Interim Measures of Beijing Municipality for Promoting Overseas Students to Start Business and Work in Beijing

Article 1 The term “overseas students” used in these Measures refers to those who have been sent to study abroad for more than one year at public expense or at their own expense and have recently returned to China, and meet one of the following requirements:

(1) having obtained a master’s degree or above in a foreign country;

(2) having obtained intermediate or above professional and technical positions before going abroad;

(3) having obtained a doctor’s degree before going abroad for post-doctoral research or further study.

Article 2 The following principles shall be followed to promote overseas students to start business and work in Beijing:

(1) The principle of having the Party manage the talent. To form a work pattern in which the Party committee provides unified leadership and arranges departments to take the lead on all relevant aspects, the departments concerned assume their respective responsibilities with social forces participate extensively in work.

(2) The principle of highlighting key points. To meet the needs of building a “humane Beijing, scientific Beijing, and green Beijing”, and focus on attracting outstanding overseas students with real talent and development potential.

(3) The principle of market resources allocation. The government provides public services, and students can choose to start business and work in Beijing according to the principle of two-way choice.

(4) The principle of talent introduction by the employing unit. The employing unit shall introduce talent as required, and provide the necessary business platform and conditions.

Article 3 Overseas students can consult and learn about Beijing’s entrepreneurship and working environment, relevant policies, work information, job requirements and living information through the reception service window of Beijing overseas talent center, the website of Beijing oversea talents, and the hotline for overseas students to start business and work in Beijing.

Beijing Municipal authorities regularly hold activities of “Overseas talent development forum”, “Talent and technology exchange and project promotion fair” and “Overseas scholars visiting Beijing” to provide opportunities for overseas students to connect talent, technologies, projects and capital.

Article 4 Overseas students are not restricted by the location of their domicile before going abroad. They may apply to Beijing Overseas Talent Center by presenting the employer’s certificate or industrial and commercial license and obtain Beijing (overseas students) work and residence permit after getting examined and approved by Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau.

Article 5 Ways for overseas students to establish business and work in Beijing:

(1) Establish an enterprise in the form of technology as a shareholder or investment;

(2) Establish and lease various economic entities and R&D institutions;

(3) Work in state-owned enterprises, institutions and other types of economic and social organizations;

(4) Carry out academic exchanges, scientific research cooperation or undertake scientific research projects;

(5) Enter post-doctoral research base and workstation to engage in post-doctoral research;

(6) Work in public welfare institutions such as community public services;

(7) Serve as a civil servant in a municipal, district or county government organ.

Article 6 Overseas students who set up enterprises in Beijing can register directly with their passports, and the registered capital can be subject to the minimum standards stipulated by relevant national laws and regulations. For those who pass the evaluation of Beijing Overseas Talent Center, the government will provide 100,000 yuan of enterprise start-up fees. Priority shall be given to those who apply for start-up guidance funds provided by the municipal, district or county governments for various small and medium-sized enterprises. Where they have obtained bank loans, the government shall give partial or full discount interest support. Those who establish new and high technology enterprises may enjoy the preferential policies of Being Municipality for new and high technology enterprises.

Article 7 Support shall be given to the establishment of seed capital and credit guarantee funds for entrepreneurship in high-tech industrial development zones, incubators of scientific and technological enterprises, pioneer parks for overseas students, university science and technology parks, industrial parks and other parks to provide venture capital support and financing guarantee services for overseas students.

Article 8 Beijing encourages all kinds of financial institutions, domestic and foreign venture capital funds and private capital, to set up venture capital funds for overseas students in accordance with relevant regulations of China and Beijing Municipality to provide financial support for overseas students to start their own business.

Article 9 After verification and identification by related authorities, the business tax may be exempt for overseas students who start businesses and work or engage in technology transfer, technology development and related technical consulting and technical services in Beijing. After paying taxes according to law and having special certificates issued by the tax authorities after review, all legitimate income obtained from starting a business may be used to purchase foreign exchanges to be taken or remitted to other countries.

Article 10 For overseas students who establish enterprises in Beijing, where the development direction of the enterprises conform to the industrial development orientation of the capital and the average annual tax amount of the enterprises has reached 1 million yuan or more in the past three years, with a need to introduce the backbone of foreign technological research and development and management, Beijing will give priority to the enterprises on research incubation, financial support and talent introduction.

Article 11 Beijing shall encourage municipal institutions of higher education and research institutes to open their laboratories to enterprises founded by overseas students. Enterprises founded by overseas students shall be supported to set up, by themselves or jointly, enterprise technology centers or engineering technology research centers with universities and research institutes and shall be given one-time capital support and enjoy relevant preferential policies if they pass the national or municipal evaluation and acceptance.

Article 12 Overseas students who are to develop and produce new and high technology projects and products in Beijing may apply for scientific and technological subsidies from the municipal science and technology commission in accordance with relevant regulations, and shall be given support preferentially under the same conditions.

Article 13 For overseas students who conduct scientific research, engage in technological renovation projects, research projects with patents and inventions, and develop new products and new technologies in Beijing, the employing unit shall provide them with necessary conditions, such as experimental sites and equipment, as well as necessary financial support, and allow them to recruit assistants at home and abroad. Overseas students engaged in scientific research activities may apply for science and technology funding support from the municipal science and technology commission.

Article 14 Overseas students who are recruited by organizations of the municipal scientific research, teaching and health and other institutions or enterprises, and hold professional and technical posts shall not be restricted by the government institutions staffing or the professional title index. For overseas students who have not obtained professional and technical titles, Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau shall determine their professional titles directly on the basis of their overseas experience and level of knowledge.

Article 15 The lawful rights and interests of overseas students shall be protected in accordance with laws. The intellectual achievements, lawful incomes and other rights and interests of overseas students in starting business and working in Beijing shall be protected in accordance with relevant laws and regulations.

Article 16 The remuneration for overseas students employed by the enterprises and institutions in Beijing Municipality shall be determined by the employing units through consultation with them. Where an enterprise employs overseas students, the salary standard may be set as the case may be. If the overseas students are employed by a public institution, they shall be determined more favorably than their counterparts in the same institution, and awards may be given to those approved for outstanding contributions.

Article 17 Overseas students holding foreign passports (including their spouses and minor children) may apply for a two-year valid residence permit for foreigners or a one-year multiple-entry visa (not exceeding the validity period of the passport) from the public security authorities by presenting the Beijing (overseas students) work and residence permit and other relevant certificates. Those who cannot leave China as scheduled during their short stay in Beijing may apply for visa extension. If they do not have an entry visa in a foreign country due to time constraints or other reason, they may apply for a port visa in accordance with the relevant provisions.

Article 18 Overseas students who start business and work in Beijing with Chinese passports and have obtained Beijing (overseas students) work and residence permit, who hold a master’s degree or above or have a senior professional title before going abroad, shall, upon application by the employing unit, go through the formalities of transferring to Beijing by Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. Their spouses and children under the age of 18 may come to Beijing with them in accordance with related regulations.

Article 19 For overseas students who start business and work in Beijing, and who are to go abroad again for work, study, observation or to participate in relevant academic activities, the relevant procedures shall be simplified.

Article 20 For overseas students who start businesses or work in Beijing, their children may be enrolled in nursery schools or schools of compulsory education. In this case, the administrative department of education of the district or county where they live shall arrange and handle the procedures of enrollment and school transfer, and shall not charge fees other than those prescribed by the government. The higher education institutions in this city may have the priority of admission under the same conditions if their children take the national unified examination for postgraduates.

Article 21 Beijing encourages qualified hospitals to cooperate with domestic and foreign insurance companies in commercial medical insurance to facilitate the process of seeking medical treatment for overseas students in Beijing.

Article 22 Overseas students may participate in social insurance in accordance with the provisions of Beijing Municipality. For the working years before going abroad, during the period abroad, and after returning to China, they shall be accumulated when allowed by related national provisions, and be combined with the payment years of social insurance.

Article 23 Overseas students who start business or work in Beijing may apply for renting short-term revolving accommodation provided by the Beijing Overseas Talent Center at a preferential price, or the employing unit may provide housing in the form of a contract.

Article 24 Overseas students who stay abroad for no more than two years from the date of graduation, and who return to China for the first time after graduation, may apply to purchase a tax-free domestic car from customs.

Article 25 Overseas students who have made outstanding contributions to Beijing and meet the requirements of the selection may apply for such commendation awards as “Beijing Outstanding Talent Award” and “Pioneering Award for Overseas Students in Beijing”, and the winners may be recommended to apply for scientific and technological progress award and other relevant awards with priority.

Article 26 Beijing Overseas Talent Center shall establish the information base of overseas talent and the information base for students from key junior high schools to study abroad, so as to realize resource sharing and provide support for talent selection.

Article 27 The employing unit shall, in accordance with the needs of business development, continuously improve the structure of its talent pool and actively introduce overseas students; sign employment (labor) contracts with the introduced overseas students in accordance with national laws and regulations, clarify the rights and obligations of both parties, and provide working conditions and platforms; be concerned about the thoughts and lives of the overseas students, and actively coordinate to solve specific problems in their work and life.

Article 28 These Measures shall come into force as of the date of promulgation. The Office of Beijing Municipal Leading Group for Talent shall be responsible for coordinating and solving the relevant problems involved in the implementation process. Notice of the People’s Government of Beijing Municipality on Issuing Certain Regulations of Beijing Municipality on Encouraging Overseas Students to Start Business in Beijing (Jing Zheng Fa [2000] No. 19) previously issued shall be abolished simultaneously.

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