Life of Guangzhou - How to apply for a Foreign Expert Certificate for those who haven't acquired a Work Permit for Foreign Experts Working in China

Foreign Expert Certificate serves as an identification of foreign experts while working in China. Within 30 days after their entry into China, foreign experts working in Guangzhou can apply for a Residence Permit at the Department of Resident Alien Affairs in the Municipal Bureau for Public Security, by providing the Foreign Expert Certificate and some relevant materials. With the undertaking of such procedures, foreign experts need not apply for the Work Permit for Foreign Experts Working in China.

1. People that are eligible to apply:
1) Technicians and management staff that are employed together with the importation of technology and equipment; Technicians, management staff, and consulting experts that are working with assistance programs of some international organizations (such the UN) or with multilateral or bilateral assistance programs;

2) Technicians, management staff, and consulting experts that are working with assistance programs of some international organizations (such the UN) or with the multilateral or bilateral assistance programs;

3) Technicians, management staff, and consulting experts employed to satisfy the municipal needs of economic construction, financed both at the national and local level; or

4) Technicians and management staff engaged in production, business operation, and management in foreign-invested enterprises in Guangzhou – the foreign experts working in foreign-invested enterprises. Their employment shall be in accordance with the Regulations on Management of Foreign Experts in Foreign-invested Enterprises issued by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. ([1996]176) All these foreign experts must work in areas that comply with their specialization and technical expertise. They must meet the following qualifications:

a. having a bachelor degree or occupying a technical post of engineer or above, or having a degree and occupying a technical post at the same level;

b. having work experience of over five years in the field of specialization and being qualified to provide technical guidance and being competent enough to do his/her job;

c. being well-equipped with one kind of special skill or expertise or be specialized in some other areas that are in urgent need in Guangzhou;

d. having over five years of experience in management abroad or holding a position of department director or above in a large or medium-sized foreign-invested enterprise or a high-tech enterprise; and

e. being a foreign expert specialized in cultural exchange and education employed to work in education, media, publishing, cultural exchange, art, health, sports and so on.

2. Materials that are needed to apply for a Foreign Expert Certificate:
1) For a foreign expert who has acquired a Work Visa (Z) before his/her entry into China or a Residence Permit after his/her entry into China, the following materials are needed:

a. the Application Form for the Foreign Expert Certificate;

b. (for those who have it) the original valid Residence Permit plus a photocopy of the Residence Permit with an official seal;

c. (for those who have it) the original copy of valid Work Visa (Z) and a photocopy of the Work Visa (Z) with official seal;

d. a valid passport plus a photocopy of the passport with official seal;

e. a photocopy of the business license of the employer or that of the institutional code of the employer with official seal;

f. two recent passport-size photos; and

g. (if accompanied by family members) their valid passports and photocopies of their passports with official seal plus two one-inch photos for each person.

2) For the foreign expert who hasn't acquired the Work Visa (Z) or the Residence Permit, the following materials are needed:

a. the Application Form for the Foreign Expert Certificate;

b. a valid passport plus a photocopy of it with official seal;

c. a valid visa plus a photocopy of it with official seal;

d. the agreement or contract on employment (For foreign cultural and educational experts, it is necessary to submit a photocopy of qualification certificate provided by the employer or the number of the qualification certificate plus the uniform standard employment contract that is printed by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and signed with the employer);

e. (to work in special areas, for example, as accountant, lawyer and so on), relative professional licenses or other materials;

f. a photocopy of the university transcript or other documents certifying the highest degree conferred or materials (with official seal) that certify the professional qualification (All the materials in foreign languages shall be provided with a Chinese translation);

g. a photocopy of the business license of the employer or the institutional code of it, with official seal;

h. two recent passport size photos; and

i. (if accompanied by family members) their valid passports and photocopies of them with official seals, plus two one-inch photos for each person.

3) Points to Note:

a. All above-mentioned materials shall be provided with Chinese translation if they are originally in foreign languages;

b. All the photocopies and translation of the passport, Residence Permit, visa, university transcript, and certificate of professional qualification shall be provided with official seal from the employer.

c. If the applicant is the legal representative or director of the work unit, articles of association together with the certificate for shareholders and so on are required, rather than the employment contract.

d.Three working days after all materials are submitted will be needed to handle the application.

3. If one of the following qualifications is met and both the laws and regulations at the national and municipal level are kept and no crime has been committed, foreign experts and experts from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan are entitled to apply for the Foreign Expert Certificate or the Certificate for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan Experts. The certificate's validity can extend for up to five years or within in terms of the duration of the employment contract:

1) Foreign senior consultants employed in government agencies at all levels (or high-level science and technology experts or senior managers) to carry out cooperative projects of science and technology, key engineering agreements, or expertise exchange programs signed by the Chinese state or local governments and their foreign counterparts (including international organizations), or staff performing volunteer assistance under agreement signed by both governments involved.

2) Foreign managers at mid-level or above (or professional technicians that enjoy the same treatment) employed by the social service sectors (excluding education) and domestic enterprises (excluding hotels, restaurants, and entertainment industries) must hold a bachelor’s degree or above, have at least five years of solid relevant experience, and have a good knowledge and skills relative to their work, so as to conduct technical instruction properly and to be qualified for their job.

Those who have met the above qualifications and are employed by sectors of agriculture, forestry, husbandry, and fishery and those who, without a bachelor’s degree, have at least ten years of experience in their industries and are knowledgeable of the growing or breeding technology imperative to Guangzhou.

3) Staff employed by foreign-invested enterprises or Sino-foreign joint ventures (excluding hotels, restaurants, and entertainment industries):

a. Managers at mid-level or above (or professional technicians who enjoy the same treatment as those) employed by enterprises with registered capital of at least five million US dollars must hold a bachelor’s degree or above and have at least five years of solid relevant experience.

b. Deputy General Managers (vice presidents of factories) or above (or professional technicians who enjoy the same treatment) employed by enterprises with registered capital of at least one million US dollars must hold a bachelor’s degree or above and have at least five years of solid relevant experience.

4) How to apply for extending the Foreign Expert Certificate
The Foreign Expert Certificate shall be extended before it expires, otherwise it will not be valid. In applying to extend the Certificate, an official letter from the employer, a valid employment contract signed by the foreign expert and the employer, and the valid Foreign Expert Certificate shall be provided.

Governing body: Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs of Guangzhou Municipality
Telephone: 83126157、83126037
Fax: 83126137
Address: Room 401, 402, west wing of the building 4#, Guangzhou Municipal Government, 1# on Fuqian Lu, Guangzhou