Yunnan to issue ten-year visas in March, let's see who is qualified and how to apply
Starting on March 1, Yunnan Province will issue the ten-year R visa for foreign talents, which means Yunnan will ease visa applications for foreign professionals and skilled workers. Let's see who is qualified and how to apply for the R visa.
I. Who can apply for the R visa?
High-end Foreign Talents (Category A)
Category A foreign talents, subject of the “green channel” and “admissible absence for procedure” services, include scientists, science and technology leading talents, international entrepreneurs, special talents and other foreign high-end talents urgently needed in the economic and social development of China who fall in line with the national priority list for foreign talents and any of the following conditions:
(A) Selected for the Domestic Talents Programs
Identified by the competent department of human resources above the provincial level or above and ratified by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
(B) Conforming to the international criteria of professional achievement
1). Nobel Prize Winner (Awards of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Economics)
2). Winners of the following awards: the US National Science Medal; the US National Technological Innovation Medal; Award for Science of the National Research Center of France; the UK Royal Gold Medal; Copley Medal; Turing Award; Fields Award; Wolff Mathematics Award; Abel Award; Lasker Award; Crawford Award; Japan Prize; Kyoto Prize; Shaw Prize; famous architectural awards; famous industrial design awards
3). Academicians of National Academy of Sciences, Academy of Engineering
4). Members of ISO and other internationally renowned academic institutions and other science and education international organizations
5). Directors and senior research fellows from national research institutes and national labs
6). Project leaders, chief scientists and key members of national science and technology programs
7). Former chief editors, deputy editors and senior members of international high-level scientific and technical journals (JCR Collection 1 and 2)
8). Publishing 3 papers as the first author or the corresponding author (including the contributed equally author) in high-level international sci-tech journals (JCR I and II)
9). Former middle or senior administrators, professors, associate professors of foreign or overseas high-level universities
10). Former senior managers, key R & D members of the headquarters, deputy general managers or above and R & D chief of the second tier branches or regional headquarters of the world top 500 companies
11). Former senior managers of well-known international financial institutions and international accounting firms
12). Directors, deputy directors, professors and associate professors of world famous colleges of music, fine arts, and arts
13). Chief conductors and vocal performers of the world's leading orchestra
14). Artists who have held individual performances and shows at world famous opera houses or concert halls
15). Winners of the highest individual awards of famous literature awards, famous film, television and drama Awards, famous music awards, famous advertisement awards, the top class award or the first prize in the first class contests or individual awards in the second class contests of famous international art competition or judges of the above-listed awards and contests
16). Athletes listed in the top eight in the Olympic Games or the last two sessions of the World Cup, World Championships and other important international events, which are included in the Olympic Games; athletes listed in the top three in the Asian Games or the last two sessions of Asian Cup and Asian Championships, which are included in the Asian Games; the head coaches or the core members of the coaching team responsible for training the above-listed athletes
17). Former leaders (ministers or above) of foreign governmental departments; former senior leaders of famous international organizations or non-government institutions
18). Winners of world and national skills contest or professionals engaged in the training for the contests; highly skilled personnel with the highest international vocational qualification certificates or senior technician qualification certificates of China
(C) Foreign talents fulfilling the market demand for government-encouraged posts
1). Talents appointed for senior management or technical posts in central enterprises and their subsidiaries, the global or regional headquarters of the world top 500 enterprises, national high-tech enterprises (subject to ratification by the technical department above the provincial level) and large companies
2). Senior managers or technical staff of business engineering research centers recognized by development reform departments, engineering labs recognized by development reform departments, engineering technology research center recognized by science and technology departments, business technology centers recognized by economic and information agencies and local technical innovation service platforms recognized by science and technology departments
3). Senior managers or technical staff employed by domestic and foreign medium-sized businesses; the chairman of the board, the legal representative, general manager or the chief technical specialist appointed by small-sized foreign-invested businesses in line with the government-encouraged industries specified under “Foreign Invested Industries Guide Catalog” and "Catalog of Foreign Invested Competitive Industries in the Central and Western Regions"
4). Foreign talents appointed to senior management posts or as associate professor, associate research fellow by higher education institutions and research institutions; senior lecturers, senior internship tutors and other deputy senior or above technical professional personnel appointed by vocational colleges
5). Foreign talents appointed to senior management posts or deputy senior (or above) professional technical posts by the first class domestic comprehensive hospitals, sub-provincial (or above) specialist hospitals or foreign hospitals
6). Chief conductor, artistic director and chief performer employed by first-class domestic orchestra and other arts organizations
7). Staff at senior management or technical positions such as editor-in-chief, deputy editor, chief announcer, senior moderator, planning director, layout supervisor employed by central and local mainstream media
8). Major players, coaches or core member of the coaching team employed by national and provincial sports teams or clubs
9). Foreign talents whose salary income is 6 times or higher than the local average annual income of the previous year. For Shanghai, salary income should be 600000 RMB or higher and personal income tax 120000 RMB or higher.
(D) Innovative and entrepreneurial talents
1). Business founders who contribute with major technological inventions, patents and other independent intellectual property rights or proprietary technology and have stable investment for three consecutive years with the actual investment in the business not less than 500,000 US dollars and individual shares not less than 30%
2). The chairman, the legal representative, the general manager, or the chief technical specialist who contribute with major technological inventions, patents and other independent intellectual property rights or proprietary technology of the business with the annual sales more than 10 million or the annual tax more than 1 million yuan for three consecutive years
3). Talents at senior management or technical posts employed by businesses listed by the competent provincial department as innovative business or scientific innovation industry
(E) Outstanding young talents
Young talents under the age of 40 who are engaged in post-doctoral research in high-level foreign (overseas) universities or domestic universities
(F) Graded 85 points or more in the points-based system
II. How to apply for the R visa?
If a foreigner talent wants to apply for the R visa outside China, the invitation organization will apply to the foreigner employment management department directly under the people's government of a certain province/ autonomous region/municipality (hereinafter referred to as the provincial foreigner employment management department) and submit the application form online, invitation letter from a Chinese organization and relevant certifications that conform to the standard of the R visa talent.
III. What are the required documents for R visa application?
For the applicant who meets the standard of foreign high-level talent, the provincial foreigner employment management department will issue an online confirmation letter to the invitation organization within 5 working days, and exchange confirmation letter for high level foreign talents and other information to Chinese embassy, consulate or other overseas agency authorized by the ministry of foreign affairs in the applicant's country (region). The State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs will share the above-said information with the Chinese ministries of foreign affairs and public security.
The applicant who applies for the R visa to a Chinese embassy, consulate or other overseas agency authorized by the ministry of foreign affairs will submit the following documents:
a. The visa application form;
b. The passport (with a validity period of more than 6 months) and the required photos;
c. The printout of confirmation letter for high level foreign talents;
d. Other documents required by Chinese embassy, consulate or other overseas agency authorized by the ministry of foreign affairs.
IV. More information on the R visa application
Chinese embassies, consulates or other overseas agencies authorized by the ministry of foreign affairs should issue for qualified applicants the multiple-entry visa whose validity is five to 10 years.
Multiple-entry visas of the same validity will also be issued for the above-mentioned person’s spouses and minor children.
In urgent cases, the overseas Chinese diplomatic missions can issue the visa for qualified applicants within 2 working days, with the visa fee and the dispatch fee exempted.
Editor: Wang Shixue