Aiming to attract more talented people and investments from overseas, China has introduced a more flexible, pragmatic and market-oriented regulation on permanent residence for foreigners.
An online English-language service offering information on immigration services along with a telephone hotline officially started operations on Thursday.
China will allow the entry of foreign nationals holding three categories of valid Chinese residence permits starting on Monday, according to an announcement jointly made by the Foreign Ministry and the National Immigration Administration.
Apart from ordinary visas, Chinese visas also include diplomatic visa, service visa and courtesy visa based on purposes for visa.
Foreigners, who need to enter China urgently for humanitarian reasons, who are invited to enter China for urgent business affairs or urgent engineering repair or who enter China as required for other urgencies and hold certifications on the consent of the relevant competent departments to application for visa at ports of entry, may, at the ports of entry approved by the State Council to issue port visas, apply for a port visa to the port visa offices as authorized by the Ministry of Public Security.
Issued to foreign crew members of means of internationaltransportation, including aircraft, trains and ships, or motor vehicle drivers engaged in cross-border transport activities, or to the accompanying family members of the crew members of the above-mentioned ships.
Issued to those who intend to reside in China permanently.