China opens the door granting 'green card' to an Indian for the first time

Tuesday, 16/08/2011

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/nri/visa-and-immigration/china-opens-the-door-granting-green-card-to-an-indian-for-the-first-time/articleshow/9616057.cms

China has a made a rare exception granting the local equivalent of a 'green card' to an Indian for the first time. The Indian, Mohmmed Rizwan, has been given a visa for five years instead of the one-year visa given to almost all foreigners.

Rizwan can expect a 10-year visa once the first phase of five years expires. China introduced the system of granting five-year Permanent Resident cards, somewhat similar to the system in Singapore, only a few years back But it has been tight fisted about it allowing only a few selected foreigners to make the grade.

I think I am the first Indian to get a five-year Permanent Resident status. I have not heard of anyone else getting it, Rizwan, who has lived in China for 12 years, told TNN.

The move is significant because it opens the doors for at least 50 Indians, who have lived in China for over 12 years. There are over 20 Indian men with Chinese wives. Several Indians have made substantial investments in the country. Checks with Indian officials, old-timers from India and Chinese sources did not throw up any other instance of an Indian getting the coveted PR status.

Rizwan said a foreigner must achieve some distinction in the field of science, invest in excess of $1 million or have a Chinese spouse to qualify for the PR status. He has married a Chinese woman based in Beijing.

I faced no difficulties during the process of applying and approval. I was treated in a friendly manner. There was no hint of suspicion among the officials, he said referring to the somewhat uneasy relationship between India and China. He works for an American company providing training to teachers at the pre-school level.

It is a good start. It shows the Chinese's government's determination to expand people-to-people relationship between the two countries, he said. He also met other requirements of visa authorities like knowledge of local language and demonstrated usefulness to the local community, he said.

Rizwan wants his four-year old son to get People of Indian Origin status. Indian officials have told him that the PIO scheme does not cover some countries like China. He feels relationship issues cannot be left entirely to the governments, and more efforts should be made to link the people of the two countries through culture and trade exchanges.

The Chinese government has been more eager in considering applications from Japanese and Russians, who have lived in the country for several decades. Some Europeans and Americans have also made the grade.