Foreigners of Chinese origin will be allowed to apply for visas from this Thursday that permit them to stay in China for five years or enter the country multiple times over that period, provided they meet set criteria.
The new policy, which takes effect from February 1, is an improvement on the current one-year multiple-entry visa for this group. Foreigners of Chinese origin with residency will be able to extend the period of their stay from three to five years.
The changes, announced by the Ministry of Public Security last week, are expected to attract more overseas ethnic Chinese people to do business or live in China, according to the authorities.