Visa policy under review
- Source: Global Times
- [02:04 July 08 2010]
- Comments
Eunice Moe Brock, a US citizen, shows off her special visa to friends during her 92nd birthday party last year. In 1999, she devoted her life to helping local people achieve a better life and has settled down in Liaocheng, Shandong Province. She got the 10-year visa in July 2009. Photo: CFP
By Peng Pu
Jonathan Steward came to Beijing in 2007 to work as a manager of a consulting company. Like many other foreigners working in China, he was granted a one-year renewable work visa.
The annual application process includes lots of paperwork that most foreigners have to endure.
"I could stay in China for 20 years if I continue my work here, but I would never become a citizen of the country under current law," Steward said. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not welcomed here and that maybe I should go home after a while."
The number of foreigners allowed to stay in China for at least six months reached 530,000 in 2007, the ministry of public security said.
Visiting China has become less troublesome in the past decade, yet it remains difficult for foreigners to obtain a long-term visa that lasts up to 10 years.
But this is something the government is hoping to change in a new law currently being drafted.
China does not recognize dual citizenship and until 2004, few foreigners were allowed to live here permanently without a visa.
In 2004, China introduced the Alien Permanent Residence Permit, the Chinese version of the green card, but it remains an exclusive club.
Those who have made an outstanding contribution to the country, have a special skill, or invest huge sums of cash are eligible. In addition, the spouses of Chinese citizens and permanent residents are also eligible.
Business people with three consecutive years of direct and stable investment (no less than $500,000) may apply for a multiple-year visa.
The regulations are widely considered too strict to attract skilled foreign workers and keep them here for a long time. This marks a conservative attitude that China has toward overseas people, Ming Hai, a US-based immigrant attorney, told the Global Times.
Fewer than 650 foreigners got a multiple-year visa in 2005, one year after the regulation went into effect, according to Liu Guofu, a law professor at Beijing Institute of Technology.
In addition, China currently has no specific law to govern foreigners in the country, including those who have a multiple-year visa.
Current rules concerning foreigners are mainly scattered among regulations enforced by the Exit and Entry Administration.
"Current regulations are far from enough to address various problems that foreigners face in China. Even after obtaining the green card, they are not able to get education, medical and social security benefits" Liu Guofu said.
He added that current regulations are in a messy state and some contradict each other.
Meanwhile, those who enter China illegally and commit a crime continue to get special attention.
For example, Guangzhou police announced the largest drug smuggling case in 60 years last month. They captured 1,033 kilograms of heroin and arrested several African immigrants who lived in Guangzhou, the local Nanfang Metropolis Daily reported.
