China hardest country to get 'green card': report

Experts said China urgently needs to improve its "green card" policy after a recent report showed that China is the most difficult country to obtain permanent residency in.

The Chinese edition of the World Migration Report 2013 was issued on May 19 by the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), an independent and non-profit think tank based in Beijing. The English version was released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) last year,

The report showed that migration to China had increased by 35 percent in the first decade of the century as it is becoming an increasingly attractive destination due to its rapid economic growth and demographic changes.

However, the report indicated that the nation's enormous economic growth is not reflected in the number of foreigners working in the country. "China lacks an official policy to attract skilled foreign workers," the report said.

CCG director Wang Huiyao told Legal Weekly that China needs to improve its migration policy to attract greater amounts of talent, especially as much Chinese talent has emigrated overseas.

China started to implement the policy of green cards, or permanent residency permits, in 2004, but only about 4,700 permits had been issued by the end of 2011. The number of permits issued jumped 80 percent year-on-year in 2012 to more than 1,200.

Meanwhile, the number of foreigners living in China had reached 600,000 in 2012.

China has long been criticized for its high threshold for permanent residency, which requires making a "significant contribution" to China, investing more than $500,000 in the country, or being married to a Chinese citizen for more than five years.

"Although there's no specific quota set for 'green card' issuance, authorities still limit the numbers for fear of negative consequences caused by the increase in migrants," Liu Guofu, an expert on immigration law at the Beijing Institute of Technology, told the Global Times on Wednesday.

Liu said that China lacks experience and support measures to deal with issues relating to migration.

China introduced a new regulation in 2013 to facilitate entry and exit for foreign nationals, such as increasing visa types, but foreign workers often complain of the confusing and often-changing rules and documents required.

In March, China vowed to adopt more flexible policies, though no further details have been released.

China needs to adopt more open and relaxed migration policies to aid reform and attract talent, Liu suggested.