Shanghai authorities have gradually started to issue PU letters to foreign family members (spouse and children under the age of 18), taking their necessity and urgency to visit China into consideration. 

Family dependents(spouse and children) can thus join the PU letter application with the principal applicant. While the principal applicant is currently working or living in China, family members can lodge their applications separately. 

Please provide relevant materials as required. Principal applicants need to provide proof of employment. Please confirm that all applicants already hold China – or WHO-approved vaccination certificates (except underage children). 

Common Q&A

1. How Long is PU Letter Valid?

3 months.

2. What Visa Type Is This and How Long Will It Last?

Special business visa under Covid situation. Once in Shanghai, visa will be valid for 180 days.

3. Will Applicants’ Unexpired Work Visa and Residence Permit Still Be Valid？

Yes. And once expired, these can be extended automatically for your convenience.

4. Can the Applicant and Their Family Apply for the Visa Separately?

Yes. But this will need sponsorship from the company.

5. Can the Applicant or Their Family Choose to be Quarantined in Their Own Residency?

No. According to the current policy, all coming from abroad need to be in designated quarantine places for 14 days. Only under special circumstances like disability or pregnancy can overseas arrivals apply to stay in quarantine at home. 

Source: 上海陆家嘴金融发展局

China Bars Education Training Centers from Raising Money & You Might be Affected By this New Policy – but it’s not too late to apply for a public school

China’s vast private education sector received a death blow as the country introduced sweeping measures, including barring curriculum-based tutoring institutions from raising money through stock market listings, in a bid to correct disorderly competition in the industry and ease the burden on Chinese students and their families. 

Foreign capital is also not allowed to control or participate in the private education sector through methods such as mergers and acquisitions, entrusted operations, or franchise chains, said the document issued by the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the General Office of the State Council, the cabinet, on Saturday. 

As capital rushed into the lucrative private education sector in China, the value orientation of some tutoring institutions shifted from “teaching” to “profit,” leaving students and their parents as tools for capital, Chu Zhaohui, a research fellow at the National Institute of Education Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday. 

In 2020, the coronavirus forced Chinese children to study at home for some time, which brought huge popularity to online education. China’s education industry raised 116.4 billion yuan ($17.96 billion) as a result, according to consulting firm iResearch. Online education accounted for 89 percent of the financing. 

Driven by capital, many tutoring institutions spent heavily on advertising and marketing, and some even invested or speculated financially with students’ tuition money. Some institutions provided loans to attract students, according to a Sunday article by the National Supervision Commission and the Cen¬tral Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC. 

The concerns are not groundless. Statistics show that the number of after-school tutoring institutions for primary and secondary school students is almost the same as that of public schools in China, which may form a parallel educational system beside the national system, warned the article. 

Wang Ying, the mother of a girl in the second grade in a Beijing primary school, spent 47,500 yuan a year on her daughter’s after-school courses including English, math, Chinese, badminton and Chinese classic dance. The tutoring fees accounted for 30 percent of the family’s total annual spending. 

“Parents in China are in a panic. Everybody takes after-school courses and there is no solution to this issue,” Wang told the Global Times. 

The China Association for Non-Government Education, together with more than 120 after-school tutoring institutions, issued a joint proposal on Saturday, saying they supported the central government’s decision and will put the policy into practice. 

But there’s bound to be a huge impact on their businesses and shockwaves in the stock markets. 

A staff member from Speiyou.com under NYSE-listed Chinese education company TAL Education Group told the Global Times on Sunday the company is cutting jobs, but its overall operations remain normal at present, including summer holiday training courses. 

“Most employees of Tipaipai, a study tool under Speiyou.com, had already left and many staff in departments targeting very young students also quit,” said the person.

A Beijing-based staffer at online English training agency VIPKid told the Global Times on Sunday that the company has been laying off staff for several months and there’s “a rumor that the staff will be cut from the current level of nearly 5,000 to around 1,000.”

“Positioning tutoring companies as not-for-profit and possible price-fixing measures will have a significant adverse impact on the profitability of Longwen Edu,” the after-school tutoring institution targeting K-12 students, said on Sunday. 

Shanghai-based Only Edu said its revenue from subject tutoring accounted for 55 percent of the total in the fiscal year of 2020. The overall operations of the company are stable, and the company has taken the initiative to respond to the latest call, it said on Sunday. 

Reports that Chinese authorities planned to further tighten regulations on the private education industry caused the shares of TAL Education to fall 70 percent and New Oriental Education and Technology to drop 54 percent on the US market on Friday.

Market observers said that shares in the sector may suffer a devastating blow on Monday. 

Although they bear a huge financial burden, Chinese parents reacted differently to the new policy. Some said they support the policy, as they hope their children could take a breather from the heavy daily load of homework. 

But a Beijing-based mother of two children told the Global Times that demand isn’t going away. “I will still sign up for the courses for my children, because if they don’t take the courses, we will be left behind.” 

Why Teach in Public Schools?

You might want to use the time to explore new skills through online training and network within China for opportunities you don’t find in your home country.

None of these things are possible in a training center, where you will be worked aggressively, with expected overtime and comparatively little vacation.

Public schools are different. Technically, you still have to work 20 – 40 hours. However, the way it works is that you teach a maximum of 20 hours, and often less than that (16 tends to be the average). The excess hours are considered “office hours” in which you do prep work, grading, etc. But “office hours” are often flexible things, some schools don’t care if you complete them, especially if you tell them you prefer to work from home using your home computer.

Even if you have to complete them because you have a strict boss, public school office hours are not the same as training center office hours. You do not have excess responsibilities. This is a great time to learn Chinese, for example.

Get Long, Half Paid Holidays
—-
Public schools also offer the public-school half paid semester breaks. That means, for every semester you work, you get about 2 months of paid vacation, sometimes more (depending on how the school handles scheduling).
You also get all the other public holidays in China. These amount to about three weeks between a day off here, a day off there, a week off here, etc

Reasonable and Stable Salary

—-
Even with all that, public schools still offer pretty reasonable salaries.
You can expect between 14,000 – 36,000 RMB, depending on your experience, position and interview performance. Apart from that figure you also get all paid for housing, flight tickets and lots of other benefits and work perks.
This is already higher than what many training centers with much higher workloads offer, plus it’s more stable.

Legal Working Visa 
—-
One more thing about why this PARTICULAR public opportunity is great for new and transfered teachers.
Public schools are run by a handful of big HR networks like CYI , which connect their hundreds of teachers in a big community. They’ll offer free ESL training and onboarding, free Chinese lessons, and free events. That way, you’ll never feel alone or isolated (an unfortunately common feeling for new teachers in China) because you’ll know hundreds of other teachers doing the same thing as you.
And because they have tons of teachers they work with, they’re the most experienced hands in handling visa issues. (You’d be surprised how many employers in China do not know visa laws, regulations, and even basic procedures!)

Here is where China Youth International shines, we will provide full assistance with your visa application and ensure that all your papers are in order. 

Why teaching in training centers (which are barred now) isn’t the best choice after all?

1) Possible legal troubles

Training centers around the world tend to have a reputation for dabbling in the “gray area” of legality. Specifically in China, there are many cases of training centers not acquiring the appropriate work visa for their foreign teachers. Do your research about visa requirements yourself, and look into the company before you sign a contract with them. A traditional public school offers better and safer path to obtaing the legal documents, because they mostly likely have a closer connection with local government, and are usually more cautious. China Youth International ( CYI ) provide a team of visa experts to help you with all your paper work and visa, so you can stay worry free and focus on other things. 

2) Difficulty in meeting other friends

Yes, you’ll definitely be able to build friendships within the training center community. But if you’ve already lived in the country or you have lots of friends who don’t work in training centers, it’s probably going to be difficult to see them due to the difference in your schedules. Don’t under-estimate this difference. Especially in bigger cities, people will just want to hang out on nights and weekends, and that’s when you’ll be working.

3) Lack of professionalism

Of course, not all training center are the same. But unless you’re working in a huge company, there could be a huge lack of professionalism. There are literally thousands of different English training center companies out there, and many of them are small or start-up companies. This could lead to a lack of communication and professionalism, especially when you add in cultural differences and complicated visa policies. 

4) You could get bored 

You’ll teach the same lessons again and again. This has its pros, but also its cons. You could grow bored of going through the same lessons hundreds of times. If you’re considering an ESL career longer than a year or two, you might want to move on to a traditional public school after a while. And again CYI can help you to smoothly transfer to a public school

5) Your teaching skills might not improve in the long run 

When you teach the same lesson enough times, you’ll go into autopilot. Once you’ve got a lesson plan down, you won’t feel the need for further improvements. That could affect you the next time you are looking for a job. If you’re serious about an ESL career, a traditional school would help you hone your skills and expose you to a variety of classroom experiences

6) Little career advancement

As a foreign teacher, you’ll probably not be able to move up the career ladder. Expect to forever be a foreign teacher. Again, if you’re not interested in an ESL career, that’s probably fine for you! But don’t expect to be able to level-up your career the same way you would in a traditional public school in China. 

7) Money >> Education 

Don’t be fooled. Most training centers are not in it for education. It is a business. Most training centers will make decisions based on how they could get more students or earn more tuition instead of making decisions that would help improve student and teacher experience. This could result in finance instability and unlike public schools where your salary is stable and your rights as a teacher are protected. 

For some people, training centers are the perfect opportunity for teaching overseas. For others, they’re looking for a different path.Unfortunately with China barring training centers now, this will hugely affect lots of teachers resulting them in losing their jobs and source of income. We are here to help you every step of the way, choosing your school, subject you want to teach, city you want to be relocated to, flight tickets, housing, health insurance and paid holidays. Our visa experts team will help you with the whole process. And as we are one of a very few companies in China that directly partner with schools and apply for visas. We are not an agency that works in the middle, we hire teachers and stay with them their whole contract period and we also have a wonderful community of teachers, after all we have been helping teachers to work in China for over 20 years now. 

source of the official article >> https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202107/1229595.shtml

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the most essential part of entry and exit is more complicated than just remembering to have your valid ID and visa.  Complying with the different laws and regulations of different countries and regions is now a key factor to consider, in order to prevent the spread of pandemic.

Who can enter China at present?

1.Chinese citizens;

2.Foreign nationals holding valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters and family reunion purposes.

3.Foreign nationals holding a visa for emergency humanitarian needs.

If the residence permit held by a foreign national expired after 0:00 on March 28th 2020, the holder may apply for relevant visa(s) by presenting the expired residence permit and relevant materials to Chinese embassies or consulates, on the condition that the purpose of the holders’ visit to China remains unchanged.

Holders of a visa alone (issued before 0:00 March 26th 2020), or of valid residence permits for purposes other than work, private issues or family reunion are excluded.

Here is the link to guidance samples for different versions of the permitted residence permits:

https://en.nia.gov.cn/n162/n227/c58784/content.html

However, with the rapid development of vaccine and wider vaccination, from 15th March 2021 most Chinses Embassies and Consulates would provide the following conveniences for visa applicants who have been inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine produced in China and obtained the vaccination certificate. 

Foreign nationals permitted to enter China as mentioned above must strictly abide by China’s regulations on pandemic prevention and control.

What is the current quarantine policy 

for entering China?

There is a strict isolated quarantine and medical observation period of 14 days, 7 days of community health testing, 4 nucleic acid tests on the 1st, 7th, 14th and 21st day after your entry.

Select Foreign Country Entry Policy

the United States

Students with valid F-1 and M-1 visas intending to begin or continue an academic program commencing August 1st 2021 or later do not need to contact an embassy or consulate to seek an individual NIE to travel. They may enter the United States directly no earlier than 30 days before the start of their academic studies, which means they don’t need to transfer in a third country. 

For entry, you need to present your negative report of COVID-19 nucleic acid test issued within 72 hours before your departure.

Canada

You may qualify for certain exemptions to quarantine and testing requirements from July 5th 2021 23:59 if you:

1/  are eligible to enter Canada ;

2/  are asymptomatic;

3/ meet the Government of Canada requirements for fully vaccinated travelers ;

4/ meet all other entry requirements, including entering your information in the ArriveCAN system before arrival.

Those who meet the requirements may be exempt from:

1/ quarantine

2/ hotel stopover (for air travelers)

3/ day-8 testing requirement

Travel restrictions on who can enter Canada remain in place.

Foreign nationals (including U.S. citizens) coming to Canada for non-essential purposes will be turned away at the border.

South Korea

At present, South Korea’s business visa, family visit visa, and all types of study Visa are available for entry. But tourist visas are not valid yet.

For entry, you need to present the below documents:

1/ your negative report of COVID-19 nucleic acid test issued within 72 hours before your departure;

2/ valid passport and related visa;

3/ itinerary.

From July 1st 2021, those people who have been fully vaccinated with the vaccine approved by the WHO can be exempted from quarantine inspection for the purpose of visiting their immediate family members or for business, academic or public welfare purposes when they enter South Korea.

ATTENTION

As the pandemic is evolving constantly, the relevant policies of each country should be based on the latest one issued by the local authorities.

You may be subject to pandemic inspections and testing on all legs of the journey to your destination. Please keep wearing your mask and any other protective gear, abide by the protocols of relevant local authorities. 

If you have the symptoms like fever or coughing, please follow local authorities’ arrangements strictly.

We wish everyone a safe and sound journey. 😊 

Foreigners who work in China must legally apply for work permits and work-residence permits. If foreigners work illegally in China, both enterprises and foreign employees will face administrative penalties. Foreigners with work visas can also apply for visas for their families to come to China and buy social insurance, etc. Within the validity period of the visa, they can go back and forth to China for many times without re-applying for other visas.

However, there are many factors that determine whether a foreigner can successfully apply for a work visa. Today, we will share with you the important factors that affect the application of a work visa.

• The scale of the enterprise’s office space, the existence of the office space, the office space is consistent with the registered address of the industry and commerce (related to the violation of entry and exit laws, once found, the visa will be refused or cancelled immediately).
• The amount of registered capital, the number of employees, the social security records of employees purchased by the enterprise, and the list of staff.
• The labor contract signed between the enterprise and foreign employees, including the applied position, work content, salary limit and individual income tax payment, should be checked by the enterprise during the process of entry and exit for the work visa. If it is found that the applicant’s actual job position and work content are not consistent with the labor contract, the visa will be refused and the enterprise will be fined.

• Does the foreigner have a bachelor’s degree or above?
• Does the foreigner have at least 2 years relevant working experience?
• Whether the foreigner applies for the position is closely related to his previous work experience and major of the school.
• Whether the foreigner has any illegal records in China, such as criminal or civil cases, overstaying, or failing to register for temporary accommodation in China for a long time.
• Do foreigners hold relevant qualifications for special professions (language teachers, doctors, lawyers, athletes, etc.)?
• Whether the foreigner provides the proof of complete education, no crime and previous work experience and certification documents.

#“ Hot Topics Recommendation

As we all know, the two most important factors affecting the application are education background and relevant work experience. Then which foreigners do not need to provide two years of work experience to apply for a work visa in China?

Due to the large market demand for foreign teachers, the Foreign Special Administration Bureau for cultural and educational English teacher position requirements are also relaxed, foreign talents in addition to the need from English-speaking countries, but also need to submit English related qualification certificates (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA and other certificates) plus undergraduate diploma can be English teacher position application sign.

In January 2017, the Chinese government introduced new laws to make it easier for certain groups of people to find professional jobs in other industries in China. Here’s the official statement from the government:

“In order to implement the Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Personnel Development System and Mechanism (Zhongfa [2016] No. 9), it is planned to allow some outstanding foreign college graduates without working experience (personnel scope: Foreign students who have obtained master’s degrees or above from universities in China and graduated within one year, and foreign graduates who have obtained master’s degrees or above from well-known universities overseas and graduated within one year) are employed in China.

This means that any new graduate who has completed a master’s degree program from a Chinese university is eligible to seek a job in the Chinese job market. The policy also extends to top universities around the world. To some extent, the higher the ranking in the world, the more successful the visa application, but this is just an entry level.

As outstanding fresh graduates, the policy should meet the requirements of college diploma while the following points:

1.Applicants need to apply for a job within one year of graduation (overtime will expire).

2.The job must be related to the major (some cities may according to the actual situation)

3.Quality enterprise scale (medium and large enterprises are preferred)

4.Graduation score is higher than 80 points (excellent graduation)

---

Source：GTGVisa Services

According to the statement, the flight was arranged by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, together with the Italian Embassy to China. It is scheduled to take off from Milan in Italy to Nanjing in East China’s Jiangsu Province. Flights in August and September are also being planned.

A single ticket from Milan to Nanjing in economy class is priced at 1,300 euro ($1,544). A single premium class ticket is priced at an additional 250 euro. Members of the chamber can start booking as early as June 30. Non-members will be eligible to do so from July 4.

However, the return charter flight from Nanjing to Milan is still awaiting final authorization by the Chinese authorities, the statement said. The chamber also noted that all passengers will need to present documents required during the pandemic before boarding.

EU launches Digital COVID-19 certificate but only for approved vaccines

The European Union (EU) has launched its digital COVID-19 certificate, which will users to show verified proof of vaccination, a recent negative test result, or past COVID-19 infection.

The certificate, which shall be used by 21 EU member states, should allow most travelers to move within the bloc without having to navigate complicated testing and quarantine rules. 

“This certificate is a symbol of an open and digital Europe,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. “We developed this certificate in record time, it will make travel in our union easier and it will give Europeans back the freedoms they value and cherish so much.”

The system is designed to recognize and verify COVID-19 vaccination certificates issued by all EU countries. For those who are not yet fully vaccinated, proof of immunity or a recent negative test result can also grant the ability to travel across borders. 

During Europe’s second and third waves, travel within the bloc ground to a halt. A complicated patchwork of different rules and regulations often made even essential travel difficult to navigate. 

Travelers were often required to carry dozens of documents including recent test results, travel decelerations, and justifications for their journey. 

While only 21 of the EU’s members states are currently using the Digital Covid pass, all 27 countries have agreed to adopt it in future. Six nations say they will have the technical capacities as of June 30, but need more time to fully implement the pass, while Ireland has delayed the launch of its pass following a cyberattack on its health service in June.

Currently only those living in the EU can benefit from the digital covid pass. However, ongoing talks with the U.S. and UK could eventually bring mutual recognition of vaccine certificates.

https://newseu.cgtn.com/news/2021-07-02/EU-launches-Digital-COVID-19-certificate-only-for-approved-vaccines-11yf3PV0g6s/index.html

As there’re more and more overseas people doing business in China, the authorities have launched a new tax platform for them and facilitate tax payment. Taxpayers can easily pay taxes with overseas UnionPay credit cards. 

Now non-resident taxpayers holding overseas UnionPay credit cards can easily pay taxes online around the world! 
On March 31, 2021, Guangzhou branch, the People’s Bank of China and Guangdong Provincial Tax Bureau have jointly issued the Operation Procedures for Cross-border RMB Electronic Tax Payment into Treasury with UnionPay (Trial Scheme). 
Under the new measures, overseas taxpayers no longer need to fly to China, go to the tax service office or bank, or open a Chinese bank account. They can make tax declarations and payments online. 
HOW TO PAY? 
There are two methods of paying taxes: 

• Online payment with UnionPay 
• Mobile payment with UnionPay Mobile QuickPass

The whole process is similar to online shopping because you can check your payables and make an instant payment via the app. It is very convenient and the total processing time is just 5 minutes.  

Here are the procedures of paying taxes in these two methods. 

Online payment with Union Pay 

1. File tax declaration return through E-tax bureau or V-tax Remote Self-service Platform; 
2. Enter the “Tax Settlement” page; 
3. Click “Pay immediately”; 
4. Choose “Online payment with UnionPay”; 
5. Check and confirm tax amount and other information; 
6. Pay taxes by entering UnionPay account number and password 

Please be noted that the amount of tax payment cannot exceed the limit of your credit card. 

Online payment with Mobile QuickPass 

1. Install the app “UnionPay Mobile QuickPass”; 
2. File tax declaration return through V-tax Remoted Self-service Platform; 
3. Enter the “Tax Settlement” page; 
4. Click “Pay immediately”; 
5. Choose “Payment with Mobile QuickPass”; 
6. Scan the QR code that V-tax Platform send to taxpayers; 
7. Check and confirm the info and pay. 

HOW TO GET PAYMENT CERTIFICATE? 
After your payment, you can print out your tax payment certificate on E-tax Bureau or V-tax Remote Self-service Platform. 

According to the Guangzhou branch of PBC, the regulations apply to the cross-border RMB electronic tax payment into Treasury with UnionPay in Guangdong Province (excluding Shenzhen). 
Guangdong is the first place to launch the trials. It is expected to see the pilot program expand to more provinces and cities! 

China has released new measures for getting your green card (permanent residence)! Be sure to take a look!

---

Since the Measures for the Administration on Examination and Approval for Foreigners’ Permanent Residence (hereinafter as “Measures”) came into effect in 2004, the standards for foreigners to apply for PRC Green Card were always pretty high. With the development of China’s “Opening-up” policy and the increasing demands of overseas talents, the government has issued a number of relevant policies for foreigners to facilitate their residency in China step by step, including the Opinions on Strengthening the Administration of Permanent Residence Services for Foreigners (hereinafter as “Opinions“) issued by the State Council in 2016 and the 12 Policies on Immigration and Entry – Exit Facilitation (hereinafter as “12 Policies”) issued by the National Immigration Administration in August 2019.

The Ministry of Justice issued the Regulations on the Administration of Foreigners’ Permanent Residence (Exposure Draft) (2020) (hereinafter as “Exposure Draft”) on February 27, 2020. Since its release, the Draft has drawn much attention from expats living in China and from Chinese citizens. Compared with the previous policies, the Draft developed so much that it could become the new landmark of China’s permanent residence status (hereinafter as “PR Status”). This article will highlight the key points of the Draft as below, for your kind reference.

Who is eligible under the Exposure Draft?

The current Draft provides six categories of people that are eligible for permanent residency, including foreigners with outstanding contributions, foreigners with international recognized achievements, foreign talents introduced into China, foreigners working in China, foreigners making investment in China and foreigners who have family members living in China. The specific requirements of each category are summarized as follows:

1. 1 Foreigners with Outstanding Contributions

Foreigners who have contributed outstandingly towards China’s economic and social development (including development in science, technology, education, culture, health, sports, public welfare, Sino-foreign friendly exchanges, etc.) may apply for the PR Status after having been recommended by local governments at the provincial level.

In the similar category in the 2004 Measures, the expression is that foreigners having made outstanding contributions to China may apply for the PR Status, if they satisfy some routine requirements such as being healthy and with no criminal record. The Draft lists more detailed conditions of the outstanding contributions, which can be regarded as a summary and a continuation of previous policies.

1.2 Foreigners with International Recognized Achievements

Foreign citizens who have achieved internationally recognized outstanding achievements in the fields of economy, science and technology, education, culture, health, or sports can directly apply for permanent residency.

Previously, some cities opened up their immigration policies in accordance with the needs of talents introduction. For example, the policy in Shanghai stipulates that foreigners with internationally recognized outstanding achievements brought to Shanghai can directly apply for permanent residence.

Thus, the Draft can be regarded as a promotion and a replication of previous practices, but the detailed criteria for “internationally recognized outstanding achievements” have not yet been determined by national immigration authorities in consultation with the relevant departments of the State Council.

1.3 Foreign Talents Introduced into China

Foreigners who will be introduced into China for making achievements for China’s economic and social development may apply for the PR Status. Such Foreigners include:

1)Urgently needed talents introduced by the state’s key industries and regions and recommended by the competent authority;

2)Academicians and researchers with titles of assistant professors and above who have been introduced and recommended by the state’s key universities and research institutions, and professors and researchers who have been introduced and recommended by other universities and research institutions;

3) High-tech enterprises, innovative enterprises, and senior management personnel and senior professional technicians introduced and recommended by domestic well-known enterprises; or

4) Professionals recommended by foreigners who have obtained PR Status owing to their internationally recognized achievements.

The Draft provides that the above-mentioned talents must meet the respective specific qualification requirements. Additionally, applicants must obtain recommendation from either the Chinese authorities or qualified individuals. Further talent identification standards will be made based on consultation with relevant authorities.

1.4 Foreigners Working in China

Under Article 15 of the Draft is the newly added provision that stipulates that a foreign citizen may apply for PR Status if they are working in China with good tax and credit records, and satisfy one of the following situations:

1) Having a doctorate degree or graduated from a well-known international university, and having worked in China for at least three consecutive years, during which the accumulated actual residence period is not less than one year;

2)Working in one of the key industries or regions developed by the State for three consecutive years, during which the accumulated actual residence period is not less than one year, and the annual income is not less than four times of local average income of the previous year;

3)Having worked in China for four consecutive years, during which the accumulated actual residence period is not less than two years, and the annual income is not less than six times of local average income of the previous year;

4)Having worked in China for eight consecutive years, during which his accumulated actual residence period is not less than four years, and the annual income is not less than three times of local average income of the previous year.

There is a similar category in the Measures. However, the scope of eligibility under that category is quite narrower. Therefore, few applicants met the requirements at that time. The 12 Policies relaxed the previous requirements on the position level for applicants, so that the requirements of introducing foreign talents are more in line with the market evaluation and the market demand.

The Draft, on the basis of the 12 Policies, further relaxed the conditions and requirements for the China PR Status, by extending the policy that was previously applicable to Chinese expatriates to ordinary foreigners, increasing the cases of which people can apply for continuous work and actual residence, and relaxing the requirements for income and tax standards.

After more than a year, the world is still battling against COVID-19, prompting many to wonder when people-to-people exchanges will return to normal, when China will open its doors to the world, and to what extent vaccines and mutated variants will impact the resumption of international travels.

Zhang Wenhong, a leading infectious disease expert, believes that China will be able to reopen to countries with good inoculation and low infection rates in the first half of 2022, but that will still depend on how many people in the country have been inoculated.

Countries with a higher inoculation rate such as Israel, the US and the UK will make deals to resume people-to-people exchanges in the second half of this year. But the date for a resumption of global travel remains  unknown, as that would be determined by the overall vaccination rate and speed of mutated variants, said Zhang at the Boao Forum for Asia in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province on Wednesday. 

Asked whether it would be necessary to receive COVID-19 vaccines every year just like influenza vaccines, Zhang said it depends on what percentage of people who have received a vaccine become re-infected, though most assume that it would be necessary, because with the passing of time, the protection generated by any vaccine will fade.

Also, there is no evidence so far to indicate that mutated variants have escaped from vaccines, and the virus has not generated new serotypes, which means “we have to wait for more data to decide if human beings have to get inoculated repeatedly,” Zhang noted. 

Gao Fu, an academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, recently said that it seemed that the virus evolves like an influenza virus.

“We probably need to receive jabs against COVID-19 every year, just like how we coexist with influenza,” said Gao, adding that when there is an immunity barrier against COVID-19, the regular jabs will be used to prevent critical cases rather than simply avert infections.

To reach herd immunity against COVID-19, China will have to vaccinate 80 percent of its population, and this target is likely to be reached by the end of this year, following stronger public willingness to receive jabs propelled by recent waves of epidemic resurgence in some places, said Chinese top epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan.

China’s speed in administering vaccines has been accelerating recently with more than 700 million doses administered across the country by Wednesday, data from the National Health Commission showed. 

The intervals per 100 million doses have gradually become shorter, from the previous 25 days, 16 days, nine days, seven days and now only five days, statistics indicated.

Source: Global Times

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202106/1225300.shtml

Hi, I’m Rachel! I’m 27 years old and I’m an American who has been living in China for 5 years.

To celebrate my 5 year China-versary, I wanted to reflect on the past few years and some of my favorite memories and important moments that have happened here in China.

During my time here I’ve:

·Lived in 3 different cities: Hengyang, Guangzhou, and Beijing

·Traveled to over 30 places in China and many countries in Asia

·Taught English to students of all ages from kindergarten through university

·Created Rachel Meets China and worked with many media companies and tourism brands in China

I never thought I would be in China for 5 years. The plan was to teach abroad for a year then go back home…which obviously didn’t happen!

This is my journey in China and how one year turned into five.

First: Why did I move to China?

There are a few different reasons, but the biggest one is that I was looking for an adventure living in a different country. I wanted to teach abroad for a year and experience a new culture. I had studied abroad in Europe for 3 months as a student, and wanted the chance to do that again, but for longer. So after I graduated, I packed my bags and moved to China.

Before moving to China, I hardly knew anything about the country. I spoke no Chinese, could barely use chopsticks, could name a handful of cities. I definitely had some preconceived notions about China and ideas from the media, but was open to seeing what would happen.

1st Year in China: Hengyang, China | 2015 – 2016

In August 2015 I landed in China and moved to a small city in the Hunan Province called Hengyang with 4 other Americans from my university. We were going to be teachers at the University of South China, or Nan Hua Da Xue.

Moving to a small city in China of course was hard at first: There was a lot of unfamiliar foods with names we couldn’t pronounce, signs everywhere that we couldn’t read, and not many people who could speak English. People would stare at us when we walked around and they would snap photos of us on the street. It was all so bizarre, but also really new and exciting.

Teaching at a University in China

Life became much easier once we started teaching. I loved teaching at the university. I taught oral English to 8 classes of freshman students, and would help them practice their English through fun discussions, interactive activities, and games.

I remember my first week so clearly – I was treated almost like a celebrity. Most of my students came from other small cities in the Hunan province, and had never had a foreign teacher before. It was strange, but also so exciting to talk with them.  For my class they had to pick an English name, and many of them picked really interesting ones like Green Tea and Magical Mountain, or made up their own, like Gonicy haha.

My students were amazing at helping me adapt to China. They would show me their favorite restaurants and dishes in the city, invited me to their hometowns to meet their families, and let me call them anytime I needed help. My students and I had many hot pot parties together at my apartment, which are some of my favorite memories of Hengyang. The students would teach me funny games from their childhood, and we would show them how to play UNO and other American games.

I became especially close with some Chinese friends: Emily, Mervin, Andy, and Young and to this day, 5 years later I still talk with them!

Living in a Small City in China

Once we adapted to small town life, living in Hengyang was great. The cost of living was very cheap, and our apartments were provided by the university. It was difficult sometimes living in a small city because there was no metro, and not many western restaurants (aside from Starbucks, McDonalds, and pizza hut of course!) But having less international options helped me embrace and enjoy the local China experience. I’m so grateful I had the experience of living in a small city first and met the people I did.

Fun fact: Hunan food is VERY spicy! At restaurants we had to say wei la “little spice” otherwise we would end up crying through our meal. Eventually I adjusted though and LOVED it. To this day it’s still my favorite type of Chinese food.

I learned a lot about Chinese culture while living in Hengyang. I tried taiji, played mahjong, and learned how to make dumplings. I danced with the Chinese ladies in the square outside, drank a lot of hot water, and sang at KTV. Lots and lots of KTV! Oh, and I tried Baijiu for the first time – but certainly not the last.

One really fun memory: while I was visiting a rural area outside the city, a TV crew came over to interview me and ask what I thought about the scenery. I was surprised but gave some answers, and my students saw me later on the news that night.

During my first year in China I also traveled a lot. I hiked the Great Wall in Beijing, visited the Bund in Shanghai, saw the pandas in Chengdu, and rafted by the karst mountains in Yangshuo. I traveled with my American friends, and also some Chinese friends during these trips, which was really special.

2nd Year in China: Hengyang 2016 – 2017

After several months of teaching and traveling, I knew I wanted to stay longer in China. There was so much more I wanted to see and do. So I stayed for a second year in Hengyang.

My second year was a wonderful continuation of the first – and even easier since I was already used to China and living in Hengyang. I was teaching new freshman students, traveling, and learning more about Chinese culture. Also, throughout my first and second year in China I had started Rachel Meets China and was blogging about my experiences living and teaching abroad, firstly as a way to keep family and friends back home updated on what I was doing. Eventually I started doing it more regularly and learning more about blogging in China.

Overall, life in Hengyang was incredible – the students, the university, the food, the small city life. It was an amazing introduction to China.

3rd Year in China: Guangzhou 2017 – 2018

I loved my experience teaching at the University of South China, but also felt there was so much to see in China, so, I moved to Guangzhou to teach at a kindergarten. It was a new city, new culture, new job, new environment.

Guangzhou is well known for its Cantonese culture and influence – people speak Cantonese as well as mandarin, and eat food that is more sweet than spicy. Guangzhou is also a giant city – there were so many skyscrapers, metro lines, and people, and so many international places as well. Big city life in Guangzhou was definitely a change to small city life in Hengyang.

Teaching at a Kindergarten in China

Teaching at a kindergarten was a totally different experience than teaching university students. Instead of teaching oral English to 18-year olds who could speak and debate in English, I had 28 little 3 year olds who were starting their first year of kindergarten. They had never been to school before, let alone had a formal English class. I sang and danced and played lots of games about animals, colors, and shapes. I sang a lot of baby shark. It was challenging in some ways, but it was also so fun and rewarding! Seeing their sweet faces and getting hugs and high fives everyday was the best! We had a daily routine that consisted of morning exercises, breakfast, English class, PE class, lunch, and various Chinese lessons.

While living in Guangzhou I took Chinese lessons and became more serious about writing, taking photos. I also started traveling solo more – I went to Hong Kong several times to go hiking and to explore the city life. Later I went to Zhangjiajie the famous Avatar Mountains in the Hunan province as well as Furong, a beautiful ancient town nearby.

4th Year in China: Beijing 2018 – 2019

After one year in Guangzhou and 3 years total in China, I knew I still wasn’t finished with China, but I was ready for a new experience again. As much as I loved teaching and loved my students,  I wanted to develop my career goals with digital media, which is what my degree is in.  I was offered a job doing digital marketing and media for a company in Beijing and jumped at the opportunity.

So in August 2018, I moved to Beijing.  

Beijing: the capital city of China. After visiting once, I never imagined myself living there. I thought it would be too big and too international, and I thought I would miss the small city feel that I had in Hengyang. But I quickly found that Beijing was so diverse and the perfect mixture of traditional culture and modern life. Its so different living in Beijing than being a tourist in Beijing.

The historical and traditional Beijing attractions are a must-do of course, like the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, and the Great Wall.

Also, expat life in Beijing is amazing. Whatever community you want to get involved in, you can find. There’s a group for everything here – sports teams, language exchange groups, trivia nights, book clubs, hiking groups – EVERYTHING. I joined a volleyball team and met so many wonderful people in the Beijing community. While my first 3 years in China felt more like I was living in a foreign place, living in Beijing felt more like I had made a home here in a foreign country. I loved Beijing, my job, my friends, and the community I built here, and couldn’t imagine leaving, so I stayed for my 5th year in China.

During my time in Beijing I’ve even traveled more – I rode horses in Inner Mongolia and hiked Huangshan, the famous Yellow Mountains of China. I drank Tsingtao beer on the beach in Qingdao, saw the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, went to Chongqing for spicy food and temples, and traveled to the far north of China to Harbin for the largest Ice Sculpture Festival in the world.

I also took a 3 week long solo trip in southern China. First to Furong Ancient Town, a beautiful waterfall village in Hunan province. Then to Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, a small traditional village in Guizhou. Next I went to Yunnan Province and spent time in Lijiang Old Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and Shangri-La.

During my 3 week trip I met the friendliest people and saw some incredible places. I highly recommend visiting smaller villages and lesser known places in China – every place in China is so unique with different foods and cultural traditions, and I love seeing more of that.

Throughout time in Beijing I also began doing more media collaborations with companies who wanted to promote travel and culture in China, such as the Shanghai Tourism Board and Ctrip. I attended several promotional events for different cities in China, and was selected to be a Huangshan International Citizen and a Zunyi International Citizen. It has been amazing to be able to share my passion for Chinese culture and traveling in China with other people at these kind of events.

Living in China for 5 Years

It’s been an incredible 5 years. My ideas about China – the culture, the people, and life here – have totally changed from what they were before I came. Even after 5 years though, I still feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface of China – there is still so much more I want to do and see and learn here. I don’t imagine I’ll stay here forever, but for the time being I’m not done with living and traveling in China. It’s my goal to visit every province or region here – I’ve crossed 20 off but still have many to see!

If you’re thinking about moving to China, I think the most important things is to be flexible and have an open mind – China will amaze and surprise you with all the opportunities and experiences.

Source: https://rachelmeetschina.com

China also adopted a more open, proactive and markets-driven regulation for permanent residency for foreigners in order to draw more young people and investments from abroad. We will share some details about it today.

This permit, or ‘green card’ in Chinese, is a legal personal identification for foreigners with permanent residency in China.

Apart from holding valid passports and the Chinese green card, foreigners can enter and leave China without a visa and will not be limited during their stay in China. It applies to foreigners under 18 for 10 years or five years.

ELIGIBILITY

How to apply for a Chinese Green Card?

Outsiders seeking permanent residency in China must comply with Chinese rules, be well-being, have no criminal record and satisfy at least one of the following criteria:

1 Made a direct investment in China resulting in stable operations and a good tax-paying record for three consecutive years. 

1. Investment in any sector promoted under the Foreign Investment Guidance Catalog: $500,000 or more;
2. Western China investment or other primary poverty relief or growth program county: at least $500,000;
3. Central China investment: at least 1 million dollars;
4. China investment: at least 2 million dollars. China investment.

2 Hold the position of deputy general manager or manager of the factorie or higher for at least four straight years and have the requisite residency term for a minimum of three combined years over four years, for a strong fiscal record; or hold the position of associate research fellow and other associate senior technical names, or excluding, for an amount of the same care.

3 It made or was particularly required by China a great and outstanding contribution to China.

4 A individual in the above category is spouse or unmarried child under the age of 18.

5 Be married to a Chinese citizen or an outsider with a permanent residency in China for a minimum of five years with a residence in China for 5 consecutive years, and with a secure source of livelihood or residence per year for a minimum of 9 months.

6 Be a single person under the age of 18 who comes to China to live in China with parents.

7 At least 60 years old, with no immediate relatives abroad and sponsored family members in China, have been residing in China for a minimum of five consecutive years and have a secure source of livelihood and dwelling each year for at least nine months.

In different jurisdictions the needs may vary so please visit the city’s public safety office to find out more about qualifications. The criteria may differ.

Guangzhou, for example, stipulates that candidates can in general be under 55 years of age.

PROCESS TIME

The Processing Times are within six months after the receipt of a request, according to the Regulations on Examination and Approval of Permanent Residence of Foreigners in China.

FEE & COSTThe total charge is 1,800 yuan per person, including: 

• Application fee 1,500 yuan 
• Certificate fee 300 yuan 

BENEFITS
The possession of a green card gives certain advantages. With the exception of voting rights and in some other fields where the statute has differently ruled, those with a Chinese green card would have the same rights and duties as a Chinese resident.

• Entry-Exit 

The holders of green cards can remain in China free of charge and only with their passport and permanent resident’s visa can leave or enter China.

• Life services 

Permanent residents’ permits can be used when handling financial, educational medical, traffic, telecom and employment affairs, as well as when dealing with social insurance, property registration and lawsuits. 

• Career development 

Green card holders can apply for professional or technical examinations. They will be treated equally as Chinese in daily life, such as with house purchases, hotel check-in, driving license applications and school enrollment for their children. 

• Social welfare 

Social insurance will cover green card holders working in the country; foreigners who live but do not work in China also receive medical insurance an d a pension. 

• More…

As one of the core sections of the China International Talent Exchange Conference, the Shenzhen Forum has always attracted attention for its high-standard, authoritative, and high-quality products. For more than ten years, more than 30 leaders including Yin Weimin, Pan Ligang, Li Zhaoxing, Zhang Jianguo, more than 60 famous scholars such as Fan Gang, Chen Cungen, Sun Jiadong, former Australian President Hawke, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Strong, Greece Ioannis More than 70 international dignitaries and internationally renowned experts, including John Ioannos, and more than 140 well-known corporate executives have participated in speeches or interactions. Today, the Shenzhen Forum has developed into a “podium” and a “voicing tube” in the field of international scientific and technological innovation cooperation and international talent exchange based on Shenzhen, connecting Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, serving the whole country, and radiating the world.

With the theme of “Talents Gathering in the 14th Five-Year Plan to Build a Scientific and Technological Community”, this Shenzhen Forum will invite many guests to gather together to focus on the topics of “International Technological Innovation and Cooperation” and “International Talent Exchange and Cooperation”. Simultaneous learning to drive innovation and development and Sino-German cooperation to open up smart manufacturing upgrades to explore development paths and new opportunities for technological innovation and talent exchange from different perspectives.

Organization

| organizer |

Ministry of Science and Technology 

(State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs)

Shenzhen Municipal People’s Government

Event Details

| Time |

2021年4月24日

| Address |

Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center Hall 5

Events Highlights

► Technological innovation helps healthy China

After the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia, the use of technology to defeat the epidemic has become the most effective weapon. Medicine, pharmacy, biology, artificial intelligence, intelligent manufacturing…interdisciplinary and multi-field innovations have exerted the power of science and technology in the fight against the “epidemic”, maximizing the protection of people’s life safety and health and well-being.

The health industry is one of the five strategic tasks for the construction of a healthy China. The “14th Five-Year Plan” pointed out that it is necessary to persist in innovation-driven development, based on medical science and technology to become self-reliant, concentrate on key core technology research, and speed up the resolution of a batch of “stuck neck” problems in the fields of medicines, medical devices, medical equipment, vaccines, etc. Promote a substantial increase in the overall strength of my country’s health technology innovation, and help the construction of a healthy China.

In the first topic, Yang Xiaoming, chief engineer, chief scientist, chairman of China Biotech, and director of the National Joint Vaccine Engineering Research Center from Sinopharm Group, as well as Changjiang Scholars distinguished professor, doctoral tutor, recipient of government subsidies from the State Council, and current Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Lu Wenliang, the president and concurrently director of the Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute of Epidemic Diseases, will focus on the prevention and control of the epidemic around the theme of “science and technology, escort life and health, and explain the current development and prospects of the industry.

► Innovation drives the future of the Bay Area

At present, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area has become a bridgehead for China’s economic development, a test field for China’s multi-system integration and innovation, and a new economic growth pole. In recent years, innovation policies in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area have been continuously promulgated, innovation platforms have been intensively implemented, innovation elements have continued to gather, and innovative enterprises have accelerated their development

Shenzhen is a city full of opportunities, with an open and inclusive culture that encourages hard work and innovation, and is not afraid of failure. This is also the unique charm of Shenzhen as a “fertile land for innovation and entrepreneurship”. Open, tolerant, pragmatic, dare to take risks, and pursue innovation. It is in this “Shenzhen spirit” that groups of young people have cultivated hope and reaped fruitful results in this hot land.

In the second topic, Cai Ying, deputy secretary of the Shenzhen Guangming District Party Committee, District Mayor, and Party Secretary of the District Government, and Wang Jinjing, general manager of Shenzhen China Merchants Qihang Investment Management Co., Ltd. Speech on the theme of “Bay Area”.

► Intelligent manufacturing, Sino-German cooperation prospects are broad

Made in Germany, world-renowned. Since the economic recession in 2008, the German economy has been thriving in Europe. A closer look at the reasons lies in the vigorous impetus that the German manufacturing industry has injected into economic development. At the moment when the global manufacturing industry encounters development bottlenecks and seeks to transform and upgrade, Germany took the lead in proposing the concept of “Industry 4.0”.

Since the establishment of an all-round strategic partnership between China and Germany in 2014, with the continuous deepening of Sino-German cooperation, the bilateral economic and trade cooperation has developed steadily and the economic scale has continued to expand. When “Made in Germany” and “Made in China” cooperate sincerely, not only high-quality products, but also the happiness and ideals of the two peoples will be manufactured.

In the third topic, Ömer Sahin Ganiyusufoglu, Academician of the German Academy of Engineering and Qingdao International Academician, Port Industry Development Consultant, Dr. Thorsten Keiter, Senior Vice President of TÜV Rheinland Greater China, and Ouyang Jinsong, Director of the Institute of Comprehensive Technology and Economics of Machinery Industry, Germany Speakers such as Feng Xingliang, Chief Representative of the Beijing Representative Office of the North Rhine-Westphalia International Business Administration, will share the theme of “Cooperation · Smart Manufacturing”, combining the status and prospects of the development cooperation between China and Germany in technology and smart manufacturing, and expounding the technology Complementary advantages and space for cooperation.