'Startup visa' lures expats to Shanghai

Marc Olivier, a 39-year-old French man, had worked in an advertising agency in Shanghai for a decade before deciding to start his own business earlier this year.

But then came the question many expats might have encountered: How would he obtain legal status - a visa allowing him to stay in China while self-employed - after quitting his job?

After consulting with an incubator based in Shanghai's Hongqiao area, Olivier found the answer to the question - an "entrepreneurship visa", which he soon applied for and obtained in August.