Guangzhou and Foshan have jointly issued measures to streamline and facilitate work permits for foreign talents.
These measures introduce a cross-city mutual recognition mechanism for high-end foreign talents (Category A), marking the first initiative of its kind in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The measures also establish a streamlined exemption list for foreign professionals who have already obtained work permits in either city. When transferring employment between Guangzhou and Foshan, applicants are fully exempt from resubmitting their highest academic degree certificates.
Additionally, proof of prior work experience is no longer required if the individual's job position remains unchanged.
For intra-company transfers within multinational corporations or corporate groups, individuals who reapply for their work permit within 30 days are exempt from providing both criminal record certificates and medical examination reports.
A foreign talent applies for a work permit at the Service Window for Foreigners Working in China in Guangzhou.
Relaxed age and experience requirements
The measures relax age and work experience restrictions for foreign talents. There is no age limit for high-end foreign talents (Category A), while the upper age limit for professional talents (Category B) is now aligned with China's statutory retirement age.
Outstanding foreign graduates with master's or doctoral degrees from prestigious domestic and international universities who have secured employment are exempt from the previous two-year work experience requirement. A similar exemption applies to young foreign scientific and technological professionals urgently needed for national, provincial, or municipal research projects.
Unified salary recognition standard
When work permit applications involve requirements tied to multiples of average social wages, authorities will apply the previous year's average annual salary of urban employees across Guangdong Province, as published by the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Guangdong Province.
Stronger support for innovation and entrepreneurship
Foreign professionals who previously held mid-level or higher positions, or associate professor and higher academic titles at well-known universities or research institutions in China or abroad, will be directly recognized as Category A talents if they establish technology enterprises or conduct research in Guangzhou or Foshan.
If a certified high-tech company relocates entirely between Guangzhou and Foshan, the work permit category for its foreign executives and technical staff will remain valid.
The two cities have also pledged to enhance exchanges among foreign experts, support their participation in tackling core technologies in key industries, and promote deeper integration of "research and daily life" for international professionals in the region.
Reporter | Chen Jinxia
Photo | Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Bureau
