According to a statement issued after the meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, chaired by President Xi Jinping, on 6th Feb, China would improving the rules and process for issuing certificates of permanent residence to foreigners with favorable treatments. 

The meeting approved documents related to foreign affairs, urging that the management of the funds and projects for foreigners in China should be improved.

In 2016, 1,576 foreigners became permanent Chinese residents, an increase of 163%.

56.53 million foreigners entered or exited China mainland, an increase of 8.89% respectively over 2015.

Meanwhile, in 2016, a growth rate of the acceptance of foreigners' as well as their families' permanently resident applications was 426% in Beijing.

The increase was beneficial from the foreigner residence permit system. 

Since last year, Ministry of Public Security in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong and Fujian Province have been working on a more flexible and effective permanent residence permit system to foreign talents, which includes adding an Information Publicity System for talent management, Foreigners Preferential Policies, Capacity Conversion System and Integral Evaluation System.

Nowadays, there are 87 Visa Agents at different ports around China. 15 cities in China allow for 72-hour transit without visa, and 144 hours in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang Province (to the foreigners in some specific countries).

Moreover, the new version of Chinese "Green Card" will be issued within the year! With an enhanced function of identification, it will be definitely more convenient for you!

Some of you might be still concerned about that Chinese "Green Card" is much more difficult to get compared with other countries' in the world sometimes.

But ever since the furthered opening-up policy and the accelerated development of China, advancing reform of foreigners permanently resident system has been taken seriously by the leading officials.

Efforts are currently paid to formulate relevant policies and improve foreign workers' quality and protect their rights and interests. Therefore, we all believe that regulatory process for foreigners to get Chinese Visas will be more efficient, and more and more foreign friends will enjoy living and working here in China in the near future!