1. High-level foreign talents, foreigners who have made significant contributions, and foreigners in special demand may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for permanent residency in China, with recommendations from relevant State administrations, the provincial people’s government or administering departments of national key development areas. Foreign spouses and minor children of the applicants may apply together.

2. Foreigners, who have been working in China for four consecutive years and live in China for no less than six months per year, with an annual salary income no less than six times of the average salary of local urban employees and individual income taxes of no less than 20% of his/her salary income, may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for permanent residency in China. Foreign spouses and minor children of the applicants may apply together.

3. Overseas Chinese, who work in China with doctoral degrees, or who have been working in China’s national key development areas for four consecutive years and have lived in China for no less than 6 months per year, may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for permanent residency in China. Foreign spouses and minor children of the applicants may apply together.

4. Foreign experts and researchers invited by domestic key higher education institutes, scientific research institutes and renowned enterprises, and foreigners certified as high-level talents in management and professional skills by talent administrations and science, technology and innovation administrations of municipal or higher-level people’s governments may apply to visa administrations of public security organs at the checkpoints for visas on arrival. The applicants may then apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for multiple entry visas or residence permits valid for up to five years with letters from the inviting organizations.

5. Foreign talents introduced into domestic key development fields and industries in China and foreign members of innovative entrepreneurial teams may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for residence permits valid for up to five years with work permits and letters from the employers. Foreign members of innovative entrepreneurial teams may also apply for residence permits valid for up to 5 years with a letter of guarantee from the team leader.

6. Foreigners who have made significant contributions or foreigners in special demand may recommend foreign members and assistant scientific researchers in their teams to apply for long-term visas or residence permits valid for up to five years.

7. Foreigners hired by enterprises and public institutions in China, who have acquired work permits yet have no work visas, may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for residence permits for foreigners working in China. Applicants who have acquired such permits valid for one year or longer for two consecutive times and have no violations may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for five-year residence permits for foreigners working in China according to regulations.

8. High-level foreign talents working full-time for domestic key higher-education institutes, scientific research institutes and renowned enterprises in China may work part-time for innovative entrepreneurial teams with permissions from the full-time employers and part-time employers after reporting to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs.

9. Outstanding foreign students, who have completed undergraduate or higher-level programs in domestic key higher-education institutes and work for innovative entrepreneurial projects in China after graduation, may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for two-to-five-year residence permits with graduation certificates and relevant materials in innovative entrepreneurship.

10. Foreign students, who have graduated from international renowned higher-education institutes and work on innovative entrepreneurial projects in China within 2 years after graduation, may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for residence permits of up to two years.

11. Foreign students of overseas higher-education institutes, who are invited for internships at renowned enterprises and public institutes in China, may apply to the exit and entry administrations of public security organs for one-year internship visas. Foreign students of overseas higher-education institutes, who intern in China according to intergovernmental agreements, may apply for residence permits for foreigners working in China according to regulations.

12. Explore the construction of immigration service stations in communities with a large number of foreign residents, and provide services including policy counseling, residence, travel, legal assistance, language and cultural education.