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China, officially the People’s Republic of China, is a country in East Asia known for its rich cultural heritage and rapid modernization. With a population exceeding 1.4 billion people, it is the world’s most populous nation. Spanning five geographical time zones and bordering fourteen countries by land, China holds the record for the most land borders of any country, tied with Russia.
Among the world’s nations, India and China stand out for their historical depth, cultural confidence, and widespread population, making them distinct in an increasingly homogenized world. China, the focus of this discussion, presents a compelling allure to foreigners due to its blend of ancient traditions and its emergence as a global powerhouse. Despite occasional negative portrayals in Western media, the reality on the ground often contradicts these narratives. Chinese society is generally welcoming and open, offering ample opportunities for those who are discerning and adaptable.
However, adapting to life in China can present challenges. Foreigners may find the cuisine unfamiliar, encounter different social norms and expectations, face disparities in development and modernization across regions, and struggle with the widespread lack of English proficiency. Yet, for those who embrace these challenges and fully immerse themselves in Chinese culture, the rewards are substantial. Living in China offers invaluable insights into alternative perspectives and a culture that has demonstrated innovation throughout its extensive history.
When considering where to live in China, it’s important to recognize the diversity of experiences available across the country’s vast landscape.
For those seeking a more familiar environment with a relatively smoother transition, major coastal cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou offer modern amenities and a sizable expatriate community. These cities boast western supermarkets, bars, clubs, and a higher proportion of English-speaking locals. However, the downside includes a higher cost of living and the risk of becoming ensconced in expat bubbles, limiting exposure to authentic Chinese culture.
Alternatively, if you’re eager to immerse yourself in traditional Chinese culture, second-tier cities like Chengdu, Kunming, and Xi’an provide a balanced blend of modernity and cultural authenticity. These cities offer opportunities to interact with locals and delve deeper into Chinese customs and traditions.
For a truly authentic experience, smaller cities and towns in inner provinces or coastal regions offer a unique glimpse into everyday Chinese life. While settling into these areas may pose greater challenges due to cultural differences and language barriers, the rewards can be significant. Building relationships with locals can be easier due to the novelty of foreign presence and a genuine interest in learning about other cultures.
However, it’s essential to be prepared for the absence of familiar amenities like authentic western restaurants and English-speaking services. Patience and perseverance are key as you navigate daily tasks and social interactions in an environment where English fluency may be limited.
Ultimately, the choice of where to live in China depends on your preferences and goals. Whether you seek the comforts of familiarity or the adventure of cultural immersion, China offers a multitude of experiences for those willing to explore its diverse landscapes and communities.
Settling into life in China, particularly if you’re employed by a Chinese company or starting a teaching position, typically involves assistance from your employer or local contacts. Finding accommodation, especially outside major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, can be challenging without local guidance. Your employer or contacts can help you navigate the rental market, assess the suitability of neighborhoods in terms of transportation, amenities, and safety, ensuring you find a comfortable place in a desirable location.
Having contacts on the ground is crucial for a smooth transition to China. Whether it’s through your employer or friends, having someone to guide you through the initial stages of relocation can alleviate difficulties, frustrations, and potential feelings of loneliness. While it’s possible to move to China independently and find work on your own, it often involves a period of adjustment and uncertainty, especially given the country’s unique cultural and logistical complexities.
In summary, leveraging local connections can significantly streamline the process of settling into life in China, providing invaluable support in finding accommodation, navigating cultural differences, and integrating into the local community.
China Permanent Residence
The permanent residence of foreigners in China refers to that the period of foreigners’ stay here is not limited. Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens is the legitimate identity card of aliens having obtained permanent residence and may be used independently. They can enter and exit China by holding their valid passports and the Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens without a visa.
The validity of Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens is five or ten years. Aliens aged under 18 years old being granted permanent residence should be issued Certificates of Permanent Residence of Aliens of five years. Aliens aged over 18 years granted permanent residence should be issued Certificates of Permanent Residence of Aliens of 10 years.
| Different Types | Qualifications |
|---|---|
for Spouse Reunion | spouses of Chinese citizens or of aliens having obtained permanent residence in China, whose marriage has lasted for five years, and who have lived in mainland for five years in a row, the annual stay here being no shorter than nine months, and who have stable and secured living status and place to live |
for Seeking Reunion with Parents | unmarried children aged under 18 years old who come to live with their parents |
for Investment | having direct investment, stable investment in China for three years in a row, and having a sound taxation record |
for Employment | having assumed the posts of deputy general manager or deputy director of plants or higher level posts or posts of associate professors or associate research fellows and similar posts for more than four years in a row, and the period of stay in accumulation being no shorter than three years and having sound taxation record |
for Outstanding Aliens | having major and outstanding contributions to China or needed urgently by China |
| for Dependents | persons having no direct relatives abroad entering China to live with direct relatives, who are over 60 years old, have lived in China for five years in a row, whose annual stay being no shorter than nine months and have stable and secured living status and places to live. |
Aliens can apply for Permanent Residence for Spouse Reunion if they meet the following conditions:
1. Spouses of Chinese citizens or of aliens having obtained permanent residence in PRC;
2. Marriage has lasted for five years;
3. have lived in PRC for five years in a row, the annual stay in PRC being no shorter than nine months;
4. have stable and secured living status and place to live;
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices.
6. Proof of household registration of their Chinese spouses or the Certificate of Permanent Residence of aliens of their spouses of foreign nationality, marriage certificates, proof of secured living status and certificate of house leasing or property right of the house which have been notarized. The above-mentioned proof issued by related agencies abroad should be attested by the Chinese embassies or consulate offices in the countries or regions.
Unmarried children aged under 18 years old who come to PRC to live with their parents can apply for Permanent Residence in PRC if they meet the following conditions:
1. One or both of their parents is or are Chinese citizen(s) and have household registration in PRC, or one or both of their parents is or are alien(s) with permanent residence status in PRC;
2. Under the age of 18 and unmarried;
3. Confirmed to have foreign nationality after examination according to Law of Nationality of P.R.C.
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. The Household registration if their parents are Chinese citizens or the Alien Permanent Residence Permits if their parents are of foreign nationality; birth certificates or kindred certificates;
6. Certificates of adoption shall be issued by department of civil affairs at the provincial level in case the adoptive relations are established in PRC. Certificates of adoption by Hong Kong notary entrusted by Chinese government if the adoptive relations are established in Hong Kong. Certificates of adoption by notary of Macau SAR in case the adoptive relations are established in Macau. Certificates of adoption shall be issued by notary of Taiwan in case the adoptive relations are established in Taiwan. All the evidence issued by foreign institutes should be verified by the Chinese embassy or consulate in that foreign country.
Foreign investors can apply for Permanent Residence if they have direct investment in PRC for three years in a row and have a sound taxation record and meet any of the following terms and conditions:
1. having made investment of over USD 500,000 in industries of encouraged type as specified in the Catalogue of Industries of Foreign Investment released by the State;
2. having made total investment of over USD 500,000 in counties in the western part of the country or in counties which are major targets of poverty relief work undertaken by the State;
3. having total investment of over USD 1 million in the central part of the country;
4. having total investment of over USD 2 million in PRC.
Requirements:
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices.
6. Certificates of approval of foreign funded enterprises, certificate of registration, proof of combined annual inspection, report of assets valuation and proof of personal tax payment. In case of foreign funded enterprises of encouraged type, letter of confirmation of the foreign invested projects which the State encourages should also be provided.
Foreigners can apply for Permanent Residence for Employment if they satisfy the following conditions:
1. having assumed the posts of deputy general manager or deputy director of plants or higher level posts or posts of associate professors or associate research fellows and similar posts for more than four years in a row, and the period of stay in accumulation being no shorter than three years and having sound taxation record;
2. the units where they work should meet any of the following terms and conditions:
A: institutions subordinate to the various ministries under the State Council or to the provincial level people’s governments;
B: major higher learning schools;
C: enterprises or institutions executing major engineering projects or major scientific projects of the State;
D: high-tech enterprises, foreign invested enterprises in encouraged type, foreign invested advanced technology enterprises or foreign invested export-oriented enterprises.
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices;
6. Proof of post or title of the persons issued by the units where they work ;
7. Certificates of foreign experts or certificates of employment of aliens;
8. Registration certificate, annual inspection proof and personal tax payment proof of the units where they work;
9. One of the below documents:
(1) units are foreign funded enterprises, the certificate of approval of foreign funded enterprises and proof of combined annual inspection should also be provided;
(2) persons of enterprises or institutions executing major engineering projects or scientific projects of the State should provide testifying documents for the projects issued by the competent authorities of the provincial level people’s governments or ministries;
(3) persons working for high-tech enterprises should provide certificates of high-tech enterprises;
(4) persons working for encouraged type foreign funded enterprises should provide letter of confirmation of the encouraged type foreign invested projects;
(5) persons working for foreign invested advanced technology enterprises should provide letter of confirmation of foreign invested advanced technology enterprises;
(6) persons working for foreign invested export-oriented enterprises should provide letter of confirmation of foreign invested export-oriented enterprises.
This type of Permanent Residence is issued to aliens who have major and outstanding contributions to PRC or needed urgently by PRC.
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices
6. Letter of recommendation and related proofs issued by the competent authority of the Chinese government are required.
Aliens can apply for Permanent Residence for Dependents if you meet the following conditions:
1. Persons having no direct relatives abroad entering PRC to live with direct relatives in PRC;
2. Over 60 years old, have lived in PRC for five years in a row, whose annual stay in PRC being no shorter than nine months;
3. Have stable and secured living status and places to live;
Requirements
1. Completed Application Form of Aliens for Permanent Residence in PRC;
2. Four recent 2-inch color photos (full face without hat) against blue background;
3. Valid foreign passports or identification capable of substituting passports;
4. Certificate of health issued by Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau appointed by the Chinese government or issued by foreign medical agencies accredited by Chinese embassies or consulate offices (the Health Certificate is valid for 6 months since it is issued);
5. Proof of no criminal record abroad recognized by Chinese embassies or consulate offices
6. Certificates of household registration of the Chinese citizens with whom they come to live or Certificate of Permanent Residence of aliens of foreigners; notarized proof of relations of relatives and proof testifying that the incoming persons having no direct relatives abroad; notarized proof of the sources of incomes of the incoming persons or the proof of economic guarantee of the persons with whom the incoming persons live; notarized proof of house leasing or property right of houses of the incoming persons or persons with whom the incoming persons live. The above-mentioned proof issued by related agencies abroad should be attested by the Chinese embassies or consulate offices in the countries or regions.
The expansion of China’s economy has been rapid, and the country currently boasts the second largest economy in the world (behind the USA). While the rate of economic growth has slowed down in recent times – especially since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 – job prospects are generally good, although competition for graduate roles is fierce.
While the country has a population of nearly 1.5 billion, its people enjoy a relatively low cost of living compared to the UK – although this does depend on location. Major cities such as Shanghai and the capital Beijing are unsurprisingly more expensive.
The opportunity to experience a completely different culture is a huge attraction to foreigners considering working in China. To make life a little easier, you may wish to consider taking classes in Mandarin – not only does a second language look great on your CV, it could also boost your chances of success when looking for work.
When looking for English-speaking jobs, these will mostly be in cities such Beijing and Shanghai – the business and industrial hubs of the country. Many multinational companies have their Asian headquarters in one of these east coast locations – as well as in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Tianjin.
The majority of expatriate workers in China find jobs with foreign-invested enterprises. Although opportunities do exist with Chinese companies, these usually require some knowledge of Mandarin.
Major industries in China include:
With the global economic meltdown, many companies have closed shop and jobs have receded from the reach of even skilled workers. But eastern giant China has continued to keep spinning its silky economic yarn. Recession or no recession jobs in China are a plenty. The reason being China has begun to expand the private sector of its economy and thrown open its doors to the world. Shanghai and Beijing have now become the passwords for those wanting to have a lucrative career.
What is more with many multinationals relocating their headquarters to the Asian giant, China has started to look more welcoming than other countries.
For Indians who would like to test the waters of Chinese jobs the following points could be useful:
Jobs demand in China are:
While applying for a China Visa online for Indians, the applicant needs to submit a set of documents to support their visa application. Mentioned below is the list of required documents.
For China Tourist VisaTo ensure you get your China visa, immigration & PR successfully, it is better to take help of an experienced visa agent. The fastest and easiest way to get a visa to China is through Coraledu We have been helping travelers in their applications for China Visa and we have a great success rate in getting the Visa approved.
