China Unveils New Visa Program To Attract 'High-End' Foreigners

If you are a scientist, entrepreneur or a Nobel laureate, you might have a future as an expatriate in China.

The guidelines were released jointly by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security.

The special visas — the first of which has already been approved — can be obtained in as few as five days, the government says.

Applications for the visa can be completed online and are free, the ministries say.

"Information uploaded by applicants will be shared by all the three departments, which will save the applicants' time since they won't need to hand in the information repeatedly," Gao Xiang, director of the policies and regulations department of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, said.

Channel News Asia reports:

"The sought-after professionals include scientists and leading figures in technology-intensive sectors, the authorities said, adding that the categories could be adjusted based on the country's changing demand for talent.

Other perks include a visa fee waiver, 180-day stays for a single entry and a same-day visa permit approval for spouses and children."

Government guidelines say "high-end" talent also includes "Nobel Prize winners, chief or deputy editors in Chinese state media, foreign coaches and players in national and provincial sports teams, postdoctoral students from world-class universities outside China, and foreigners who earn at least six times the average annual wage in China," according to The South China Morning Post.

The move comes after Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in September that China's restructuring required a more open policy toward allowing in foreign expertise.

Copyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.