On January 15, Rafael Guzman Tirado from Spain became one of the first batch of overseas talents to receive confirmation of high-end talent status in Guangdong. With this letter, he is eligible to apply for the new R Visa which will allow multiple-entries and is valid from 5 to 10 years.
Rafael Guzman Tirado is a professor working for the “Yunshan” program at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies. He specializes in cutting-edge subject lectures and theoretical study of Spanish language.
As one of the nine pilot provinces nationwide, Guangdong put the new visa policy in place as of January 2018, with an expected benefit for over 5000 individuals already working in the province and should help attract scientists, entrepreneurs and talented individuals needed for the recent development push.
According to the policy, those eligible can apply for the confirmation letters from the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province. And with these letters, they can then apply for the R Visa via their respective country’s consulate in China.
The R Visa holders enjoy multiple-entries valid over 5 to 10 years with a duration of 180 days at most for each stay. In addition, the policy also applies to the spouse and the minors of the named individual.
An official of Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of Guangdong Province said they are dedicated to bring convenience to the applicants. “Once approved, the confirmation letters will be sent to the applicants online so that the employers do not need to run back and forth for the letter,” said the official.
Four major highlights of the new policy:
Shortest application process. Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs of Guangdong Province has shortened the application process for confirmation letters to 5 working days. If urgent, respective consulates in China can issue the R Visa to applicants with confirmation letters within 2 working days.
Longest validity. The R Visa holders enjoy a permit length of 5 to 10 years, which is the longest period of validity in China by far.
Longest stay. The maximum stay of each visit is 180 days, which is the longest duration in China.
Most favorable treatment. The application is free of charge. The same policy applies to the spouse and the minors.
Roughly 150,000 expats come and work in Guangdong each year, one sixth of the nationwide total. The number of expats with valid working visas is 43,500, 13 percent of which are at the high-end of the talent spectrum. The new visa policy is expected to attract more international talent to boost the development of innovative industries in Guangdong.
Reported by Jasmine Yin, Heather Lu (intern)
Edited by Simon Haywood, Wing Zhang
