China attracts numerous eminent scientists from all over the world. They engage in country’s research projects, two of whom, have been rewarded Nobel Prizes and the China "Green Card" recently!
❶ Bernard L. Feringa, the chemical Nobel Prize winner in 2016 from Holland, has been leading a research team on the project of self-repair materials at East China University of Science and Technology.
▲ Bernard L. Feringa
❷ Kurt Wüthrich, the chemical Nobel Prize winner in 2002 from Switzerland, has been leading a research team on the project of G-protein-coupled receptors at Shanghai Tech University.
▲ Kurt Wüthrich
Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, also Chinese Green card, is regarded as "the most difficult Green Card to get ever".
Does it mean that only if
you get a Nobel Prize
can you get the Chinese Green Card?
4 ways to get Green Card
Since August, 2004, Measures for the Administration of Examination and Approval of Foreigners’ Permanent Residence in China has been implemented. At that time, Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card was born, and was known as China "Green Card".
For those foreigners who have no criminal record, they can apply for the Green Card as long as:
❶ Skilled foreigners in high-level positions in government departments or laboratories involved in “key national projects” in China can apply for permanent residency. They must have worked in the post for four years and have a tax record covering at least three years.
❷ Foreigners investing at least US$500,000 in western China or poorer regions, US$1 million in central China or US$2 million in other areas for at least three consecutive years are also qualified to apply for Chinese green cards.
❸ People who have made a significant contribution to China are eligible for the scheme.
❹ People married to Chinese citizens for five years can also apply.
▲ Tao Xinbo, a Singaporean Chinese, has been devoting into Chinese education for a long run. In 2016, he was rewarded his Chinese Green Card.
However, because of strict requirements, only a few foreigners get the Chinese Green Card successfully.
In 2016, 1576 Foreign Permanent Resident ID Cards were approved by the Security Department, until then, the numbers of approved Green Card hit a record with more than 10,000 approvals.
▲ Popova liliya, an Russian expert received her Chinese Green Card in 2016.
When Stephon Marbury, a famous professional basketball players knew that he was rewarded a Green Card, he said: “I’m so proud of being a part of the capital city in China.”
How to apply for one?
Qualified applicants submit applications to the public security authorities in China.
Documents, including passports, marriage certificates, employment letters, tax bills and foreign investment certificates can be required during the application process.
Applicants living abroad can file an initial application to Chinese embassies and submit a full application to the public security authorities after arriving in China.
Usually it takes six months to review an application. However, local governments are now trying to speed up the process. For example, in Shanghai, it can take only 90 days to issue a green card.
Benefits from Green Card
The old version of Residence Certificate has been upgraded to a new one, the Permanent Resident ID Card, in accordance with Foreign Permanent Residence Permit Facilitation Reform Programme.
In the future, foreigners with Chinese Green Cards have equal access as local Chinese to buy train tickets, purchase houses, bank financing, apply for Chinese Driving License and register residence. Besides, if they work in China, they can also benefit from Social Insurance and Public Accumulation Funds.
Photo: The first Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card was issued to a foreigner in Zhejiang on June 16th, 2017.
Unlike American government, which issue millions of USA Green Card every year, although China embraces foreigners to work here, it never lowers standards of Green Card and try to attract more and more foreign talents at the same time.
Will you try to get
a China "Green Card"?
HACOS,Business Services Solutions Master