Chengdu streamlines green cards to attract foreign talent

Some 309 foreign “A-level advanced talent” living in the Sichuan Province capital city of Chengdu have had their Chinese green card process slashed down to about two weeks.

Launched by the Ministry of Public Security in April last year, the green cards embed a foreigner’s identity information in chips for sharing with railways, airlines, insurance agencies, hotels or banks.

Six “Type A” expats received their permanent resident cards – the first such cards issued by Southwest China’s Sichuan Province – from the Chengdu entry and exit administration bureau last week, the city police posted on their Sina Weibo account.

Chengdu has streamlined the cards for 309 A-level foreigners, based on data provided by the city’s development and reform commission on Monday.

An A-level foreign talent, his or her spouse and children will enjoy smoother green card applications and entry and exit to China, according to a document issued by the Sichuan authorities in December.

Applications should take less than 15 working days for high-end talent, according to the document. Other policies include high-priority windows at the visa hall and five-year multiple-entry visas for overseas Chinese.

Foreign workers in China are classified into three categories: A, B and C. Type A “talent” employees tend to be managers in companies or top researchers in the science and technology industry.