At this moment, only specific foreigners are able to come back to China. Not to mention, they need the right paperwork supported by their employer (business license, company contact card, etc). Foreigners wishing to re-enter China are required to first receive the approval of the Invitation Form (PU Letter) in order to request the issuance of a Chinese Visa. The Invitation Form is provided by the Inviting Unit (company) in China. For PU letter application, your employer needs to stamp the application and provides several documents. For being able to possibly not leave Chengdu and obtain a work visa, you need a bachelors degree, paperwork and enough time.
If you need help with obtaining a PU letter for Chengdu, please do contact us.
We will refer you to experts, who will analyze your case and let you know if it’s possible..
Obtaining a PU Letter for Chengdu
On August 20, a guideline for the application of foreigners’ invitation letter to China was released by the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office, which indicates that some foreigners can return to the city after getting a visa from the local Chinese embassies/consulates abroad via an invitation letter issued by the Foreign Affairs Office of Sichuan Province. Click here for locations of Foreign Affair Offices where you can obtain a PU letter.
FAQ of the Invitation Letter
The local authorities also provide more information regarding the invitation letter.
Q1: Who can apply for the invitation letter?
A1: Three types of units can – the administrative institutions at various levels in Chengdu, all the social organizations and enterprises registered according to law and other institutions established according to law.
Q2: Are there restrictions on the application conditions of invitation letter?
A2: Yes, there are. A unit can get an expat back to the city via the invitation letter on two conditions: First, the foreigner has talent in important fields including commerce, logistics, science and technology, production and technical services; Second, the invitee will be contributing to the resumption of work and production of Chengdu.
Q3: What is the application process?
A3: It is a three-step application.
First: The inviting unit shall submit the application material to a local accepting unit designated by the epidemic prevention and control headquarters, which shall be completed within 5 working days in principle;
Second: The Foreign Affairs Office of Chengdu Municipal Gov. shall review all the application materials, and it shall be done within 2 working days;
Finally: The Provincial Foreign Affairs Office will review and approve all application materials and qualified invitees will be issued an invitation letter; this process shall be completed within five working days.
People may contact the Foreign Affairs Office of Sichuan Province at 028-84356797 for more details about the application.
Obtaining a Work Visa without Leaving Chengdu
Living in China hasn’t been easy for foreigners for the past few months. Months of closure for schools, bars, and restaurants, made it tough for many of us to make ends meet. Luckily the COVID-19 virus situation is stable in Chengdu and things are relatively ‘normal’.
Most Chinese universities haven’t sent out a clear message yet of what they will do for their foreign language students. That’s why Chengdu has seen an increase of young entrepreneurs taking matters into their own hands the past few weeks and setting up their own businesses. China makes it relatively easy to set up your own company. You don’t need to offer a minimum registered capital; the accountancy cost is very low, and the taxes are very low.
Some foreigners set up trading companies and have been selling masks to their home country. Some of them set up education consultancy companies and have worked together with local schools as education consultants.
Foreigners who are currently residing in Chengdu can change from any type of visa straight to a working residence permit (work visa) of 1 year without having to obtain the Z-visa abroad.
Of course, foreigners must apply for the work permit first. As soon as the Foreigner Experts Bureau has given their green light, foreigners may apply for the working residence permit at the PSB at Tianfu Square. Given that you’ve done everything correctly, the PSB will grant you a 1-year working visa (working residence permit). This all depends on the job position of course.
Requirements
-Bachelor’s degree or above;
-Non-criminal record
–If you are currently on a study visa (X1, X2, Student Residence Permit), you’ll need to ask for a release letter of your previous university
-If you are currently on a stay permit, family visa, etc. you won’t need any other paperwork
-A valid passport with at least 2 empty visa pages
A requirement of 2 years of work experience is not necessary if you are the founder of your own company in China.
“We have seen so many different cases the past few months”, says Jonathan Xu, Founder of Xu & Yzeiraj Visa Counseling Co., Ltd.’. “It’s nice to see foreigners trying to make their dreams come true. China right now is a very good place to do all kinds of business. Seeing them set up their own business reminds me of ourselves when we started out in Chengdu 3 years ago.”
Example of a PU Letter
If you need help with obtaining a PU letter for Chengdu, please do contact us.
