A staffer (R) serves an expat at the Employment and Residence Service Center for Foreigners that opened at the Civic Center in Futian CBD, Shenzhen, on Friday. Photos by Lin Wei
Jordan Scott, an American employee of Shenzhen-based BYD, shows his work and residence permits at the Employment and Residence Service Center for Foreigners at the Civic Center in Futian CBD, Shenzhen, on Friday. He obtained the permits from the service center within one hour.
Shenzhen's Employment and Residence Service Center for Foreigners was inaugurated at the Civic Center in Futian CBD on Friday, offering one-stop service for expats in working and living permit applications and cutting the processing time by half.
The inauguration also witnessed the operation of a comprehensive service platform, through which expats can make reservations for the documents to work and live in China.
Previously, foreigners working in Shenzhen needed to apply for work permits through the system of the Shenzhen Administration for Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA), and then apply for residence permits through the system of the Shenzhen Immigration Administration. It took about 15 days.
Under the new mechanism that breaks down the silos and integrates foreigner-related businesses between the two departments, the service center, at the eastern section of Shenzhen Administrative Service Hall, shared the data bank and management of personnel through business integration and process re-engineering.
“It now takes seven days for an applicant to get the work and residence permits. They just need to submit one set of documents and apply once, without necessarily going between departments. The approval efficiency has been greatly improved,” Deng Xiaojun, director general of SAFEA, said at an interview Friday.
For the convenience of expats, SAFEA and the Shenzhen Municipal Public Security Bureau have set up work stations in Qianhai and Zhaoshang Subdistrict.
At the service center Friday, Jordan Scott, an American employee at the marketing department of Shenzhen-based BYD, showed his work permit and residence permit. He got his documents within one hour.
“We talk about Shenzhen Speed all the time. I think it applies to the exit and entry service for expats as well because it happens so fast, so convenient and so professional,” said Scott, who came to Shenzhen three years ago, after five years in Dongguan.
“Applying for work permits and residence permits for foreigners is always complicated and distressful, but now that’s not the case in Shenzhen.
“I was really moved when the employee handed me the work permit and said ‘welcome to Shenzhen,’” said Scott.
“After I got the offer from BYD, the company helped me apply for the work permit and residence permit. It is so fast for me to get the documents approved,” said Scott, who was really impressed with Shenzhen’s development.
“Shenzhen changes day by day. When I first came here, there were only two Metro lines, but now it has 11 lines — quite a development over a decade. It is an interesting, progressive and advanced city,” said Scott, adding he would tell more about the expat-related services to his friends.
SAFEA statistics show 16,000 foreigners in Shenzhen possess valid work permits and 3,000 have Category A permits issued to high-end foreign talent that include scientists, top technological talent, international entrepreneurs and special talent that are top-notch and needed by the market and whose achievements will contribute to China’s economic and social development.