Notice of 8 Facilitative Measures to Support Foreign Experts in Resuming Work and Production 

To those relevant entities:

In order to further implement the requirements of the Shanghai Municipal Committee and the People's Government of Shanghai Municipality on strengthening tasks of epidemic prevention and control, we should provide more convenience for foreign experts to resume work and production. Based on the "Notice on the Implementation of Online Approval Process for Matters Related to Foreigner’s Work Permit in Shanghai", during the epidemic period, to further improve the processing of reviewing and approving Foreigners' Work Permits, version 2.0 has now being notified as follows:

1 Reduction or exemption application materials for foreign high-end talents

Foreign high-end talents who work in Shanghai are not restricted by age, education, and work experience. When applying for a work permit for foreign high-end talent whom is over 65 years old, employer is exempt from attaching insurance documents, insurance commitments, and third party commitments.

2 Shorten the time in review and approve for cancellation of Foreigners' Work Permits in China

For foreign talents get employment transfer more conveniently in Shanghai, the approval time for the cancellation of the Foreigner's Work Permit is shortened from 10 working days to a maximum of 3 working days.

3 Proving employment termination by upload e-documents

During the epidemic period, once the employer and the foreign talents agree to terminate the labor contract, while the foreign talents cannot sign the certificate of dissolution, the documents such as relative email loop, discussion record via WeChat or the certificate of dissolution with electronic signature can be recognized.

4 E-documents could be used as tax clearance proof records

For foreign talents who originally taking the salary commitment, the e-document of tax withholding and payment uploaded by the employer can be recognized while the personal income tax payment records issued by the tax department are unnecessary.

5 Relaxing of salary commitments

For employer apply for the extension for foreign talents who originally taking the salary commitment, during the epidemic period (tentatively scheduled from February to April, 2020) foreign employee’s salary can be loose appropriately.

6 Cancel the time limit for applying for extension the Foreigner’s Work Permit temporarily

Temporarily cancel the restriction of which “Extension application must be submitted 30 days before the expiry of the license”, the employer can submit it online only before the expiry of the license. Restarting the original time limit will be notified separately.

7 Accept the materials of "Automatic extension of validity period of stay in China"

During the epidemic period, if foreign talent’s visa or residence permit expired, while they had not left the country, and within the automatic extension period stipulated by the immigration management department, they could apply for a Foreigner’s Work Permit in Shanghai.

8 Provide service guarantee to support foreign experts to resume work and production

The foreign experts service departments in all districts and employers shall conscientiously implement the requirements for epidemic prevention and control in Shanghai, proactively take care of foreign experts, promptly respond to the needs of foreign experts, and provide services for foreign experts in working and living to support resume work and production.

Employers should take pragmatic, caring, and deliverable measures to help foreign experts solve their particular difficulties according to the actual situation in resume work and production. We should complete the important task of providing services to foreign experts in shanghai, during the special period of epidemic prevention and control. Thus foreign experts may love Shanghai more, so as to make greater contributions to the city's economic and social development as well as to the construction of the "five centers" mission.

Science and Technology Commission Shanghai Municipality

Shanghai Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs

March 10th, 2020