Expats advised to apply for green card as capital launches merit system

Foreign workers in Beijing who plan to utilize the city's new merit-based point system to get permanent residency are being advised to apply between July 23 and 31 this year, according to the authority of Zhongguancun, a high-tech hub in Beijing.

There are usually only two windows of opportunity each year to apply under the merit system, said Liu Qiang, director of a service center for foreigners set up by the Beijing Public Security Bureau's exit and entry administration in Zhongguancun.

Adopted in 2016, the merit system offers a channel through which foreign professionals can apply for China's "green card".