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China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world’s most populous country with a population exceeding 1.4 billion people. China spans five geographical time zones and borders fourteen countries by land, the most of any country in the world, tied with Russia.
There are two countries in the world whose culture has the historical depth, confidence, and population spread to make them hold-outs in a world that is increasingly homogenous, and those are India and China. Both are attractive in different ways for Westerners seeking experience living and working in a different culture. China, the subject of this article, attracts foreigners by its past and present profile: an old eastern culture that is rapidly rising to take its place among the world’s greatest modern civilizations, a stature that is all the more intriguing given the way it is blazing its own path in terms of the social contract. Do not be dissuaded by an element of bad press in the West; news tends to wallow in the alternative reality of political drama, while the realities on the street are something quite else. Chinese people are indeed largely welcoming and open, and opportunities abound for the astute.
Yet China is not easy. Food will often seem strange for the foreigner, different ways of doing things, different social contracts and expectations, uneven levels of development and modernity, and the widespread inability to communicate in English all combine to make China a hard country to move to. But for those who brave the adversities, and immerse themselves into China, the rewards are undeniable—at the very least you learn something about different ways of seeing and something about a culture that has been innovative throughout much of its history.
China’s development is uneven; some coastal cities—particularly Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou—are modern metropolises where the culture shock is limited. In these cities, you will find western ingredients in supermarkets, western-style bars and clubs, a relatively significant amount of Chinese who can speak English, and many other expatriates (for example, 300,000 foreigners live in Shanghai, the city with the greatest concentration of expats). Thus it is easier to move to these cities. One downside is a relatively higher cost of living, but the biggest trap may well be that you can easily get caught up in the classical expat way of life—your friends and social groups would mostly be other expats or Chinese people who want to be like foreigners, and therefore you do not learn much about China’s culture and the Chinese way.
If you really want to experience a form of Chinese culture that is more intact and traditional, then look east. You can opt for the second tier cities such as Chengdu, Kunming, Xi’an, and many others, or you can go more local and put your sight on smaller cities where people have not yet had the chance to mix with foreigners. These are cities in inner provinces, as well as small cities or towns in coastal provinces—cities that, despite their insularity, are still full of people eager to learn English and government schools that require “native English teachers.” In these kinds of places, you have no choice but to blend in as there will not be other foreigners (or very few) you can mix with.
Of course, settling into smaller cities is harder because of cultural differences. You will not find any authentic western restaurants in these cities (aside from the ubiquitous McDonald’s), and it will be hard to make friends unless you can speak Chinese. Therefore you need perseverance and patience, but ultimately the rewards are higher. For once you speak some Chinese, making friends with Chinese is easier than in the modern coastal cities where foreigners are common. You will be treated as novelty material, and you will find many local people who are eager to be friends with you. Young educated Chinese are eager to have foreign friends for a variety of reasons: curiosity about foreigners, an opportunity to practice English, gain exposure in dealing with foreigners, learn things from foreigners, and perhaps make a friend who could be helpful if the opportunity to move to a Western country arises (many young, educated Chinese would move to a Western country if given a chance, mostly due to better salaries and standards of living). So making friends is relatively easy, but everything else will be strange: the way people eat, social interactions, and day-to-day language barriers (you are unlikely to find anyone who can speak English when you might need to fix your telephone line, install an internet service, buy shoes, or do other daily chores of life).
If you are employed by a Chinese company, or you are a new teacher, then your employer will help you find an apartment. You need this help: on your own steam, you will only be able to find an apartment in the three modern coastal cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, and even in these places it’s difficult to assess what you are getting and for what without help from local Chinese people. A local person would also help you assess the suitability of any given area for access to public transport, going out, shopping for food, and whether the area is safe or not. Bear in mind that your relatively-good salary and the low cost of living in China will mean that you can afford a comfy place in a good area wherever you are in China.
But all of this should be of little concern if your move to China is going to be facilitated by contacts on the ground, whether that’s an employer or friends that will help you set yourself up. And you need someone to get you started in China—if you are thinking of simply getting a visa, going over without any contacts, and then setting yourself up and finding work… well, it can be done, but it will mean a few months of difficulties, frustrations, and perhaps loneliness. You can accomplish a move to many countries—I did it in England and Thailand and Australia, for example, just moving over by myself—but China is more complex.
The permanent residence of foreigners in China refers to that the period of foreigners’ stay here is not limited. Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens is the legitimate identity card of aliens having obtained permanent residence and may be used independently. They can enter and exit China by holding their valid passports and the Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens without a visa.
The validity of Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens is five or ten years. Aliens aged under 18 years old being granted permanent residence should be issued Certificates of Permanent Residence of Aliens of five years. Aliens aged over 18 years granted permanent residence should be issued Certificates of Permanent Residence of Aliens of 10 years.
| Different Types | Qualifications |
|---|---|
for Spouse Reunion | spouses of Chinese citizens or of aliens having obtained permanent residence in China, whose marriage has lasted for five years, and who have lived in mainland for five years in a row, the annual stay here being no shorter than nine months, and who have stable and secured living status and place to live |
for Seeking Reunion with Parents | unmarried children aged under 18 years old who come to live with their parents |
for Investment | having direct investment, stable investment in China for three years in a row, and having a sound taxation record |
for Employment | having assumed the posts of deputy general manager or deputy director of plants or higher level posts or posts of associate professors or associate research fellows and similar posts for more than four years in a row, and the period of stay in accumulation being no shorter than three years and having sound taxation record |
for Outstanding Aliens | having major and outstanding contributions to China or needed urgently by China |
| for Dependents | persons having no direct relatives abroad entering China to live with direct relatives, who are over 60 years old, have lived in China for five years in a row, whose annual stay being no shorter than nine months and have stable and secured living status and places to live. |
Aliens can apply for Permanent Residence for Spouse Reunion if they meet the following conditions:
1. Spouses of Chinese citizens or of aliens having obtained permanent residence in PRC;
2. Marriage has lasted for five years;
3. have lived in PRC for five years in a row, the annual stay in PRC being no shorter than nine months;
4. have stable and secured living status and place to live;
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices.
6. Proof of household registration of their Chinese spouses or the Certificate of Permanent Residence of aliens of their spouses of foreign nationality, marriage certificates, proof of secured living status and certificate of house leasing or property right of the house which have been notarized. The above-mentioned proof issued by related agencies abroad should be attested by the Chinese embassies or consulate offices in the countries or regions.
Unmarried children aged under 18 years old who come to PRC to live with their parents can apply for Permanent Residence in PRC if they meet the following conditions:
1. One or both of their parents is or are Chinese citizen(s) and have household registration in PRC, or one or both of their parents is or are alien(s) with permanent residence status in PRC;
2. Under the age of 18 and unmarried;
3. Confirmed to have foreign nationality after examination according to Law of Nationality of P.R.C.
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. The Household registration if their parents are Chinese citizens or the Alien Permanent Residence Permits if their parents are of foreign nationality; birth certificates or kindred certificates;
6. Certificates of adoption shall be issued by department of civil affairs at the provincial level in case the adoptive relations are established in PRC. Certificates of adoption by Hong Kong notary entrusted by Chinese government if the adoptive relations are established in Hong Kong. Certificates of adoption by notary of Macau SAR in case the adoptive relations are established in Macau. Certificates of adoption shall be issued by notary of Taiwan in case the adoptive relations are established in Taiwan. All the evidence issued by foreign institutes should be verified by the Chinese embassy or consulate in that foreign country.
Foreign investors can apply for Permanent Residence if they have direct investment in PRC for three years in a row and have a sound taxation record and meet any of the following terms and conditions:
1. having made investment of over USD 500,000 in industries of encouraged type as specified in the Catalogue of Industries of Foreign Investment released by the State;
2. having made total investment of over USD 500,000 in counties in the western part of the country or in counties which are major targets of poverty relief work undertaken by the State;
3. having total investment of over USD 1 million in the central part of the country;
4. having total investment of over USD 2 million in PRC.
Requirements:
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices.
6. Certificates of approval of foreign funded enterprises, certificate of registration, proof of combined annual inspection, report of assets valuation and proof of personal tax payment. In case of foreign funded enterprises of encouraged type, letter of confirmation of the foreign invested projects which the State encourages should also be provided.
Foreigners can apply for Permanent Residence for Employment if they satisfy the following conditions:
1. having assumed the posts of deputy general manager or deputy director of plants or higher level posts or posts of associate professors or associate research fellows and similar posts for more than four years in a row, and the period of stay in accumulation being no shorter than three years and having sound taxation record;
2. the units where they work should meet any of the following terms and conditions:
A: institutions subordinate to the various ministries under the State Council or to the provincial level people’s governments;
B: major higher learning schools;
C: enterprises or institutions executing major engineering projects or major scientific projects of the State;
D: high-tech enterprises, foreign invested enterprises in encouraged type, foreign invested advanced technology enterprises or foreign invested export-oriented enterprises.
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices;
6. Proof of post or title of the persons issued by the units where they work ;
7. Certificates of foreign experts or certificates of employment of aliens;
8. Registration certificate, annual inspection proof and personal tax payment proof of the units where they work;
9. One of the below documents:
(1) units are foreign funded enterprises, the certificate of approval of foreign funded enterprises and proof of combined annual inspection should also be provided;
(2) persons of enterprises or institutions executing major engineering projects or scientific projects of the State should provide testifying documents for the projects issued by the competent authorities of the provincial level people’s governments or ministries;
(3) persons working for high-tech enterprises should provide certificates of high-tech enterprises;
(4) persons working for encouraged type foreign funded enterprises should provide letter of confirmation of the encouraged type foreign invested projects;
(5) persons working for foreign invested advanced technology enterprises should provide letter of confirmation of foreign invested advanced technology enterprises;
(6) persons working for foreign invested export-oriented enterprises should provide letter of confirmation of foreign invested export-oriented enterprises.
This type of Permanent Residence is issued to aliens who have major and outstanding contributions to PRC or needed urgently by PRC.
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices
6. Letter of recommendation and related proofs issued by the competent authority of the Chinese government are required.
Aliens can apply for Permanent Residence for Dependents if you meet the following conditions:
1. Persons having no direct relatives abroad entering PRC to live with direct relatives in PRC;
2. Over 60 years old, have lived in PRC for five years in a row, whose annual stay in PRC being no shorter than nine months;
3. Have stable and secured living status and places to live;
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices
6. Certificates of household registration of the Chinese citizens with whom they come to live or Certificate of Permanent Residence of aliens of foreigners; notarized proof of relations of relatives and proof testifying that the incoming persons having no direct relatives abroad; notarized proof of the sources of incomes of the incoming persons or the proof of economic guarantee of the persons with whom the incoming persons live; notarized proof of house leasing or property right of houses of the incoming persons or persons with whom the incoming persons live. The above-mentioned proof issued by related agencies abroad should be attested by the Chinese embassies or consulate offices in the countries or regions.
The expansion of China’s economy has been rapid, and the country currently boasts the second largest economy in the world (behind the USA). While the rate of economic growth has slowed down in recent times – especially since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 – job prospects are generally good, although competition for graduate roles is fierce.
While the country has a population of nearly 1.5 billion, its people enjoy a relatively low cost of living compared to the UK – although this does depend on location. Major cities such as Shanghai and the capital Beijing are unsurprisingly more expensive.
The opportunity to experience a completely different culture is a huge attraction to foreigners considering working in China. To make life a little easier, you may wish to consider taking classes in Mandarin – not only does a second language look great on your CV, it could also boost your chances of success when looking for work.
When looking for English-speaking jobs, these will mostly be in cities such Beijing and Shanghai – the business and industrial hubs of the country. Many multinational companies have their Asian headquarters in one of these east coast locations – as well as in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Tianjin.
The majority of expatriate workers in China find jobs with foreign-invested enterprises. Although opportunities do exist with Chinese companies, these usually require some knowledge of Mandarin.
Major industries in China include:
With the global economic meltdown, many companies have closed shop and jobs have receded from the reach of even skilled workers. But eastern giant China has continued to keep spinning its silky economic yarn. Recession or no recession jobs in China are a plenty. The reason being China has begun to expand the private sector of its economy and thrown open its doors to the world. Shanghai and Beijing have now become the passwords for those wanting to have a lucrative career.
What is more with many multinationals relocating their headquarters to the Asian giant, China has started to look more welcoming than other countries.
For Indians who would like to test the waters of Chinese jobs the following points could be useful:
Jobs demand in China are:
While applying for a China Visa online for Indians, the applicant needs to submit a set of documents to support their visa application. Mentioned below is the list of required documents.
For China Tourist Visa
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