Suzhou issues first family-based inter-city foreign talent residence permit

Vincent and his wife apply for a family-based Shanghai Overseas Talent Residence Permit in Suzhou on Nov 10. [Photo/WeChat account: WETDZ-WJ]

Suzhou city in East China's Jiangsu province on Nov 10 issued the first family-based inter-city foreign talent residence permit to Vincent, a French general manager of a local packaging technology company and his family, local media outlets reported.

The issuance of the permit marked the latest result of efforts by Suzhou and Shanghai to offer more convenience to people working and living in the two cities.

Shanghai piloted overseas talent policies last year to promote the convenient and reasonable flow of overseas talent in the Green and Integrated Ecological Development Demonstration Zone of the Yangtze River Delta region.

A series of new policies have been rolled out, including one that allows eligible overseas talents living in Shanghai, Wujiang district in Jiangsu province, and Jiashan county in Zhejiang province to apply for a Shanghai Overseas Talent Residence Permit.

In February this year, Malaysian Boon Sing Ang (Chinese name: Weng Wenxing), who works as the general manager of Walter Electronic Co in Wujiang district, became the first person to receive the Shanghai Overseas Talent Residence Permit while working outside Shanghai.

With the first family-based Shanghai Overseas Talent Residence Permit issued, family members of overseas talents in the demonstration zone can now access the benefits of Shanghai-Suzhou integration, which includes medical care, housing subsidies, education for their children, logistics services, financial services, and driving licenses.