The LEHMAN, Lee & Xu China Visa & Immigration Newsletter keeps you up to date on recent developments in China inbound and outbound Visa & Immigration
China's Skill Based Green Card Pilot Program
Foreigners seeking Permanent Residency in China have a tough time. Generally, a foreigner must make a large direct investment in China or be paying a significant amount in personal income taxes to even be considered.
China began issuing permanent residence permits in 2004. However, this "green card" is among the most difficult to obtain in the world due to the stringent requirements. From 2004 and 2015, China approved only 1,700 permanent residence permits.
To attract more foreign talent China implemented a pilot project in March last year that enables foreign startups or skilled professionals in the science field to apply for permanent residency. Foreign workers at startups located in or who have been hired by companies in Beijing's Zhongguancun Science Park can get a green card if they meet certain standards within a merit-based point system.
The pilot program's first group of 45 foreigners, each earned more than 70 of 100 possible points under the merit system. Points are based on such factors as education, experience and certain technological know-how. The program is China's first trial for evaluating and introducing foreign talent, and focuses mainly on the development potential of startups and technical skills.
Foreigners now have two windows of opportunity a year to apply for permanent residency. The whole process from collecting application materials to completing assessment takes four months while a group of more than 100 experts reviews the application materials.
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