The three-month renovation project of Shekou Net Valley Management and Service Center for Expats in Zhaoshang Subdistrict of Nanshan District, Shenzhen, was completed earlier this month and has been renamed Zhaoshang Subdistrict Management and Service Center for Expats.
The inauguration ceremony took place yesterday afternoon, in the presence of leaders from national, provincial and municipal authorities, heads of international schools and representatives of local expatriate residents.
During the inauguration ceremony, attendees took a tour of the upgraded facility and had the opportunity to learn about the services that the center provides.
Located at 1/F, Block B, Technology Building II, Shekou Net Valley, 6th Gongye Road, the center is jointly established by Zhaoshang Subdistrict, Nanshan Branch of the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau and Shenzhen Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.
It provides services for expats to handle and consult procedures they are highly concerned about, including temporary residence registration, application for foreigners’ work permits, and reporting loss of passports.
The center claims to be China’s first subdistrict-level office where foreigners can apply for work permits.
The center said that up to now they have handled 8,821 cases of consultation services, including registration of temporary accommodation and foreigners’ work permits.
The upgraded center has redesigned the space and improved services to make it more welcoming, convenient and family-friendly for expats. It consists of a reception, service area and staff offices, which are all staffed by personnel proficient in English.
Liu Li, secretary of the Party Work Committee of Zhaoshang Subdistrict, told Shenzhen Daily that the reception capacity of the center has significantly increased. “The upgraded center has extended services to expats living in Nanshan District and even in Shenzhen as a whole. Expat friends would feel at home and find it more convenient and efficient to handle affairs,” Liu said.
More considerate services for expats are also in place. It provides a book corner, a tea lounge and a place for kids to play and have fun.
One of the biggest highlights is the availability of high-tech and intelligent platforms that show clear procedures for foreign-related services.
Greg Smith, head of Shekou International School, spoke highly of the new center after a guided tour and appreciates the support from the city and subdistrict governments. “Every member of Shekou International School really appreciates the support from the governments. Foreigners here would be very happy to have this center on their doorsteps,” Smith said.
He added that “working in a big city can be challenging when you don’t speak the language very well and it’s not your home country, so to have something very local and staffed by people who are very helpful makes you feel you can live comfortably and can contribute to the city.”
He also mentioned that the technology makes the center more integrated and modern.
Laura Ann Flaxman, head of Shenzhen American International School, finds the center more convenient and family-friendly. “We have many reasons to come to the center. For example with the visa services we don’t have to go to the Civic Center in Futian, so it’s much more convenient for expats living and working here. I also like the cute toy area and I wanna bring my kids here,” she told Shenzhen Daily.
According to Zhaoshang Subdistrict, in the next five years it will further improve infrastructure, including urban landscaping, walking lanes and barrier-free facilities. It will make greater efforts to build an international service system in different communities, incorporating consultation for government affairs, handling of personal affairs, culture and sports, health, education, volunteers and legal services, in a bid to build the subdistrict into a pioneer and a model for other parts of China, in terms of international construction.