Residence Sticker
Residence Formalities and Processing
You receive this within 45-days after you arrive
in China. This sticker officially recognizes you as having residence
status in China.
Once you have arrived in China, you will have 48-hours to
register your presence at the local PSB. Your employer should do
this for you. Remind them if they don't as some provinces in
China may impose a fine on you if you are caught in town without
having registered.
The process for obtaining a residence permit can
take between 10-45 days and your sponsor will need your original
passport at some point so make copies and keep them safe. Your
sponsor should not have your passport for more than two days.
SAFEA - FOREIGN EXPERT CERTIFICATE
Your sponsor should make application for your Foreign Expert
Certificate, a red book that illustrates you are a foreign expert
working in a certain type of field of education, science or
technology. This book is also useful for converting Chinese money
into US dollars at local banks.
SUPPLEMENTAL MEDICAL EXAMINATION
Once in China, you will need to provide a copy of your Physical
Examination Form that your doctor completed in order to satisfy the
medical requirement. If you don't have one, don't worry. Some
provinces perform supplemental health checks after you arrive which
may involve drawing blood and taking x-rays. The medical examination
usually takes place at the provincial capital of the province where
you are working and may take up to an entire day to complete.
PBS CERTIFIES IT
Once your Chinese doctors have certified you with a clean bill of
health your sponsor will then bring these certified documents to the
local public security bureau for inspection. Your original
passport will be required at this point. The PBS will affix the
residence permit in your passport on an available visa page. This
process should take no longer than one or two days.
Its important to note that you must stay in China
until you have received your residence sticker. Once you
receive your residence sticker you are allowed to come and go as
often as you like for the term of the residence permission.
(expiry)