In a bid to encourage more foreign experts to come to China, the Chinese government is set to extend the validity of multiple-entry visas to the country starting this year.

The extension for the said visas would range between five to 10 years - a remarkable leap from the current validity of only one or two-year multiple-entry permits.

Like Us on Facebook

"Many foreign experts wrote me e-mails to complain about the visa problem. They want five-year or even 10-year multiple-entry permits, which will make their visits easier," the head of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs Zhang Jianguo revealed. He pointed out that the issuance of China visas with longer validity will attract highly-talented overseas experts.

"Most of them are high-end talented people. Some are even Nobel Prize winners," the government official added, according to the website of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. "Currently, they can get only one-year or two-year multiple-entry permits, which are not very convenient for them."

With several Chinese experts and students enjoying the benefits of longer multiple-entry visas in other countries at present (such as in the United States), Zhang noted that the same thing can actually be done in China.

While he vowed to get rid of career barriers for foreigners who want to work in China, visa would eventually be availed of with some help from educational institutions.

"We will encourage establishing a recruitment mechanism within research institutions, colleges and universities that will take job applications from around the world," Zhang stated.

According to the draft 13^th Five-Year Plan (2016 - 2020), China is planning to open up various opportunities for foreign talents. Thus, the granting of longer multiple-entry China visa can be a helpful strategy to entice them.

Tagschina, China visa, China Multiple-Entry Visas