For expats, immigration is now easier
JONATHAN Horsnell, a British educator at Harrow International School Shanghai, is a beneficiary of simplified immigration procedures for foreign experts in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.
In August, he arrived in Shanghai with his wife and two children to take up a job as head of the senior school at Harrow — a day and boarding private school located in the Waigaoqiao Free Trade Zone in northern Pudong New Area.
“I found it very easy to go through the process of getting visa information about all the documents I needed,” Horsnell said. “The immigration process was easy to follow, and it went quickly and smoothly.”
It took about six weeks for Horsnell to get a residency permit, work permit and foreign-expert certificate. That was much quicker than in the past.
Shanghai last year announced a series of measures to streamline exit-entry policies for overseas talent as part of efforts to fulfill the city’s ambition as a global technology and innovation hub.
In February, the Free Trade Zone branch of the Bureau of Public Security launched a one-stop service counter to help expatriates apply for residence permits, work permits and foreign-expert certificates, saving them trips to three different departments.
“The one-stop service saved us a lot time and work, and it helped to avoid confusion about the different application requirements of different departments,” said Cao Xingdan, head of human resources at Harrow Shanghai.
“We were running on a tight schedule to prepare for the opening of the school,” she said. “Thanks to the service, our first group of 24 overseas staff showed up for duty on time.”
Previously, foreigners had to go to the Public Security Bureau, human resources and social security bureaus, and the Foreign Expert Bureau several times to complete the paperwork for applications.
Under the old system, it took around four months to get all the required permits. That has been reduced to about 30 working days.
“Our goal is to ensure a safe environment for business activities and step up service functions through innovative means,” said Yang Lieyi, director of the Free Trade Zone branch of the Bureau of Public Security.
Last year, the branch launched an online platform (www.jqw.sh.cn) to enhance communication with the zone-based companies and provide customized services.
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