Permanent Residents

[Randy W]

Rights for permanent foreign residents set out

 

 

 

Foreigners who obtain permanent residency will have the same pension, employment and property rights as Chinese citizens, under new regulations announced on Tuesday.

 

Access to schools for their children will also be on par with Chinese citizens the rules endorsed by central government departments in September state.

 

. . .

 

There are five types of social insurance: endowment, medical, unemployment, work-related injury and maternity.

 

Green card holders are exempt from a restriction that does not allow foreigners who have worked or studied less than a year in China to buy property. They can also work in China without a work permit.

 

. . .

 

Foreigners who have permanent residency can enjoy simplified investment and registration procedures if they want to invest in or set up a business.

 

. . .

 

"I've been in China for two years, and since I got married to a Chinese citizen I can apply for my green card in three years," the 34-year-old said. "The new green card policy is great news for me because I will not need to obtain a work permit anymore if I want to change my job.

[dan1984]

From the looks of it, this appears to be great news and will be a benefit to many of us over here in China.

 

The article is devoid of any specific procedures or requirements though, so, still not getting my hopes up too high.

[Randy W]

From the looks of it, this appears to be great news and will be a benefit to many of us over here in China.

 

The article is devoid of any specific procedures or requirements though, so, still not getting my hopes up too high.

 

Check with your PSB for details. The green card has been available for a couple of years to spouses living in China after 5 years. This new regulation simply concerns the pension, employment and property rights for green card holders.

[dan1984]

From the looks of it, this appears to be great news and will be a benefit to many of us over here in China.

 

The article is devoid of any specific procedures or requirements though, so, still not getting my hopes up too high.

 

Check with your PSB for details. The green card has been available for a couple of years to spouses living in China after 5 years. This new regulation simply concerns the pension, employment and property rights for green card holders.

 

Alright, I'll look into it and then report back. Thanks Randy.

[Fu Lai]

Very promising! Can I apply for the PR card now? What are the new requirements?

The only rights not afforded to "green card" holders are political rights.

 

What does the acronym "PSB" stand for?

Edited December 16, 2012 by Fu Lai (see edit history)

[Randy W]

Public Security Bureau. The Entry and Exit Administration is usually at a separate office from the other functions.

Edited December 16, 2012 by Randy W (see edit history)

[Fu Lai]

a little more info that was talked about before the article of this thread...

China to Relax Restrictions on Chinese “Green Card” for Foreigners?

 

Nov 26, 2012 By eChinacities.com

 

Editor's note: The following was translated and edited from a report that appeared on the China News Service website, supplemented with material from China Daily and The Telegraph. It concerns a projected change to entry and exit laws that may possibly give more foreigners a chance to claim legal permanent residency in China, currently an extremely exclusive privilege that even those who meet the criteria often wait decades to obtain.

http://news.echinacities.com/userfiles/2012-Year/11-Month/23-Day/image001-%283%29.jpg

Photo: baidu.com

According to information released on November 14 by China's Ministry of Public Security's Exit and Entry Administration deputy director Qu Yunhai, the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are currently in talks to consider relaxing restrictions on applications for the Chinese "green card" for foreigners.

 

According to Qu's statement made in Washington D.C., many foreigners, including those of Chinese ethnicity, have commented on the restrictions surrounding China's "green card" system, generally expressing hope that such restrictions could be relaxed.

 

Qu revealed that the two Ministries are currently "considering expanding the limits of the green card [to include more applicants], which is expected to be released soon and will cause a noticeable impact."

 

A boost for China's technology sector

When the "green card" was first introduced in August of 2004, it was intended to encourage high-level foreigners to invest in business and promote technology and cultural sectors, at the same time satisfying many foreigners' desire to reside permanently in China.

 

As of the end of 2011, more than 4,700 foreigners currently hold a Chinese "green card", according to official statistics. After earning a "green card", foreigners may reside in China indefinitely, entering and exiting with just a passport and the green card itself, without the need to apply for visas.

Liu Guofu, an expert in immigration law from the Beijing Institute of Technology, told reporters that the change mostly targets foreign workers in the technology sector.

 

Previously, foreigners were required to hold a position of deputy general manager or associate professor or higher for at least four years to be eligible for permanent residency. According to Liu, the proposed change will remove the level of the position held from the list of green card criteria, although it will require 10 years of residency (including at least nine months out of each year) in China before candidates can become eligible.

 

According to Qu's statement, the new entry-exit laws will be put into effect on July 1 of next year.

 

Realistic expectations

Despite the promise of change, many foreigners are hesitant to show optimism. Gilbert van Kerckhove, a Belgian expat interviewed by the British news service The Telegraph, says he's been living in China for 30 years. Despite having held a high-level advisory position, winning awards for contributions to China, and being married to a Chinese woman, his permanent residency wasn't granted until 2008.

 

Van Kerckhove seems to believe that just because you meet the stringent requirements for permanent residency—which include having a high-level job, making investment, and having made a "great" contribution to China—doesn't mean you're going to get it anytime soon. Van Kerckhove says the majority of "green cards" awarded are to returning overseas Chinese, or given as "prestige" gifts to important personages who never actually reside in China. "People like me," he says, referring to green card holders who are both nationally and ethnically foreign, "are a minority."

 

For those lucky enough to hold the "green card", however, new changes may be something to look forward to. Wang Huiyao, deputy director of China Talent Research, a government-affiliated human resources institution, told China Daily that a new document, to be released as early as December, will grant green card holders the same rights as Chinese citizens, except the right to elect officials or to be elected as an official.

 

Wang says the document will also allow holders to use their green card as a sort of "travel certificate", which may be used to check into hotels.

Source: China News Service, The Telegraph, China Daily