Beijing allows foreign relatives a longer stay

Foreign relatives of Chinese citizens who live in the country’s capital city will be granted longer residency permits following the amendment to a current rule announced yesterday.

The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau revealed that foreign family members of Chinese citizens will be eligible for a two-year residency permit from now on, extending the length of the permit by a year.

These permits are renewable every two years providing the applicant’s relationship with the citizen is still ongoing. To renew the permit, the relative and citizen must present themselves to the Department of Entry and Exit

Eligible family members are spouses, parents, spouse’s parents or children, siblings, grandparents, grandchildren and spouses of the children.

The new policy affects only people whose residency permits are based solely on a family visit visa. It does not change the time for foreigners living and working in Beijing under a work visa.