Effective today, most foreigners must submit original marriage and birth certificates for dependent visa and residence permit applications in Beijing. The change only applies to Beijing at this time, but impacts most foreign applicants and those who are already working in the city. Specifically, the rule applies to initial applications, renewals, changes and cancellations of visas and residence permits for spouses and children under the age of 18. To be prepared for the new requirement and prevent delays, foreign workers should obtain original copies of documents in advance for their family members. As part of the application process, officials will examine, but not retain, all original documents.

As China implements its new immigration law, many changes are likely to be announced; this is the most recent. BAL will provide updates as information becomes available.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in China. For additional information, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@bal.com.

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