China celebrated its national day on Oct. 1. The new leadership stood bareheaded, in a pouring rain, to lay flowers and observe a national minute of silence at the Monument to the Heroes of New China.
On the same day in the United States, Republicans and Democrats debated the financial and political fallout of shutting down the government. The juxtaposition of events and symbols would have been unthinkable 30 years ago.
Moving on to more practical things…Americans who plan to visit or do business in China need to know about the new set of visa options and procedures which took effect Sept. 1. The good part is that visiting Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu or Chongqing for less than 72 hours can be accomplished without a visa. The bad part is increased scrutiny and procedures on those coming to work/stay in China.
Effective on Sept. 1, according to Order No.637 of State Council, China has significantly changed its visa categories and processes. Check the terms of the new visas before you book your trip.
The new visa categories also come with new procedures. The 15-day visa processing time has been extended from 5 days. It’s not clear whether there is a rush process available yet. Remember, they hold on to your passport while they are processing.
Holders of a D, Z, X or J-1 visa must obtain a residence permit within 30 days upon entry. This means you must register with the Entry and Exit Administrative Authority within the time period.
Biometric information, fingerprints, photos, a health care certificate (health exam result), a criminal record check and supporting documentation will be required by the Entry and Exit Administrative Authority.
All financial, educational, medical and telecommunications institutions can verify foreigners’ identities with the Entry and Exit Administrative Authority when necessary. All relevant entities must report any change in the employment or enrollment status of employees or students to the local Entry and Exit Administrative Authority.
Any foreigner holding a study residence permit, who wants/needs to take part-time jobs or internships outside the campus must obtain approval from their academic institution and the Entry and Exit Administrative Authority.
So why is China putting in stiffer visa regulations and procedures?
As the world economy has stagnated and China’s has continued to grow, those attracted to the opportunities in China are not always the ones China is interested in having. Illegal immigration has become a problem. While many of the major problems are with people coming from poor undeveloped countries, even in the case of the United States and Europe, there are large numbers of illegals working for cash. Like the United States, China is moving to police its borders more carefully, as its economic tide turns and it becomes a destination rather than a way point.
Einar Tangen, formerly from Milwaukee, now lives and works in Beijing, China. He is an adviser to Heilongjiang Province, Hebei Province QEDTZ, China.org.cn, China International Publishing Group, Beijing Baotong and DGI DESIGN. He is also a weekly public affairs commentator for CCTV News’ Dialogue and the author of “The Kunshan Way,” an economic development history of China’s leading county level city. While in Milwaukee, he was a partner at Jackson, Morgan and Tangen, president of E-Tech and a senior vice president at Stifel Nicolaus. He chaired various boards in Milwaukee and was a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago. Readers who would like to submit questions or suggest areas of interest can send an e-mail to steve.jagler@biztimes.com.
