According to the regulations concerning foreign senior investors and overseas students promulgated by the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, people of foreign nationalities under any one of the following conditions can be granted a "green card" released by the Beijing Municipality, a long-term residency permit which makes it more convenient for living and exit-entry procedures. As follows:

1. Senior advisors who are invited or hired by ministerial-level organizations, or Beijing municipal government; experts or managers who work for key projects and talent-exchange programs, or central-government-level or Beijing-Municipality-level foreign-related science and technology projects

2. Persons who have made significant contributions to the city; persons who work for free-aid protocols for the city or the Chinese government

3. Scholars hired at state-level, provincial-or-ministerial level research organizations, or key universities; scholars who rank as associate professor or above

4. Senior management staff or technicians who rank as vice general manager or above in state-owned enterprises or public institutions

5. Senior management staff or technicians who rank as president, vice president, director, general manager, vice general manger, general accountant, or above in joint ventures or foreign-invested companies

6. Foreign citizens who have invested more than US$3 million in the city

7. Chinese of foreign nationalities who have been granted important international awards; and other distinguished foreign-born Chinese

8. Chinese of foreign nationalities who studied abroad but work in the city as senior management staff

9. Foreign family members, namely spouse and children (under 18 years old), of who are under the above conditions; foreign family members of those Chinese citizens who studied abroad but work in the city as senior management staff

Foreigners who enjoy exit-entry convenience have the right to apply for F and Z visa. F (visiting) visa is designed for multi-entry for 2-5 years, Z (professional) visa is designed for long-term residence permits for 2-5 years.

On top of that, the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau has extended the exit-entry and residence convenience to other foreigners under the following conditions:

1. Foreign students who study in Chinese universities on state scholarships in Beijing can apply for 1-4 years' Foreigner Residence Permit by showing official letters from the university

2. Chief Delegate of foreign enterprises to China and their family can apply for 1-3 years' Foreigner Residence Permit and multi-entry Z visa for the same period; ordinary delegates can apply for 1-2 years' Foreigner Residence Permit and multi-entry Z visa for the same period

3. Common employees who work in joint-ventures or foreign-invested companies and their family members can apply for 1-2 years' Foreigner Residence Permit and multi-entry Z visa for the same period

4. Foreign management staff and engineers and their family can apply for 1-3 years' Foreigner Residence Permit and multi-entry Z visa for the same period if they work for the following sphere in Beijing: China-foreign cooperation projects engaging in desert exploration, marine oil and natural gas development.

(China.org.cn by Li Liangdu, July 17, 2003)