How to Apply for Permanent Residence Card in Guangdong?

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Due to the protracted COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing travel bans, to avoid the cumbersome visa application procedures, many expatriates in China have begun to assess the pros and cons of obtaining a Foreigner Permanent Residence Identity Card, also known as the Chinese Green Card.

In theory, foreigners granted permanent residence status enjoy almost the same rights and bear the same obligations as Chinese citizens. The card will facilitate their travel to and from China as well as employment, children’s education, property purchase, healthcare, social security, travel and accommodation, etc.

While the card is hard to obtain, with the country’s opening-up and desire for foreign talents, China has been rolling out policies to lower the threshold for permanent residency application (including the Opinions on Strengthening the Administration of Permanent Residence Service for Foreigners released in 2016 and the Twelve Immigration and Entry-Exit Facilitation Measures released in 2019).

On February 27, 2020, China unveiled a new draft on the Regulations on the Administration of Permanent Residence of Foreigners. The new draft introduced a new set of rules to determine how foreign citizens can be eligible for permanent residency in China.

Unfortunately, the endeavor has been stuck in the ‘draft seeking for public comments’ stage. Hence, foreigners still need to refer to local policies to understand the details of the permanent residency applications, including the eligibility criteria, procedures, timeline, and costs.

In this article, we provide information on the most updated permanent residency policies in the South China province of Guangdong, which has multiple cities that are part of the Greater Bay Area.

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How to apply for permanent residence in Guangdong?

Upon self-assessment of the qualifications based on the above-mentioned categories, the applicant should prepare corresponding application documents and submit to the local exit-entrance administration bureau.

Here are the primary documents needed for the permanent residence application:

●Complete Application Form for Permanent Residence in China;

●Valid passports and valid visas (or resident permit);

●Health certificates issued by a domestic entry-exit inspection authority and issued within the last six months;

●Non-criminal record abroad;

●Paper and electronic photos;

●If the applicant applies for the permanent residence card through employment – company recommendation letters, employment certificate, licenses, relevant qualification documents, pay slips, and tax payment certificates are also required;

●If applicant is an accompanying family member – proof of relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate, or proof of kinship) and evidence of shelter and table income are also required;

●If the applicant was once of Chinese nationality – naturalization paper or household registration transcript, overseas permanent resident certificate, and previous China passport are also required;

●If the applicant is a foreign investor – the certificate and record-filing documents related to foreign invested enterprise, the business license, a capital verification report showing that the company’s registered capital has reached the standard, and personal tax payment certificate for the last three years; 

●If the applicant is high-end talents – the high-end talents certificate or recommendation issued by Guangdong province or local authorities are required.

Applicants shall submit the primary documents as well as additional materials required by the exit-entry administration of the local public security bureau, and the application will be processed within 90-180 working days (Applications in most of the criteria could be processed within 180 days and time for investigation is excluded if some items need to be investigated by the local public security bureau).

Who can apply for permanent residence in Guangdong?

●Foreign workers

●Foreign high-end talents

●Foreigners specifically needed

●Foreign investors

●Foreign citizens of Chinese origin

●Foreigners with family reunion reasons

Note: Each Category has different eligibility criteria, for more information, please contact our consultant.

In practice, the whole process could be prolonged considering the time for preparing the documentation and submitting them to the bureau in charge.

Given the burdensome preparation work and the ongoing travel restrictions, it is advisable that applicants reach out to a local specialist to handle the application process.

If you need any more information, feel free to contact SOLUTIONS. We will be glad to assist you.

Consultant Wechat ID: 
solutionsmarketing 

Source: Chinese Briefing

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