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CHINA: Shanghai Announces Simultaneous Application Process for Work Permits and Residence Permits

Dec 25, 2019 | Global

Foreign nationals who qualify for Category A (highly-skilled workers) of the unified work permit system and who are seeking employment with a company in Shanghai registered with the Expert Bureau in the municipal talent center of MeiYuan Road can now apply for a work permit and residence permit simultaneously under the “Single Window” system.

What Does This Mean?

Shorter processing time. The Shanghai Foreign Experts Bureau and Shanghai Public Security office are adjudicating work permit and residence permit applications under the Single Window system within seven business days. Before the Single Window system, Category A foreign nationals had to file their work permit application at the Shanghai Foreign Experts Bureau (which took five business days to adjudicate) and then file their residence permit application at the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, which took an additional seven business days to adjudicate.

Who Can Apply?. This new policy is currently only available for initial work permit applications and applications transferring a work permit from one company to another in Shanghai.

This particular Expert Bureau was chosen to be the first to implement this consolidated process since it is the original application center that existed before other centers were opened in other districts in Shanghai starting 2017. This rule demonstrates the government’s intention to provide more convenient and faster service to foreign nationals.

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