Chinese Green Card

[Matty]

My goals are to try and obtain a Chinese Green Card. I've read more threads on more forums than I can remember, I've read more articles than I wish I had, and have read more legal texts than I ever have before.

However what I'm yet to find is anyone who has actually obtained a green card. Is there anyone here who has a green card?

What I'm looking for more than a list of laws (which I know pretty thoroughly now) is some ideas and inspirations of methods of achieving my goal.

In an attempt to obtain my green card I've been trying to increase my probability of being accepted I've:

• Been working on my Masters (double course load for expedience) and preparing for my PhD

• Working at establishing my own company that I can bring into China when it is ready

• Teaching IT at a university in Australia to help fill out my resumé at a high level

What I'm after now is more inspiration and idea as to what else I can do, especially from anyone who has succeeded at obtaining one.

I know it's near impossible, I've been living in China for 3+ years now and I'm relatively aware of what I'm getting myself into, the good and the bad.

I'm aware of the difficulty, however I will not stop until I obtain my green card, I will not give up.

[fanglu]

• Working at establishing my own company that I can bring into China when it is ready

To be honest I suspect it is this that would help the most. If you own a large company that has invested a lot of money in China you will probably be able to find the contacts to make it happen.

[Matty]

• Working at establishing my own company that I can bring into China when it is ready

To be honest I suspect it is this that would help the most. If you own a large company that has invested a lot of money in China you will probably be able to find the contacts to make it happen.

I actually believe the same, however I felt it prudent not to exclude the alternative paths, I'll take every point I can get. I've mixed and matched a bit to shorten course times, to make my business plans link into a project in one of my courses and a few other optimisations.

One of my specialties is interactive web system development and I like to work a lot of automation into my projects.

I've also considered starting a school to teach foreigners Chinese, I'm not too bad at marketing, organisation and working with customers (something which many schools seem to be lacking once money is paid). However this requires much more research first but it's crackling on in my mind. If I can provide a high level of education whilst at the same time bringing foreign funds into the country it would be a good reason to try and keep me I would think.

I appreciate your positive approach.

[roddy]

What specifically and in Chinese do you mean by green card?

[Matty]

What specifically and in Chinese do you mean by green card?

The Chinese Green Card (中国绿卡) which is created from a D Visa, it's a type of permanent residency which comes with all sorts of benefits. It lasts for 5-10 years depending on the applicant.

Brief readings:

http://www.foreignercn.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1274&Itemid=48

http://www.nanjing.gov.cn/pub/english/qa/200705/t20070525_213655.htm

http://gothenburg2.mofcom.gov.cn/aarticle/chinalaw/investment/200502/20050200019341.html

I'm not sure what else to say, have a quick read, do a google if you like.

It's near impossible to get as I hear, but near impossible will never be near enough to stop me trying.

[roddy]

No real advice - to be honest by the time you get there the visa laws may have changed anyway. Although you'll have done some interesting stuff along the way by the sounds of it, and you'll presumably be well placed for whatever the new laws are.

[abcdefg]

Would it help you to marry a Chinese girl? (assuming you're a guy)

[Matty]

Would it help you to marry a Chinese girl? (assuming you're a guy)

As the readings go, if you marry a Chinese girl, and stay married for 5 years, living in China for the whole 5 years not leaving for a period more than 3 months per year, you may apply for a green card.

However, whether you will get it is an entirely different matter.

As I hear, this method is rarely successful.

.. Plus I'm not in a rush to marry, I want to marry for the right reasons.

[tboasis7]

yea i thought Chinese greens cards were a myth... lol

Good luck tho

near impossible is not impossible

[DrZero]

Think carefully about your reasons for wanting a green card.

It would be neat to have in the way that climbing Mount Everest would be neat: an accomplishment to talk about at the bar.

As for true practical value? Only a little. Certainly not worth all the effort you're putting in, if you ask me.

Yes, it saves you some trouble on applying for visas. I'd imagine it would create approximately an equal amount of trouble, though, in terms of freaking out Chinese public servants who have never seen one before and have no idea how to deal with you.

In a western country, if you have a green card, you have a sense of security because you know you can go work at pretty much any job and make a living and stay in the country. You can take any job you qualify for. If need be, you can go wash dishes at a restaurant. You also may qualify for social security, welfare and unemployment benefits.

In China, theoretically, you would get the same benefit of being able to work anywhere. Realistically, you are still only going to be hired for jobs where they're specifically looking for a foreigner. Generally, those employers would be able to sponsor a work visa for you anyway. If they can't, they're probably not employers you want to work for. Even if your Chinese were excellent, you could not compete on the open market against Chinese candidates for jobs as, say, an engineer, a baker or an auto mechanic. And even if you could, you would likely not accept what they'd pay.

Security from being deported? If they want to deport you, they're going to deport you, green card or not. Western countries can deport their green card holders, too.

If you had a lot of money or were retired, the green card would allow you to sit around in China and do nothing without need for a work visa. But most people who want to do that are married to Chinese citizens. And people who are married to Chinese citizens can, with relative ease, get one-year or possibly two-year visas/residence permits that allow them to sit around.

Public benefits? I don't think a green card would help you, and even if it did, I do not get the sense that China's benefits are exactly robust, even for Chinese. They might be decent for big-city residents who spend decades as government workers. That ain't gonna be you, I'm afraid.

I guess the green card would be useful if you planned strictly be self-employed in China. But even at that, it's not the only legal way to go about it.

If I were you, I think I would set my sights on efforts with a little more return on investment.

[roddy]

Thought I'd bump this as, for the first time ever, I've actually seen a 外国人永久居留证, in this charming photo. Note that while diamonds may be forever, permanent residence looks to last ten years. Credit to Eunice for enjoying her retirement. Other photos in the set show a more handy wallet-sized version of the card.

Matty, how goes your own quest?

PS I'd like to point out I was on China.org.cn by accident, and then got sucked in by their excellent top 10s

[Cat Jones]

It's massive! I hope she doesn't have to carry that aorund with her every day

[Takeshi]

Wow, getting a 外国人永久居留证 is such an impressive feat that they held a party for it and gave her a giant sized version of the card. So what's their story on how they got it? But yea, that article makes it sound like it is quite useful enough, unlike what everyone in this thread seems to say. I figure we're all just jealous.

[Matty]

Matty, how goes your own quest?

Well, still scraping on to feed myself actually, I really don't want to be an English teacher.

With the current scheme I'd probably have to wait till I get to about her age before I can get one.

However with the upcoming Talent Visa maybe there'll be more hope as word has it that it may be a stepping stone to the Green Card. I guess the office in Beijing was telling the truth when they kept telling me to wait and that the laws would change.

Sadly never finished that masters degree and lost that job I mentioned in that first post due to ... bad stuff that happened shortly after. This are just starting to look better now.

[Takeshi]

What upcoming Talent Visa?

[anonymoose]

I'd be surprised if she actually gets to use all ten years of it.

[Matty]

What upcoming Talent Visa?

That's about all I know about it now, but I assume it's some kind of skilled immigration program, probably similar to what Hong Kong has.