
3. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employment Certificate", issued by Beijing Bureau of Labor and Social Security;
4. "Health Certificate" issued by Beijing Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau;
5. Two recently taken, half-length bareheaded and full-faced photos of 2 inch size (either color or black-white).
Those applicants who work in Beijing for less than 1 year should apply for temporary residence permit, without presenting "Health Certificate".
II. When applying for extension or alternation to residence permit, applicants should present the following documents:
1. Valid passports and residence permits;
2. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employee's card" of the representative office of foreign enterprises in China, issued by the Administrative Bodies for Industry and Commerce;
3. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employment Certificate", issued by Beijing Bureau of Labor and Social Security;
4.Should there be any alternations to the contents of the residence permits (name, nationality, occupation or identity, address, passport number, children), the permit-holders shall register, within 10 days, the changes at the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau. If there is any change relating to work units, occupation or identity, the permit holders should also present the documents certifying the termination of his/her work from the previous enterprises, as well as a certification of the present work unit. Should the permit holders move into or out of Beijing, they shall finish the transferring procedure before they move. After they reach the destination, they should handle the moving-in procedure within 10 days.
III. The procedure of applying for an exit-entry Visa
With their passports and residence permits, applicants could apply for a single journey Exit-Entry visa which is valid for 3 month, or a double and multiple Exit-Entry visa valid for a half year, or a multiple Exit-Entry visa valid for a year (the term of validity of visa should be within the validity of residence permit). Applicants can apply for visa and residence permits at the same time.
IV. Applying for the alternation to the category of visa
For those foreigners working in the representative office of foreign enterprises who enters China with visa "L" (touring and visiting relatives) and visa "F" (visiting), they can change their visa to visa "Z"(work) under some special circumstances. When applying for the alternation to the category of visa, applicants should present the following documents:
1. Valid passports and visa;
2. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employee's card" of the representative office of foreign enterprises in China, issued by the Administrative Bodies for Industry and Commerce;
3. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employment Certificate ", issued by Beijing Bureau of Labor and Social Security;
4. Official letter provided by his/her work unit to state the reason for alteration. V. Filling in the application form and points for attention.
1. When handling the above mentioned procedures, applicants should fill in the "application form for visa and residence permit", on which a recently taken, half-length bareheaded and full-faced photos of 2-inch size should be stuck;
2. Applicants should fill in the specific items on the application form with the seal of the host enterprises;
3. The application form should be clearly and neatly filled in with blue-black ink pen or ballpoints.
(englis.gov.cn)
Application for Residence Permit by Foreigners Working in Sino-foreign Joint Ventures
Foreigners working in Sino-foreign joint ventures, cooperative businesses and exclusively foreign-owned enterprises in China and their family members(spouse, underage children) should hold Visa "Z"(work) to enter China and apply for, within 30 days of entry, residence permit to the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau. The residence permit shall be valid for no more than one year within the validity period of the passport.
I. When applying for residence permit, applicants should present the following documents and certificates:
1. Valid passports and visa;
2. Master copy and photocopy of the "Business License" issued by the Administrative Bodies for industry and Commerce;
3. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employment Certificate", issued by Beijing Bureau of Labor and Social Security;
4. "Health Certificate" issued by Beijing Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau;
5. Two recently taken, half-length bareheaded and full-faced photos of 2 inch size(either color or black-white).Those applicants who work in Beijing for less than 1 year should apply for temporary residence permit, without presenting "Health Certificate".
II. When applying for extension or alternation to residence permit, applicants should present the following documents:
1. Valid passports and residence permits;
2. Master copy and photocopy of the "Business License" issued by the Administrative Bodies for Industry and Commerce. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employment Certificate", issued by Beijing Bureau of Labor and Social Security;
3. Should there be any alternations to the contents of the residence permits (name, nationality, occupation or identity, address, passport number, children), the permit-holders shall register, within 10 days, the changes at the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau. If there is any change relating to work units, occupation or identity, the permit holders should also present the documents certifying the termination of his/her work from the previous enterprises, as well as a certification of the present work unit. Should the permit holders move into or out of Beijing, they shall finish the transferring procedure before they move. After they reach the destination, they should handle the moving-in procedure within 10 days.
III. The procedure of applying for a exit-entry visa
With their passports and residence permits, applicants could apply for a single journey Exit-Entry visa which is valid for 3 months, or a double and multiple return visa valid for a half year, or a multiple Exit-Entry visa valid for a year (the term of validity of visa should be within the validity of residence permit).Applicants can apply for visa and residence permits at the same time.
IV. Applying for the alternation to the category of visa
Chairman of the board, vice-chairman of the board, general manager, deputy general manager, factory director and deputy director of the above mentioned three kinds of foreign-invested enterprises, who enter China with visa "L"(touring and visiting relatives)and visa "F"(visiting), can change their visa to visa "Z"(work) under some special circumstances after approval. When applying for the alternation to the category visa, they should present the following documents;
1. Valid passports and visa,
2. Master copy and photocopy of the "Business License" issued by the Administrative Bodies for industry and Commerce;
3. Master copy and photocopy of the "Employment Certificate", issued by Beijing Bureau of Labor and Social Security;
4. The resolution passed by the board of directors;
5. Official letter provided by his/her work unit to state the reason for alternation.
V. Filling in the application form and points for attention
1. When handling the above mentioned procedures, applicants should fill in the "application form for visa and residence permit", on which a recently taken, half-length bareheaded and full-faced photos of 2 inch size should be stuck.
2. Applicants should fill in the application form with the seal of the host enterprises.
3. The application form should be clearly and neatly filled in with blue-black ink pen or ballpoints.
(english.gov.cn)
Application for Residence Permit by Foreign Journalists
Foreign journalists working in Beijing should hold Visa "J-1 "(journalist) to enter China and apply for, within 30 days of entry, residence permit to the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau. The residence permit shall be valid for no more than 1 year within the validity period of the passport.
I. When applying for residence permit, applicants should present the following documents and certificates:
1 .Valid passports and visa;
2. Master copy of the "Press Card" issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, staff working in the foreign news agencies should present the official letter issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs when they apply for residence permit.
3."Health Certificate" issued by Beijing Exit-Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau;
4. Two recently taken, half-length bareheaded and full-faced photos of 2 inch size (either color or black-white).Those applicants who work in Beijing for less than 1 year should apply for temporary residence permit, without presenting "Health Certificate".
II. When applying for extension or a1ternation to residence permit, applicants should present the following documents:
1. Valid passports and residence permits;
2. Master copy of the "Press Card" issued by the Information Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
3. Should there be any alternations to the contents of the residence permits(name, nationality, occupation or identity, address, passport number, children), the permit holders shall register, within 10 days, the changes at the Division of Exit-Entry Administration of Beijing Public Security Bureau. Should the permit holders move into or out of Beijing, they shall finish the transferring procedure before they move. After they reach the destination, they should handle the moving-in procedure within 10 days.
III. The procedure of applying for a Exit-Entry Visa
With their passports and residence permits, applicants could apply for a single Journey Exit-Entry visa which is valid for 3 months, or a double and multiple Exit-Entry visa valid for a half year, or a multiple Exit-Entry visa valid for a year (the term of validity of visa should be within the validity of residence permit).Applicants can apply for visa and residence permits at the same time.
IV. Filling in the application form and points for attention
1 .When handling the above mentioned procedures, applicants should fill in the "application form for visa and residence permit", on which a recently taken, half-length bareheaded and full-faced photos of 2 inch size should be stuck.
2. Applicants should fill in the application form with the seal of the host institutions. 3.The application form should be clearly and neatly filled in with blue-black ink pen or ballpoints.
(english.gov.cn)
