GBF [2002] No. 32

The people’s governments of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government, and ministries, commissions and directly subordinate bodies of the State Council:

Attracting foreign high-level talented people and investors to provide services and invest in China is a long-term and important policy of China. In recent years, the relevant departments of the State Council have made some policies in providing entry and residence conveniences to foreign high-level talented people and investors, which have played an important role to attract them to provide services and invest in China, and to promote the relationship between China and relevant countries. In order to further clarify and regulate the relevant policies, and upon approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the Office of Overseas Chinese Affairs of the State Council, and the State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs have jointly enacted the Provisions on Providing Entry and Residence Conveniences to Foreign High-level Talented People and Investors. All regions and departments are requested to carefully execute these provisions.

All regions and departments should stand on the high plane of strategy, proceed from the overall state interest, further emancipate your minds, change your ideas, and intensify your efforts in attracting foreign high-level talented people and investors to provide services and invest in China. All relevant departments should cooperate closely, strengthen your awareness of service, improve your work methods, simplify your work procedures, improve your work efficiency, and earnestly implement the relevant policies.

In order to better attract foreign high-level talented people and investors to provide services and invest in China, we hereby make the following provisions on the issue of further providing foreign high-level talented people and investors with entry and residence conveniences in accordance with the Law of the People's Republic of China on the Control of the Entry and Exit of Aliens and the relevant provisions:

I. Objects to whom the entry and residence conveniences are provided

The entry and residence conveniences may be provided to any of the following aliens:

(I) Senior consultants invited (retained) by the state organs at the provincial (departmental) level, and hi-tech or high-level managers who implement projects on scientific and technological cooperation, agreements on key projects, and projects on exchange of talented people at the state level or at the provincial (departmental) level, which are concluded between the Central Government or the local governments and foreign countries;

(II) People who have made important or outstanding contributions to the state or to the public, and the people who implement the inter-governmental agreements on gratuitous aids; (III) Academic or scientific research leaders retained by the scientific research institutions at the state level or at the provincial (ministerial) level or by the key institutions of higher education, and the academic or scientific research backbones who are employed by the relevant entities and who have the title of associate professor, associate researcher or above or those who enjoy the equal remuneration as the said associate professor or associate researcher;

(IV) The senior managers and important technical professionals who hold the post of vice general manager or above in enterprises or public institutions or who enjoy the equal remuneration as the said vice general manager;

(V) Those who invest 1 million US dollars or more in a key county of state poverty reduction for development in this Province, or those who invest 3 million US dollars or more in other regions of this Province, as well as the managers and technical professionals sent to China by foreign enterprises or other economic organizations which meet the above said conditions;

(VI) The Chinese people with foreign nationalities who have obtained important international scientific prizes, and other outstanding or important Chinese people with foreign nationalities; their spouses and children under the age of 18.

II. Measures to provide entry and residence conveniences

(I) For aliens who need to enter temporarily for many times, they can apply for F visa (visiting visa) which is valid for 2-5 years and can stay for no more than 1 year at a time (hereinafter referred to as "F visa for long-term stay and multiple entries").

(II) For aliens who need to work and stay in China for a long time, they can apply for a foreign residence permit valid for 2-5 years and Z visa (work visa) with multiple turns and the same duration.

(III) Aliens who enter China with L visa (tourist visa), F visa, and X visa (learning visa) can change their visa to Z visa according to actual needs, and apply for a foreign residence permit valid for 2-5 years and Z visa with multiple turns and the same duration; aliens entering China with L and X visas can change their visas to the F visa for long-term stay and multiple entries.

(III). Procedures for handling entry and residence matters

(I) Aliens who meet the requirements for the F visa for long-term stay and multiple entries can apply to Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, or apply to the Chinese public security immigration department after entering China. Relevant entities in China may also apply for it on behalf of the aliens.

All embassies and consulates abroad shall, after receiving applications for the F visa for long-term stay and multiple entries from aliens, review them in a timely manner and report to relevant domestic departments (entities) or other authorized entities (the Senior Authorized Entities), such as the foreign affairs management department of the provincial government, according to actual situations for approval. The senior authorized entities should send their approval opinions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a timely manner, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should inform Chinese embassies and consulates abroad. Upon approval, Chinese embassies and consulates abroad will issue visas to the applicants. When Chinese entities applying for F visa for long-term stay and multiple entries on behalf of aliens, they shall report to the relevant senior authorized entities for approval. The senior authorized entities should send their approval opinions to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a timely manner, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should inform Chinese embassies and consulates abroad to issue visas to the applicants.

If aliens entering China with L or X visas want to have F visa for long-term stay and multiple entries, they or the relevant Chinese entities may apply to the local public security immigration department with the official letter issued by the senior authorized entities or the foreign investment enterprise approval certificate, business license or other relevant certification documents.

(II) Aliens who are qualified to apply for the residence permit for foreigners that is valid for 2-5 years or the multiple-entry Z visa with the same duration may apply to the Chinese public security immigration department after the entry.

Aliens who enter China with Z visa or the relevant Chinese entities can apply to the local public security immigration department with the official letter issued by the senior authorized entities and relevant certification documents such as the "Foreign Expert Certificate" or "Employment Certificate for Foreigners".

Aliens entering China with L, F or X visa or the relevant Chinese entities can apply to the local public security immigration department with the official letter issued by the senior authorized entities and relevant certification documents such as the "Foreign Expert Certificate" or "Employment Certificate for Foreigners". Foreign investors can provide the local public security immigration department with the foreign investment enterprise approval certificate, business license or other relevant certification documents for approval.

IV. Other Matters

(I) The main persons in charge of important friendly Chinese associations and their spouses and children under the age of 18 who come to China with them can be provided with the convenience of entry and residence in accordance with the foregoing provisions. Chinese embassies and consulates abroad can independently approve such visa applications in accordance with relevant regulations.

(II) The long-term multi-entry visa fee shall be charged according to the one-year multi-entry visa fee standard, and no urgent fee shall be charged.

March 26, 2002