Easier Access to Work Permits and Green Cards Planned to Attract Top Foreign Experts

China will expand the favourable visa policies of its 1,000 Talent Plan, which is currently aimed at recruiting long-term and short-term University researchers, to dozens of other programmes nationwide to attract leading professionals to work in the country, reports usa.chinadaily.com.cn.

An unnamed official from the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said: “In the past, we have had a very strict policy and high standards in terms of ‘exit and entry’, and the number of overseas talents in China is not that large. However, the 1,000 Talent Plan is a convenient channel. Now this channel is also open to experts from 55 programmes. This will help to forge a diversified talent recruitment network.”

Foreign experts recruited through the 55 programmes will be eligible to apply for visas, residence permits, and permanent residence, also known as Chinese green cards.

The next move will be drafting regulations on permanent residence and more favourable policies for high-end talent, according to the Central Coordination Group for Talent Work under the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Wang Huiyao, President of the Centre for China and Globalisation, a think tank in Beijing, commented: “A Chinese green card is very hard to obtain, and the majority of the talent quota was distributed to foreign talent in the 1,000 plan, so this move means more foreign talent can apply for permanent residence in China through the 1,000-plan channel and enjoy the advantages that come with that.”

“But compared with other countries’ permanent residence policies, I think the Chinese government still has to expand the scale instead of just focusing on talent programs. This means many foreigners have to be part of some ‘programs’ before they apply for a green card, and the many levels of examination and approval are quite confusing and time-consuming,” Mr Wang concluded.

Staffing Industry Analysts