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TEACH ESL IN CHINA

Guide to Employment of Foreign experts Year 2002
REGULATION No.2

 Published with thanks to State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
Please respect copyright

SAFEA REGULATIONS #2  Credentials

IV. CREDENTIALS FOR FOREIGN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS AND THEIR PROCEDURES (1)   

1. What is a Foreign Experts Invitation Confirmation?

This certificate is to be presented when a foreign expert applies for Visa Z. It proves that the State Administration of Foreign  Experts Affairs agrees that the holder comes to China as an expert (accompanied by his/her family members) and asks the Chinese Embassy of Consulate to issue Visa Z according to the  regulations concerned.

2. What offices issue a Foreign Experts Invitation Confirmation?

This certificate can only be issued by the State Administration of Foreign  Experts Affairs. The departments of foreign affairs of provinces, autonomous regions and cities, and ministries under the State Council, their subordinate offices, units and international  cooperative sections can also issue the certificate to the experts who come to work in their region or departments.

IV. CREDENTIALS FOR FOREIGN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS  AND THEIR PROCEDURES (2) 

3. How to Apply for a Foreign Experts Invitation Confirmation?

This certificate can be obtained by the host institution,  which applies for it to the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs and the departments of foreign affairs, entrusted by the Administration, and sends the original copy to the expert.

This certificate should be presented with the invitation letter and cannot replace it.

4. How to Use a Foreign Experts Invitation Confirmation?

This  certificate can only be used by experts who have obtained approval to work in China while applying for Visa Z. It is needed by the expert when applying for Visa Z, not by other aliens to  apply for Visas F or Visas L.

5. What is a Foreign Experts ID Card?

This allows foreign experts, who come to work in China for the first time, to enjoy preferential  treatment at customs. Its holders will be allowed to bring in a reasonable amount of daily necessities for personal use free of duty.

6. How to Obtain a Foreign Experts IC Card?

This certificate is issued by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, and by offices of foreign affairs in provinces,  regions and cities. Experts who want to bring in duty-free necessities can inform their host institutions beforehand. When entering China, the foreign experts shall present the Customs the  original copy of Foreign Experts ID Card.

7. What is a Foreign Experts Certificate?

This certificate card is necessary for foreign experts working in China to  prove their identity and apply for residence permits.

IV. CREDENTIALS FOR FOREIGN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS AND THEIR PROCEDURES (3)  (549)

8. How to apply for the Foreign Experts Certificate?

To apply for the Foreign Experts Certificate, the host institution should present the introduction letter from the authoritative agent;  cultural and education experts should present the contract, agreement between the governments or universities, Visa Z or its duplicate, and 2 personal photos.

This certificate is valid for  one year at most. When it expires, it should be renewed, otherwise it will be invalid. When work units change, the certificate should be returned to the issuer and a new one applied for in  the new work place.

9. What are the points for attention in issuing the foreign experts documents?

The host institution should pay attention in the following points  concerned with employee's card, residence permit for foreigners, and medical card.

(1) When cards of various types are issued, the valid date should be clearly filled out, i.e., from which day which month which year to which day which month which year. The  medical card should be in conformity with the valid period of the contract, while residence permit for foreigners and employee's card should not exceed the valid period of passport of the  foreign expert.

(2) As a rule, cards of various types issued by the host institution should be taken back upon experts' leave and exit. Some experts may request to take the  employee's card or school badge as a souvenir, and in this case, it is up to the host institution to make a decision, but the medical card must be withdrawn. The residence permit or  temporary residence permit should be taken back by the exit border control.

(3) In case the employment of foreign experts is renewed, the host institution should re-apply or  extend the valid period of the original cards for the foreign experts, to avoid troubles arising out of the experts holding overdue cards.

IV.  CREDENTIALS FOR FOREIGN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS AND THEIR PROCEDURES (4) 

10. What procedures should be followed in obtaining residence permit for foreign experts?

For an expert with an employment term of one year or longer, a visa of over one-year  period should be applied, and the expert is required to take an overall health checkup including AIDS test before coming to China. After entrance into China, Validation Certificate of Health  Examination Record of Foreigners may be obtained by presenting the Health Examination Record of Foreigners to local hygienic and quarantine departments. On the basis of this validation  certificate and the Foreign Experts Certificate, the Public Security Organs of local regions can issue the Residence Permit to foreigners. A foreigner without health checkup and staying  shorter than one year in China is allowed to receive only temporary residence permit.

11. What are the differences between residence permit and temporary residence permit for  foreign experts?

According to the Implementary Rules of Law on the Entry and Exit of Aliens promulgated by Ministry of Public Security, foreigners living in China for over one year  should apply and obtain residence permit for foreigners; those living for shorter than one year may apply and obtain temporary residence permit.

Residence permit for foreigners  is dark green in color, with holder's photo; and temporary residence permit for foreigners is light green in color, without holder's photo.

12. What to do in case items in the residence permit for foreigners change?

Items to be filled in the residence permit for foreigners include name, nationality, occupation or position, host  institution, address, and passport number. In case of change of any of the items, the change should be registered in the public security bureau in the pace of residence within 10 days, and no  private alteration or overdue is allowed.

IV. CREDENTIALS FOR FOREIGN CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL EXPERTS AND THEIR PROCEDURES (5) 

13. How To extend visa or residence card?

In case of need to continue stay or residence in China after expiration of the via or residence permit, the expert should bring the valid passport,  residence permit and letter from the host institution to public security bureau to apply for extension and fill in the application form o\for extension of foreigner's credentials.

 14. What credentials should foreign experts bring and what procedures to go through when traveling?

Foreign experts with valid passport, residence permit, employee's card and Foreign  Experts Certificate can travel in those areas open to aliens without travel permit, but should apply for travel permit in the public security bureau and get approval before they can go to the  places not open to aliens.