How Foreigners Can Benefit from Obtaining a Chinese Permanent Residence

China Travel Restrictions Policy Updates

Foreigner’s entries will not be affected if with these types of visa:

• Foreigners with diplomatic visa;
• Foreigners with official visa;
• Foreigners with courtesy visa;
• Foreigners with C visa;
• Foreigners engaged in necessary economic, trade, scientific and technological activities.
• Foreigners to enter for urgent humanitarian needs.
• Foreigners with a visa issued by the Chinese embassy or consulate abroad after 28th.

Who can Enter China under China Travel Restriction?

• Permanent Residents
• HONG KONG and MACAU Residents
• TAIWAN Residents

Who is eligible to apply for Permanent Residency in China?

• Foreign Talents
• Foreign Investors
• Foreign Employees Holding Key Positions in an Enterprises
• Foreigners with Family Reunion-Related Reasons

Foreign Talents

• Talent I
  • Core members of research teams
• Talent II
  • Overseas Chinese working in national key development zones
• Talent III
  • Overseas Chinese with Ph. Degrees
• Talent IV
  • Special talents
• Talent V
  • Foreigners holding residence permits for work (marked “high qualified person’’)
• Talent VI
  • Excellent foreign graduates

Foreign Investors

• Foreigners who made a relatively large direct investment in China

Foreign employees holding key positions in an enterprises

• Type I
  • Working staff
• Type II
  • Senior/Professional Staff
• Type III
  • Foreign staff working in Special Area

Foreigners with Family Reunion-Related Reasons

• Type I
  • Spouse
• Type II
  • Children
• Type III
  • Elderly relatives

 

Top 3

 

1. Working staff
   • Worked in Shanghai continuously for 4 years;
   • With a good annual salary income (before tax)
   • Having paid good annual individual income Tax;
   • Stayed in mainland China for no less than 6 months every year in the 4 years;
   • With present employer’s recommendation

   How to calculate continuously for 4 years?
   –4 consecutive years before the date of application

   Take Sep. 2021 for example

   1st Oct.2017 – Sep.2018

   2nd Oct.2018 – Sep.2019

   3rd Oct.2019 – Sep.2020

   4th Oct.2020 – Sep.2021
   

   How to define good annual income and individual income tax

   

2. Spouse
   • They have been married for 5 years;
   • They have lived in China for 5 consecutive years;
   • They have stayed in mainland China for no less than 9 months every year;
   • They have stable life security and accommodations in China

   MUST have Marriage Certificates – notarized by Chinese Embassy/Consulate

   How to calculate continuously for 5 years?

   Take Sep.2021 for example

   1st Oct. 2016 – Sep.2017

   2nd Oct.2017 – Sep.2018

   3rd Oct.2018 – Sep.2019

   4th Oct.2019 – Sep.2020

   5th Oct.2020 – Sep.2021

   How to define stable life security and accommodations in China?

   

3. Foreign Investors
   

   Permanent Residence Application
   – Applicants should Physically visit Immigration Bureau. Full process will take 50-180 working days, 5 years to 10 years validity

   1. Assessment
   2. Preparation
   3. Submission
   4. Fetching

   What are the benefits of obtaining a Permanent Residency in China?

   • Permanent residency
   • Visa-free
   • Work permits and residence permits are not required
   • Priorities in certificate application/ professional title assessment
   • Convenience in doing businesses
   • Children’s education
   • Social insurance
   • Housing provident fund
   • Property purchase
   • Banking, insurance, securities, futures, and other financial service
   • Foreign exchange service
   • Transportation
   • Consumer activities

   How to keep a Permanent Residence in China?

   What to do?

   1. Stay in China for more than 3 months per year
   2. Renew every 10 years
   3. Observe disciplines and obey laws

   What not to do?

   1. Endanger China’s national security or interests
   2. Are deported
   3. Obtain permanent residence status in China by fraudulent acts
   4. Fail to reside in China for the prescribed time limit
   5. Other circumstances in which foreigners are not eligible to reside in China permanently

 

Case Studies

 

1. Working staff
   
   Case:
   Mr. Smith is a France passport holder, he married with a Hong Kong resident, Mr. Smith started to work in China from year 2007, from year 2007 to year 2015 worked in Beijing a d from year 2016 working in Shanghai, during the working period in Shanghai, Mr. Smith changed 3 jobs and there is 3 months gap of employment in the year 2019. Mr. Smith’s average annual income is RMB860,000 and average IIT payment is RMB172,000. Mr. Smith was out of China less than 30 days per year.

   Analysis:

   • Eligible: Yes
   • Working years: 4 continuously in Shanghai
   • Annual gross income: RMB600,000 above
   • Annual IIT payment: RMB120,000 above
   • Residence days in China: 6 months above
2. Spouse
   Full process will take 50-180 working days.

   Case:
   Mr. Scott is a UK passport holder, he married a Beijing resident in the year of 2001. Mr. Scott and his wife stay in China all the time, except the period of Aug.~Dec.2018 spending in the UK. They had bought a house in Beijing. Mr. Scott is holding a Reunion residence permit in Beijing.

   Analysis:
   Eligible: Depends on application date

   

   

3. Foreign Investors
   Case:
   Mr. Green had invested in a WFOE in Shanghai in the year of 2007, and the first capital injection was US$ 0.7 million in June.2007, and the second capital injection in US$ 0.7 million in Jan.2008. Mr. Green started to apply for work permit and residence permit under the WFOE from Jun.2007, Mr. Green applied the Permanent Residence in Jun.2020 but it was rejected, and Mr. Green applied the Permanent residence in Jan.2021 and it was accepted, and the Permanent Residence is going to be obtained in Oct.2021.

   Analysis:

   • A capital verification report showing the company’s registered capital is US$ 1 million above
   • 3 years after the date of capital is US$ 1 million above
   • Foreigners should apply for work permit and residence permit under the WFOE for three years above.

For any information on How Foreigners Can Benefit from Obtaining a Chinese Permanent Residence, please contact our team by email atinfo@opkofinance.comor by phone at +852 2654 8800/+86 187 177 31958.