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IMPACT – MEDIUM
What is the change? The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce is requiring that employers fulfill an additional step in the application for an invitation letter that is a prerequisite for Z employment visas.
What does the change mean? Companies registered in Shanghai’s Puxi area must physically submit documentation supporting the invitation letter application and obtain the commission’s verification before issuance of the letter of invitation. The additional verification takes an extra three to five working days.
Background: Chinese entities sponsoring foreign nationals for Z work visas must apply for an official letter of invitation from the appropriate authorities. The Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce has implemented a new process whereby companies must bring all supporting documents to be verified before the commission issues the letter of invitation.
BAL Analysis: Companies registered in Puxi should prepare for the additional steps and longer overall processing timelines for work permits. Companies registered in Pudong are not affected and should continue to apply for their invitation letters at the Foreign Affairs Office.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group in China. For additional information, please contact china@bal.com.
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What is the change? China has become a full signatory of the Washington Accord, a development that will make it more straightforward for professional engineers with an accredited qualification in China to obtain a Migration Skills Assessment outcome through Engineers Australia.
What does the change mean? The Washington Accord is an international agreement among the organisations responsible for accrediting engineering degree programs. For Australian migration purposes, obtaining a positive Migration Skills Assessment outcome is significantly easier for engineers from countries that are signatories to the Washington Accord or other specified international agreements. The change will ultimately make it easier for professional engineers who obtain an accredited engineering qualification in China to seek to apply for a number of different Australian visa subclasses.
Background: China, represented by the Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST), joins Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States as a signatory of the Washington Accord.
In Australia, signatories to the accord (or to the related Sydney Accord or Dublin Accord) can obtain a positive Migration Skills Assessment outcome without having to compile a Competency Demonstration Report, an onerous process that involves providing documentary evidence of both core engineering knowledge and demonstrated application of skills in the nominated occupation.
BAL Analysis: While the accord only applies to engineers who complete the requisite qualifications this year or after, it is a welcome development for Australian employers and engineers holding a Chinese accredited engineering qualification. Irish employers may also be able to rely on the accord for purposes of supporting foreign engineering qualifications.
This alert has been provided by BAL Australia. For additional information, please contact australia@bal.com.
What is the change? Israel and China have reached an agreement to provide 10-year, multiple-entry visas to business travelers and tourists from each other’s countries.
What does the change mean? The arrangement, once implemented, is expected to significantly improve visa procedures for Israeli and Chinese nationals traveling to each other’s countries.
Background: The Israeli-Chinese visa agreement follows similar agreements between Canada and China and the U.S. and China. While the change will reduce red tape for business travelers, work activities will not be permitted when traveling on one of the new 10-year visas.
BAL Analysis: The change will facilitate business travel and reduce the inconvenience of having to apply for a visa more frequently. BAL will continue monitoring developments and will update clients when an implementation date is announced or visa issuance begins.
This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Israel. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.
What is the change? The Shanghai Labor Bureau is now waiving medical examination reports for work permit applicants from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan if the sponsor companies guarantee the applicants’ health.
What does the change mean? Instead of submitting an employee’s medical report, an employer may submit a letter confirming that the employee’s health complies with relevant laws and he or she is able to perform the job.
BAL Analysis: The exemption from the medical examination report will speed up the work permit application process for employees from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan working in Shanghai.
What is the change? The Shanghai Labor Bureau is requiring foreign employees who hold multiyear work permits to file their annual work permit inspection applications on time or their work permit will automatically be canceled.
What does the change mean? Foreign employees who fail to file the inspection application within three months after the annual inspection date will face automatic cancellation. The annual inspection date is the anniversary of the date the work permit was issued.
Background: Employees who are issued multi-year work permits must file an inspection application every year, and should do so by the anniversary of the work permit issuance date (“annual inspection date”). The Shanghai Labor Bureau has now clarified that if a foreign employee has not filed within three months after that date, the work permit will automatically be invalidated.
BAL Analysis: To avoid having their work permit canceled, foreign employees in Shanghai should make sure to file for annual work permit inspections on time every year. Employees who fail to file on time will need to reapply for a new work permit in order to work legally in the country.
What is the change? New Zealand officials have taken steps to make travel for Chinese nationals easier, including creating a new eVisa programme and launching a Chinese version of the RealMe logon service.
What does the change mean? The changes will build on other measures New Zealand has taken in recent years to make travel easier for Chinese tourists and business travellers. The eVisa programme will allow Chinese nationals to apply for visas online, while the RealMe logon service will make it possible for Chinese nationals to complete the entire visa application process in Chinese.
Background: New Zealand Minister of Immigration Michael Woodhouse announced the changes on 19 April.
The new programmes for Chinese travellers build on other recent efforts to increase travel and develop stronger business ties between the two countries. In 2013, officials from China and New Zealand agreed to launch a three-year, multiple-entry business visa for people travelling between the two countries. New Zealand has also increased the number of staff members dedicated to facilitating travel from China and opened Visa Application Centres in Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Woodhouse called China New Zealand’s “second-largest and fastest growing tourist market” and stressed that the recent changes are consistent with the Government’s efforts to make travel from China easier.
BAL Analysis: The changes announced in April to create the eVisa programme and a Chinese version of the RealMe login service should further enhance New Zealand’s efforts to draw more business travellers and tourists from China.
This alert has been provided by BAL Australia and our network provider located in New Zealand. For additional information, please contact australia@bal.com
MARN: 9683856
What is the change? The Beijing Public Security Bureau has launched its new online visa and permit applications service for foreign applicants.
What does the change mean? Applicants may choose to apply for visas, stay permits and residence permits through the website and then submit physical documents after approval. In addition, a new online process is available for foreign nationals who need to travel to Beijing urgently.
Background: Beijing introduced the online system Tuesday. After filling out an online application form and scheduling an appointment, applicants may print out the forms with a bar code and be directed to a designated counter at the Public Security Bureau to submit their documents.
Beijing has also introduced a new online application system for foreign nationals who need to travel to Beijing urgently under certain circumstances. They may apply for their M or F visa online and then submit their physical documents at authorized offices at Beijing Capital International Airport, where their visa will be issued. This procedure is available for urgent business travelers invited by state-owned companies or multinational companies that are registered in the port visa center or personal affairs travelers on urgent medical travel.
BAL Analysis: The online system provides an optional service that should help streamline the application process by providing dedicated counters at the Public Security Bureau.
What is the change? Starting Saturday, Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing will allow travelers from 51 countries to transit for up to six days without a visa.
What does the change mean? The policy allows travelers greater flexibility to stop in the three cities without having to obtain a visa as long as they have proof of onward travel. Business activities are not allowed during visa-free transit.
Background: Many cities in China already allow foreign travelers from 51 designated countries to stay for up to three days without a visa if they have proof of a visa for their destination country and an onward ticket.
The eligible countries are: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Montenegro, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Several northern cities, including Beijing, also plan to extend transit stays to six days, but have not implemented the policy yet.
BAL Analysis: The policy allows some foreign travelers to make side trips to three major Chinese cities on the way to their destinations.
What is the change? Following successful initiatives in Shanghai, Beijing will launch its own reforms of immigration rules to attract foreign talent.
What does the change mean? The rules will benefit foreign senior professionals, overseas Chinese, foreign students, and high-skilled tech talent employed in Zhongguancun, Beijing’s tech hub.
Background: Beijing has announced the following eased policies for four categories of foreign professionals:
BAL Analysis: The changes in Beijing follow the successful experience in Shanghai last year. They will provide greater flexibility for foreign tech professionals to work and take up residency in Beijing.
What is the change? China will welcome the Year of the Monkey and observe a seven-day national holiday Feb. 7-13.
What does the change mean? Government and private offices in China and other countries will be closed during the lunar new year celebration known as the Spring Festival. Applicants with time-sensitive fillings should plan ahead.
Background: The first day of the Chinese lunar new year is Feb. 8. China begins a full week of festivities beginning New Year’s Eve, Feb. 7. Offices will be open the two Saturdays before and after the break, Feb. 6 and Feb. 14.
Other Asian countries will observe varying holiday periods. Offices in Taiwan will close Feb. 6 -14, and reopen Feb. 15. Singapore will observe a shorter public holiday, Feb. 8-9.
BAL Analysis: Companies are encouraged to file work permit and other applications as early as possible before the holiday period.