有一种方法可以让人们在中国长期生活,而不用处理每年的签证手续(至少十年)。你需要认真对待留在中国的问题,并符合一些严格的标准。但如果你这样做了,你会获得许多其他好处,这些好处可能会改变你的外籍经历。它的官方名称是永久居民身份,但通常被称为“中国绿卡”
As the name suggests, The Chinese permanent residence certificate is an actual card, which you can use when traveling just like a Chinese ID. The card is sometimes known as the Chinese “green card”, although in fact it’s mostly blue. The term comes from the US equivalent.
顾名思义,中国永久居留证是一张真正的卡,你可以在旅行时使用它,就像中国的身份证一样。这张卡有时被称为中国的“绿卡”,尽管事实上它大部分是蓝色的。这个词来自美国。
It is possible to apply for the green card from abroad, you will need to be granted a D visa on which you can enter the country, then convert it to an ID card. However, since one of the main criteria is long-term residence in China, you are more likely to be applying internally.
从国外申请绿卡是可能的,你需要获得D签证才能入境,然后将其转换为身份证。然而,由于主要标准之一是在中国长期居留,你更有可能在国内申请。
1.Benefits
1.好处
There are many benefits to having a Chinese Green Card, but that does not mean it is the right choice for every expat.
拥有中国绿卡有很多好处,但这并不意味着它是每个外籍人士的正确选择。
Below are some of the pros and also some drawbacks to achieving permanent residence status in China.
以下是在中国获得永久居留权的一些优点和缺点。
You can come and go freely without the need for a visa
你可以自由出入,无需签证
Your relatives can apply for a Q visa to visit you
您的亲属可以申请Q签证来探望您
Your spouse and dependents can also apply for permanent residence more easily
您的配偶和家属也可以更容易地申请永久居留
You do not need a work permit to work in China
在中国工作不需要工作许可证
You can apply for professional qualifications in China
你可以在中国申请职业资格
You can set up a foreign-invested enterprise (FIE), and take advantage of simplified procedures when applying for government approval of your project
您可以设立外商投资企业(FIE),并在申请政府批准您的项目时利用简化的程序
Your children can be educated for free in Chinese state schools
你的孩子可以在中国公立学校免费接受教育
You can contribute to – and benefit from – social insurance, with simplified procedures for transfer when changing jobs
你可以参加社会保险,并从中受益,换工作时可以简化调动程序
You can purchase a home in China more easily
你可以更容易地在中国买房
You can participate in housing provident funds, schemes from which the government makes low-cost mortgage loans
你可以参加住房公积金,政府从中发放低成本抵押贷款
You have the same rights as a Chinese citizen when it comes to banking, insurance, securities, futures, and other financial services
在银行、保险、证券、期货和其他金融服务方面,你享有与中国公民相同的权利
Money earned in China can be sent overseas, provided you have the proper certificate from the tax authorities
在中国赚的钱可以寄往海外,前提是你有税务机关的适当证明
You can also use the card as Chinese citizens use their ID card, e.g. when booking flights or railway tickets
您也可以在中国公民使用身份证时使用身份证,例如在预订航班或火车票时
You are treated the same as a Chinese citizen at tourist venues, and pay the local price when it’s cheaper than for foreigners
在旅游场所,你受到与中国公民同等的待遇,当当地价格比外国人便宜时,你会支付当地价格
Despite all these benefits, the Permanent Residence card does not confer citizenship, so you will not have the rights or responsibilities of a Chinese citizen: you will not be allowed to vote, run for election, or serve in the armed forces.
尽管有这些好处,但永久居留证并不授予公民身份,因此你将没有中国公民的权利或责任:你将不被允许投票、竞选或在军队服役。
It is theoretically possible to apply for citizenship. Under the Nationality Law, you can apply to become naturalized if you have relatives who are resident Chinese citizens, if you have settled in China, or “have other legitimate reasons.”
理论上申请公民身份是可能的。根据《国籍法》,如果你的亲属是中国居民,如果你已经在中国定居,或者“有其他正当理由”,你可以申请入籍。
In practice however, citizenship is hardly ever granted. Since the founding of the PRC in 1949, only a few hundred foreigners in exceptional circumstances have been naturalized. For most expats, however committed you are to building a life in China, the Green Card is as close to becoming Chinese as you can get.
然而,在实际中,公民身份几乎从未被授予。自1949年中华人民共和国成立以来,只有几百名外国人在特殊情况下入籍。对于大多数外籍人士来说,无论你多么致力于在中国建立生活,绿卡都离成为中国人很近。
2.Requirements
2.要求
“Green cards” are notoriously difficult to get, though the rules were eased slightly in 2020.
众所周知,“绿卡”很难拿到,尽管规则是 2020年略有缓解。
It is only after you have achieved one of the requirements below and lived in China successfully for a certain amount of time that you might be ready to apply for permanent residency.
只有在您达到以下要求之一并在中国成功居住一定时间后,您才能准备申请永久居留权。
If you are trying to become an expat for the first time and have no China experience, the Chinese Green Card is most likely not a viable option for you.
如果你是第一次尝试成为外籍人士,并且没有中国经验,那么中国绿卡很可能对你来说不是一个可行的选择。
The basic requirements are that you are in good health and have no criminal record. You then need to meet one of the following five criteria:
基本要求是你身体健康,没有犯罪记录。然后,您需要满足以下五个标准之一:
International Talent or Recognized Achievement
国际人才或公认成就
This category is for people “recommended by the government” or who “make an outstanding contribution”. Applicants need to be “high-level foreign talents” or “foreigners who make major and outstanding contributions, or are badly needed by China.”
这一类别适用于“政府推荐”或“做出杰出贡献”的人。申请者需要是“外国高层次人才”或“做出重大杰出贡献或中国急需的外国人”
The main purpose of this category is to attract outstanding individuals from the Chinese diaspora, but it’s also used to award permanent residence to celebrities such as basketball player Stephon Marbury, who had spent five years in China and won three CBA championships with the Beijing Ducks.
这一类别的主要目的是吸引散居中国的杰出人士,但它也被用来授予篮球运动员斯蒂芬·马布里等名人永久居留权,他在中国呆了五年,并在北京鸭队赢得了三次CBA总冠军。
While you may be an exceptional talent in your own sphere, most expats have little chance of meeting this criterion.
虽然你在自己的领域可能是一个杰出的人才,但大多数外籍人士几乎没有机会达到这一标准。
Employment and Education
就业与教育
This will be the easiest way for most expats to demonstrate their commitment to living and working in China.
这将是大多数外籍人士展示他们在中国生活和工作承诺的最简单方式。
Coming to China to work involves a series of steps which are unavoidable if you plan to live in China long-term:
来中国工作需要一系列步骤,如果你计划长期在中国生活,这些步骤是不可避免的:
First you need to achieve employment with a legitimate employer
首先,你需要找到合法的雇主
With your employer’s support, you need to apply for a visa to enter China. Your visa type will depend on your job
在雇主的支持下,你需要申请签证才能进入中国。你的签证类型取决于你的工作
On arrival, you need to have a physical examination at a designated hospital
抵达后,您需要在指定医院进行体检
You will apply for a residence permit to replace your visa and work permit
您将申请居留许可,以取代您的签证和工作许可
Then, there are a number of different routes to qualification:
然后,有许多不同的资格认证途径:
Being a “Talent”
成为“人才”
This is different to being a “high-level talent,” and is more achievable. You might qualify if you are working in a key position in an innovative company, and have skills which are in shortage in China, particularly tech skills. You need to have worked in China for a minimum of three years.
这与成为“高层次人才”不同,更容易实现。如果你在一家创新型公司的关键职位上工作,并且拥有中国短缺的技能,尤其是技术技能,你可能会获得资格。你需要在中国工作至少三年。
Being in an “Essential Position”
处于“基本职位”
This typically means holding an executive position in a Chinese company, or being an associate professor, associate researcher, or above at an educational institution. To qualify you need to have spent at least three years out of the last four in China.
这通常意味着在中国公司担任高管职位,或在教育机构担任副教授、副研究员或以上职位。要想获得参赛资格,你需要在过去四年中至少在中国度过三年。
Being “Recognized by the Market”
被“市场认可”
This qualification depends on your earnings, taxes paid, and of course length of residence. To count as “resident” in any given year, you need to have spent at least six months of that year in China. If you have four years residence on that basis, then you need to have earned an annual salary at least six times the average wage of urban working employees in the city or town where you were living in that, and paid individual income tax no less than 10 percent of your annual income.
这个资格取决于你的收入、缴纳的税款,当然还有居住时间。要想在任何一年算作“居民”,你需要在那一年中至少在中国度过六个月。如果你在此基础上居住四年,那么你需要的年薪至少是你所在城市或城镇城镇城镇在职员工平均工资的六倍,并缴纳不低于年收入10%的个人所得税。
Education
教育
You need to hold a doctorate-level qualification and have lived and paid taxes for three years in China. Some government sites add that you also have to be “Chinese with a foreign passport.” It’s not clear how they assess Chinese-ness if not by nationality, and whether this is official policy or one official’s interpretation.
你需要持有博士学位,并且在中国生活和纳税三年。一些政府网站补充说,你还必须是“持有外国护照的中国人”。如果不是根据国籍,他们是如何评估中国人的,也不清楚这是官方政策还是一名官员的解释。
Foreign Investors
外国投资者
Another way to have demonstrated your commitment to China is to have invested your own money there. The sums required are considerable though: you need to have invested at least USD 500,000 in the poorer western areas of China, USD 1 million in central China, or USD 2 million in the richer coastal areas, all over three years.
展示你对中国承诺的另一种方式是在那里投资你自己的钱。不过,所需资金相当可观:三年内,你需要在中国较贫穷的西部地区投资至少50万美元,在中国中部投资100万美元,或在较富裕的沿海地区投资200万美元。
You also need to show you have paid your taxes.
你还需要证明你已经缴纳了税款。
Accompanying Family Members
同行家属
Spouses and dependent children of anyone entitled to apply in the first three categories can also apply, at the same time or subsequently.
有权申请前三类的任何人的配偶和受抚养子女也可以同时或随后申请。
Family Reunion
团聚
Unmarried children aged under 18 can gain permanent residence if one or more of their parents is a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence. Similarly, people aged over 60 with no immediate family abroad, who are dependent on immediate family in China, and who have lived in China for at least nine months out of each of the last five years, are entitled to apply.
如果18岁以下的未婚子女的父母中有一方或多方是中国公民或拥有永久居留权的外国人,则可以获得永久居留权。同样,60岁以上、在国外没有直系亲属、在中国有直系亲属的人,以及在过去五年中每年在中国居住至少九个月的人,都有权申请。
Perhaps more usefully for most expats, if you have been married for at least five years to a Chinese citizen or a foreigner with permanent residence, and you’ve lived in China for nine months out of each of the last five years, you are also eligible.
也许对大多数外籍人士来说更有用的是,如果你与中国公民或有永久居留权的外国人结婚至少五年,并且在过去五年中每年在中国居住九个月,你也有资格。
3.How to Apply
3.如何申请
It’s important to note that meeting one of these criteria only entitles you to apply; it does not guarantee acceptance.
需要注意的是,满足其中一个标准只能使你有资格申请;它并不保证接受。
Applications are made to your local Public Security Bureau.
我们已向当地公安局提出申请。
To apply, you’ll need the following documentation:
要申请,您需要以下文档:
A completed Application Form for Permanent Residence in China
填写完整的中国永久居留申请表
Your valid passport and current residence permit
您的有效护照和当前居住许可
A health certificate from a suitable organization issued within the last six months (this is the same health check you need to undergo when applying for a regular residence permit)
在过去六个月内从合适的组织颁发的健康证明(这与您申请常规居住许可时需要进行的健康检查相同)
Evidence that you have no criminal record in your home country. (If you’re from the US, be aware that a local certificate isn’t enough–it needs to be a federal document.)
证明你在本国没有犯罪记录的证据。(如果你来自美国,请注意,仅凭当地证书是不够的,它需要是联邦文件。)
You’ll also need additional documentation, depending on which criterion you are applying under.
您还需要额外的文档,具体取决于您申请的标准。
Employment and education: Proof of income, taxes, employment, and residence.
就业和教育:收入、税收、就业和居住证明。
Foreign investors: Proof of investment: your business license, a verification report showing that the company’s registered capital is at the required level, and an auditor’s report for the last three consecutive years. You’ll also need evidence of taxes paid, and residence.
外国投资者:投资证明:您的营业执照、显示公司注册资本达到规定水平的验证报告,以及最近连续三年的审计报告。你还需要缴纳税款和居住证明。
Family Reunion: Proof of your relationship: a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or other documentation. You’ll also need to show that the spouse or family member has stable housing and income.
家庭团聚:你们关系的证明:结婚证、出生证或其他文件。你还需要证明配偶或家庭成员有稳定的住房和收入。
Having submitted your documents, there is little more you can do. The process is opaque; simply meeting one of the criteria doesn’t guarantee acceptance. It also takes a long time. You can expect to wait between six and twelve months for an answer.
提交了文件后,你几乎无能为力。这个过程不透明;仅仅满足其中一个标准并不能保证被接受。这也需要很长时间。你可能要等六到十二个月才能得到答案。
If it’s successful, you will get a permanent residence card that is valid for ten years.
如果成功,你将获得一张有效期为十年的永久居留卡。
If you’re unsuccessful, there is no explanation and no right of appeal. You simply have to try again. 如果你没有成功,就没有任何解释,也没有上诉的权利。你只需要再试一次。
4.Costs
4.成本
It will cost you 1500 RMB per person to apply for the Chinese Green Card. This is non-refundable in case you do not succeed in your application. There is also a 300 RMB for collecting the card if you are successful.
申请中国绿卡每人要花费1500元人民币。如果您的申请没有成功,这笔费用将不予退还。如果你成功了,还有300元人民币可以用来领卡。
5.Replacements, & Renewal
5.更换和更新
After ten years have passed, and your card expires, the application process to get a new ten-year permanent residence is very simple, you apply for the new card at the Public Security Bureau (PSB) at a cost of 300 RMB.
十年过去了,你的卡到期了,申请新的十年永久居留权的过程非常简单,你可以在公安局申请新卡,费用为300元。
Renewal is just a case of filling out the form and, as long as you have not committed any crimes in China during your stay, you are almost guaranteed to be successful in the renewal. If you lose or damage your card and need a replacement, this will cost you 600 RMB at the PSB.
更新只是填写表格,只要您在中国逗留期间没有犯下任何罪行,几乎可以保证更新成功。如果您的卡丢失或损坏,需要更换,PSB将花费您600元人民币。
6.Taxation Status in China as a Green Card Holder
6.作为绿卡持有者在中国的税务状况
Some might be deterred from applying by the concern that it might affect their tax status.
有些人可能会因为担心这可能会影响他们的税务状况而不敢申请。
However, tax obligations for foreigners in China are based solely on length of residence, and not the type of permit they hold.
然而,外国人在中国的纳税义务仅基于居住年限,而不是他们持有的许可证类型。
If you have been in China for over half (183 days) of each of the last six years, then you are liable to pay tax in China on your worldwide income. This applies regardless of whether you are considered a temporary or permanent resident.
如果您在过去六年中每年在中国的时间超过一半(183天),那么您有责任在中国为您的全球收入纳税。无论您是被视为临时居民还是永久居民,这一点都适用。
7.What Expats Say About Permanent Residence?
7.外籍人士如何看待永久居留权?
Despite all the benefits listed above, not everyone is convinced that getting Permanent Resident Status is worth the trouble. One expat who had succeeded in getting a Green Card told us “it’s basically a ten-year visa, at least for me.”
尽管上面列出了所有的好处,但并不是每个人都相信获得永久居民身份是值得的。一位成功获得绿卡的外籍人士告诉我们:“至少对我来说,这基本上是十年签证。”
“It’s nice to have and a bit of a ‘flex’,” he said, but for most expats it won’t change anything, and because it isn’t widely recognized yet, can even lead to headaches.”
“有一点‘灵活性’很好,”他说,但对大多数外籍人士来说,这不会改变任何事情,而且因为它还没有得到广泛认可,甚至会导致头痛。”
However he saw advantages for people whose circumstances might be different.
然而,他看到了环境可能不同的人的优势。
“Where I think it really helps is for freelancers, as you aren’t tied to a visa and can legally take on multiple jobs; for business owners as it can help save them money; and for those who are older and want to stay in China, but who are worried because work visas aren’t issued to anyone over 60.”
“我认为这对自由职业者真正有帮助,因为你不需要签证,可以合法地从事多种工作;对企业主来说,因为这可以帮助他们省钱;对那些年纪较大、想留在中国但又担心工作签证不发给60岁以上的人来说。”
8.Now, Over to You
8.现在,看你的了
Everybody’s expat adventure is unique, and there will be many living in China who don’t plan to stay long enough to consider applying for Permanent Resident Status. However, others come and fall in love with the country (or with someone from the country…) and want to build their lives there. For those people, getting a “Green Card” is not only of practical value, but symbolic of their commitment to China. Those who achieve it, carry it with pride.
每个人的外籍冒险都是独一无二的,而且会有很多生活在中国的人不打算呆足够长的时间来考虑申请永久居民身份。然而,其他人会爱上这个国家(或这个国家的人…),并想在那里建立自己的生活。对这些人来说,获得“绿卡”不仅具有实际价值,而且象征着他们对中国的承诺。那些取得成就的人,要自豪地完成它。