Policy Information

1. Talents with Chinese nationality

1) Foreign Chinese with a doctoral degree who work in Shanghai can directly apply for permanent residency in China.

Their foreign spouse and minor children can apply together.

This type of application has no requirements for working hours, salary income, or personal income tax payment.

2) Foreign Chinese who have worked continuously for at least 4 years and have resided in China for no less than 6 months each year in key national development areas such as Shanghai Zhangjiang National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zone, China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, and China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone Lingang New Area, or in "mass entrepreneurship and innovation" demonstration bases (referred to as "double innovation") approved by the State Council, with continuous tax records, may apply for permanent residency in China.

Their foreign spouse and minor children can apply together.

Currently, only Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chengdu, and the Greater Bay Area (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Zhaoqing, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen) have convenient policies for Chinese permanent residency applications.

There are no requirements or restrictions on salary income and personal income tax payment for this type of application.

2. Foreigners who meet the market conditions and have worked in Shanghai for 4 consecutive years and have actually lived for at least 6 months each year, with annual wage income not less than six times (88w) of the average wage of urban employees in the region where they were working in the previous year, and with annual individual income tax not less than 20% of the annual wage income standard, can apply for permanent residence in China.

Their foreign spouse and minor children can apply together.

Attention: During these 4 years, if there is a interruption in tax records or if the residence time does not meet the standard, the working hours need to be recalculated.

3. foreign talents recognized by relevant departments

1) Foreign high-level talents recognized by the relevant competent departments of the Chinese government or the talent management department of Shanghai, as well as industry senior professional talents employed and guaranteed by the units listed in the science and technology innovation occupational list formulated by the Shanghai science and technology innovation competent department, who have worked continuously in Shanghai for at least 3 years with a work type residence permit annotated with "talent" before the application date, may apply for permanent residence in China upon recommendation by their current employer.

Their foreign spouse and minor children can apply together.

2) Foreign high-level talents recommended by the Pudong New Area People's Government can directly apply for permanent residency in China.

Their foreign spouse and minor children can also apply together.

This type of application not only simplifies the materials, but also greatly shortens the processing time.

4. Foreign shareholders of Shanghai enterprises investing in compliance

A company or enterprise that directly invests in Shanghai as a natural person or through oneself as a natural person as the controlling shareholder, with a stable investment situation for three consecutive years. Investors with a total investment amount of over 1 million US dollars (or 500000 US dollars in industries encouraged by the "Foreign Investment Industry Guidance Project" issued by the state) can apply for permanent residency in China.

Their foreign spouse and minor children can apply together.

Please note that the specific investment amount needs to be comprehensively considered based on the investment industry and the applicant's background conditions.