By recognizing 110 overseas professional qualifications, Beijing aims to attract more international professional talent in wider fields to work here. The municipal government will upgrade the Catalogue of Overseas Professional Qualifications Recognized by Beijing (Version 2.0) in due course and further explore more application scenarios based on the needs of economic and social development to support more professionals, from home and abroad, to innovate and start up businesses in the city.
Specialists who have an adequate understanding of international rules are highly needed for the "two zones" development and how to seek, identify, and evaluate them is thus high on the agenda, said the official from Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau (the Bureau) at the press conference on establishing a comprehensive service system for attracting international talent for the development of the "two zones". According to common practice, a professional qualification is the recognition of a person's knowledge, skill and competence.
To ensure the free flow of global talent for the city's high-quality development, 82 overseas professional qualifications were included in the Catalogue of Overseas Professional Qualifications Recognized by Beijing for the Development of the "Two Zones" (Version 1.0) released in September 2021. It encouraged global talent with qualifications included to work in Beijing by supporting them in certificate verification, talent introduction, work and residence permits application, and entry and exit services, among others. On June 30th this year, the Catalogue of Overseas Professional Qualifications Recognized by Beijing (Version 2.0) was released. As an update and expansion of the 1.0 version, it covers 110 qualifications, offering more targeted services to support talent. Attracting more international talent in wider fields, the new Catalogue serves as guidance for employers to hire professionals from around the world, once again sending out the message that Beijing always welcomes international talent.
It is learned that the five preferential policies in Catalogue 1.0 will be continued in Catalogue 2.0. They are as follows:
1. Work permit may be granted with no requirement of the applicant's diplomas or work experience, with the upper age limit relaxed to 65 years old (or 70 for those engaging in the high-end, precision and cutting-edge industries).
2. For traveling into and out of China, qualified person can get multiple-entry visas or residence permits valid up to five years, and can apply for port visas to visa-granting offices under the public security organ once China's visa-on-arrival policy is resumed.
3. Qualified foreign nationals can enjoy fast track services in their application for permanent residence.
4. The overseas work experience of those qualified will be counted as equivalent to that in China's mainland.
5. Qualified persons will enjoy support and assistance from competent authorities in innovation and business creation, training, social security, competence evaluation and incentives, etc.
Also, Beijing offers additional five preferential policies to attract the urgently needed talent defined by the new Catalogue. First, they can directly be employed as specialists with associate senior titles in their corresponding profession (field of study), and be considered academically eligible to apply for full senior titles. Second, Chinese employees who play a prominent role in their work can enjoy the benefits of the talent introduction policy upon recommendation of their employers. Third, foreign nationals may obtain a confirmation letter validating their qualifications as high-end talent, which can be used to apply for talent visa and permanent residence, and thus enjoy easier travel into and out of the country. Fourth, those qualified will enjoy benefits as high-caliber talent of Beijing, whose credentials will be taken as a big plus in talent appraisal and selection projects. Fifth, those qualified can file applications to take on projects accredited as municipal-level scientific and technological projects.
According to the person in charge, it is very difficult to verify employees' credentials if they are issued by institutions based in places outside China's mainland, and the validation process can be both costly and time-consuming, which usually takes 30 to 90 workdays at a cost of 1,000 to 2,000 yuan. This has also deterred international professionals from working in Beijing. The Bureau has therefore entrusted Beijing Foreign Enterprise Human Resources Service Co., Ltd. (FESCO) with the task of establishing a service platform for the validation of overseas professional qualifications, which is the first of its kind in China. Through channels like foreign websites, emails and phone calls, the verification process on the platform is now free of charge and takes only five to 30 workdays. The result serves as an important reference for employment, work residence permit application, talent introduction, work permit application, foreigners' residence permit application, and foreign physician registration, among others. The platform has so far recorded 110,000 visits, completed 470 times of verification for 237 companies, and awarded 1 eligible professional the senior title. The platform has provided employers with precise guidance in identifying and hiring high-caliber talent from overseas, with nearly 30 employers, including Siemens Ltd. China and Beijing Football Association, managing to recruit over 30 employees with professional qualifications thanks to the policy of Catalogue 2.0.
The person in charge also pointed out that going forward efforts will be made to build a credit-based management system for Catalogue 2.0 and communication mechanisms with overseas-based institutions in charge of issuing or certifying vocational qualifications that are listed in Catalogue 2.0, so as to keep track of certificate issuance and the professional competence of certificate holders, and ensure timely elimination of unqualified qualifications. Meanwhile, there will be a well-timed upgrade of Catalogue 2.0 and more application scenarios to better suit the economic and social development of the city, thus supporting more professionals, from home and abroad, to make innovations and start businesses in Beijing.
(Reporter: Du Yan)
