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dave_merk
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 208
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 Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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The only other way to become a permanent resident besides marrying a Chinese is to invest an enormous amount of money in China...I think it was $500,000 which, I think goes without saying, is well out of reach of most of the FTs on this board.
I think the government can also grant one to foreigners they deem "special" or who have "outstanding contributions" to China.
In short: you probably wont become a permanent resident. You're at the mercy of your school. End of story. |
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Joe C.
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 993
Location: Witness Protection Program
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| Posted: Wed Jun 20, 2007 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| dave_merk wrote: |
The only other way to become a permanent resident besides marrying a Chinese is to invest an enormous amount of money in China...I think it was $500,000 which, I think goes without saying, is well out of reach of most of the FTs on this board.
I think the government can also grant one to foreigners they deem "special" or who have "outstanding contributions" to China.
In short: you probably wont become a permanent resident. You're at the mercy of your school. End of story. |
$500,000 is the amount if you invest in the poorest areas of western China. If you invest in the poor areas of central China, it is $1,000,000. In all other areas -- icluding the ones where rational people would like to live, the amount is $2,000,000. And even then you have to have lived here after the investment for about two or three years.
Yes, there is a category for those who are basically favored by the highest levels of the central government. Maybe OP could start sucking up to Hu Jingtao? |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 1:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Are you a Chinese citizen? |
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dave_merk
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 208
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| Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2007 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Not according to what my friend was told when he applied for the green card. He came home with a citizenship application and was told that the authorities (maybe just in this neck of the woods) were going to start recomending that foreigners who want to stay forever apply for citizenship instead of the green card. The logic is this: with a green card you're basically a dual citizen of China and your native country, but the citizenship forces you to choose and the cops want people who are going to stay forever to choose citizenship, at least according to what they told my friend. The guy at the entry-exit office told him that the police were going to start making a "serious effort" to offer citizenship instead of the green card (which is still mostly for the big shots).
It's funny how alot of people are of the opinion that it's "impossible" to become a citizen of China. I wonder how they know? Given the extremely low numbers of people who apply for Chinese citizenship, it couldn't possibly be from personal experience. Also, don't forget that Chinese citizenship isn't just limited to white foreigners. There are overseas Chinese and even Hong Kong Chinese who want to apply for Chinese nationality and they don't seem to find it "impossible." |
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naturegirl321
Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 12:35 am Post subject: |
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| dave_merk wrote: |
| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Not according to what my friend was told when he applied for the green card. He came home with a citizenship application and was told that the authorities (maybe just in this neck of the woods) were going to start recomending that foreigners who want to stay forever apply for citizenship instead of the green card. The logic is this: with a green card you're basically a dual citizen of China and your native country, but the citizenship forces you to choose and the cops want people who are going to stay forever to choose citizenship, at least according to what they told my friend. The guy at the entry-exit office told him that the police were going to start making a "serious effort" to offer citizenship instead of the green card (which is still mostly for the big shots).
It's funny how alot of people are of the opinion that it's "impossible" to become a citizen of China. I wonder how they know? Given the extremely low numbers of people who apply for Chinese citizenship, it couldn't possibly be from personal experience. Also, don't forget that Chinese citizenship isn't just limited to white foreigners. There are overseas Chinese and even Hong Kong Chinese who want to apply for Chinese nationality and they don't seem to find it "impossible." |
Is the green card the little green book that they give you? Has anyone here actually tried to become a citizen? |
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tw
Joined: 04 Jun 2005
Posts: 3898
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 1:18 am Post subject: |
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| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Is the green card the little green book that they give you? |
I believe you are talking about the old (though apparently still used in some places) Foreign Resident Permit green booklet. That has now been replaced by the visa-like Resident Permit for Foreigners sticker put in the passport. |
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dave_merk
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 208
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 5:42 am Post subject: |
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TW is right: the "Green Book" is the old-style residence permit that used to be issued to FTs here in the country. These got phased out around 2005, I think, in favor of the visa-looking RPF sticker in the passport. Some places still use them, though.
The "Green Card" is a highly rare beast that looks like a plastic ID card with a picture of the bearer on the front and all the pertinent info about the bearer, as well. |
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Joe C.
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 993
Location: Witness Protection Program
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:11 am Post subject: |
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| dave_merk wrote: |
TW is right: the "Green Book" is the old-style residence permit that used to be issued to FTs here in the country. These got phased out around 2005, I think, in favor of the visa-looking RPF sticker in the passport. Some places still use them, though.
The "Green Card" is a highly rare beast that looks like a plastic ID card with a picture of the bearer on the front and all the pertinent info about the bearer, as well. |
It looks like a plastic ID card because it is a plastic ID card. And it has two photos of the bearer on the front.
Oh, and it does have a greenish background. |
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Joe C.
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 993
Location: Witness Protection Program
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:18 am Post subject: |
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| dave_merk wrote: |
| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Not according to what my friend was told when he applied for the green card. He came home with a citizenship application and was told that the authorities (maybe just in this neck of the woods) were going to start recomending that foreigners who want to stay forever apply for citizenship instead of the green card. The logic is this: with a green card you're basically a dual citizen of China and your native country, but the citizenship forces you to choose and the cops want people who are going to stay forever to choose citizenship, at least according to what they told my friend. The guy at the entry-exit office told him that the police were going to start making a "serious effort" to offer citizenship instead of the green card (which is still mostly for the big shots).
It's funny how alot of people are of the opinion that it's "impossible" to become a citizen of China. I wonder how they know? Given the extremely low numbers of people who apply for Chinese citizenship, it couldn't possibly be from personal experience. Also, don't forget that Chinese citizenship isn't just limited to white foreigners. There are overseas Chinese and even Hong Kong Chinese who want to apply for Chinese nationality and they don't seem to find it "impossible." |
The PSB was obviously just giving your friend some hope when they rejected him for the green card.
First of all, only the Ministry of Public Security can grant citizenship. The local PSB has no voice or vote in the process other than forward the documentation. As with the green card, the local PSB cannot even make recommendations for approval / denial.
Second, in a country of 1.3+ billion people, it's absurd to think that the Chinese government wants more citizens. 
When I say it is almost impossible, I am talking about people other than overseas Chinese. Hong Kong can also issue Chinese citizenship and does so quite liberally compared to the Mainland authorities. The fact that the Mainland refuses to allow the Chinese citizens approved by Hong Kong to visit the Mainland without a visa should be a significant clue.
The fact is, according to the Ministry of Public Security, is that they approve very, very, very few of the citizenship requests made even by overseas Chinese. Those most likely to be granted are those who were once Chinese citizens and lost their citizenship because of naturalization in another country. And even then. |
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Joe C.
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 993
Location: Witness Protection Program
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:26 am Post subject: |
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| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Are you a Chinese citizen? |
No, I am not.
With permanent residency, there is little to no benefit of obtaining citizenship in China. With PR I can maintain the benefits associated with holding a useful passport along with the benefits associated with citizenship in my home country and also obtain anything a local Chinese person can obtain in China with only the following three exceptions:
1. Right to vote [BFD];
2. Ability to serve in the PLA [BFD]; and
3. Right to be elected to public office [BFD]. |
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dave_merk
Joined: 22 Mar 2006
Posts: 208
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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| Joe C. wrote: |
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Are you a Chinese citizen? |
No, I am not.
With permanent residency, there is little to no benefit of obtaining citizenship in China. With PR I can maintain the benefits associated with holding a useful passport along with the benefits associated with citizenship in my home country and also obtain anything a local Chinese person can obtain in China with only the following three exceptions:
1. Right to vote [BFD];
2. Ability to serve in the PLA [BFD]; and
3. Right to be elected to public office [BFD]. |
Which, as I pointed out, is basically duel citizenship. You don't get to vote or be elected...but who does in this country? And as for serving in the PLA: how many of us (including me) would jump at that chance?
Joe, how'd you manage to pull off the PR? |
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Joe C.
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 993
Location: Witness Protection Program
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| Posted: Fri Jun 22, 2007 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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| dave_merk wrote: |
| Joe C. wrote: |
| naturegirl321 wrote: |
| Joe C. wrote: |
| And applying for Chinese citizenship is easy. It is almost impossible to get your application approved though -- at least on the Mainland. |
Are you a Chinese citizen? |
No, I am not.
With permanent residency, there is little to no benefit of obtaining citizenship in China. With PR I can maintain the benefits associated with holding a useful passport along with the benefits associated with citizenship in my home country and also obtain anything a local Chinese person can obtain in China with only the following three exceptions:
1. Right to vote [BFD];
2. Ability to serve in the PLA [BFD]; and
3. Right to be elected to public office [BFD]. |
Which, as I pointed out, is basically duel citizenship. You don't get to vote or be elected...but who does in this country? And as for serving in the PLA: how many of us (including me) would jump at that chance?
Joe, how'd you manage to pull off the PR? |
I wouldn't exactly say a kind of dual citizenship, but I totally agree with your views that voting / electability rights are totally inconsequential. As for serving in the PLA, WTF would anybody in their right mind want to do that? The way I look at it, those three restrictions are one of the benefits of having PR.
Actually, I don't know why they approved my application. I applied when the policy first was announced and after a very long wait they approved it. I have some friends in the process that kept me posted on what was happening, but they couldn't do anything to actually influence whether or not it was approved because that decision is highly centralized in Beijing. They kept telling me that it was difficult to get approved, but that I shouldn't worry, but I thought that was just the typical b.s. you'd hear from buddies. When it was approved I wasn't very surprised at the time because at that point I had no idea how high the rejection rate was. |
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englishgibson
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4345
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 4:18 am Post subject: |
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as far as i know China does not allow a "dual citizenship", so if any lucky foreigner wished to become a Chinese he/she would've to give up his/her first citizenship
after leavin' for a period of time, i'd wonder whether i'd have to come back to China on an "L" visa as a tourist, if i owned a 150 000 yuan home in the country...i mean would i be a "resident" in this lovely country 
peace to Ds as well as big Ds
and
cheers and beers to all laowais that have their Chplastic green  |
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Joe C.
Joined: 08 May 2003
Posts: 993
Location: Witness Protection Program
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 5:57 am Post subject: |
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| englishgibson wrote: |
as far as i know China does not allow a "dual citizenship", so if any lucky foreigner wished to become a Chinese he/she would've to give up his/her first citizenship
after leavin' for a period of time, i'd wonder whether i'd have to come back to China on an "L" visa as a tourist, if i owned a 150 000 yuan home in the country...i mean would i be a "resident" in this lovely country |
Right.
Unfortunately owning property in China, unlike in other countries, doesn't help when it comes to getting a visa.  |
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vikuk
Joined: 23 May 2007
Posts: 1842
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| Posted: Tue Jun 26, 2007 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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| at today's city prices - a 150,000 RMB home would be a shoebox!!!!!! |
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