上海落户¶
Common Questions about International Students Settling in Shanghai
Is it necessary for the social security base to exceed a certain amount and be continuously paid for 6 months? If so, if I want to change to a third job now and the salary meets the requirements, can I still apply?
Yes, it is possible. Remember to ask the HR department before joining the company whether they can assist with the household registration. Some companies may not meet the requirements.
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Common Questions
How are employers in the "Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Occupation List" and in key industries, key areas, and basic research fields identified?
The list recognized by the relevant authorities in the city is the basis for identification.
How are senior management, technical, and research positions in world's top 500 renowned companies and multinational corporations recognized?
For renowned companies in the world's top 500, the list within the application system is used as a reference. For those holding senior management, technical, and research positions, relevant employment materials (including position, job description, salary, etc.) issued by the company should be provided, along with the company's organizational structure chart.
How are positions equivalent to associate professor, associate researcher, and above in high-level universities and internationally renowned research institutions abroad recognized?
Generally, relevant positions should be held in the top 500 universities or renowned research institutions worldwide, and relevant employment materials issued by the respective institutions should be provided.
Regarding returning to this city for work within 2 years after studying abroad and signing labor or employment contracts with local employers, and paying social security fees and personal income tax as required, how should this be understood?
In principle, international students should sign labor or employment contracts with local employers and pay social security fees and personal income tax within 24 months after returning to China. They should also continuously work for relevant employers in this city. Retroactive payment of social security fees and personal income tax will not be recognized.
How is the return time defined?
For those who return to China after obtaining an overseas degree certificate, the first entry after graduation (generally the date of obtaining the certificate) is considered. For those who obtain an overseas degree certificate after returning to China, the last entry before graduation (generally the date of obtaining the certificate) is considered. For those who work abroad after graduation, the first entry after finishing the overseas work is considered.
Can individuals who dropped out or suspended their full-time domestic education and went abroad for study apply?
Those who dropped out or suspended their full-time domestic education and went abroad for study, and transferred some credits to overseas institutions, need to provide relevant academic records from the Chinese Ministry of Education.
How is the duration of study abroad defined as not less than half a year, one year, or two years?
It generally refers to the accumulated actual study and stay time abroad, which should not be less than 180 days, 360 days, or 720 days. This is determined comprehensively based on the entry and exit records during the study period, as well as the time stated on the foreign diploma or degree certificate.
Can exchange students during the master's research stage in domestic full-time programs apply?
Exchange students during the master's research stage in domestic full-time programs who have studied at overseas universities or research institutions for more than 1 year can apply according to the provisions of the fourth item in the first clause of the third article.
Can individuals who obtained master's degrees or above through non-full-time programs abroad apply?
Those who meet the prescribed study duration and related requirements can apply.
What should be done if a child is born during the application process?
If a child is born between the application submission and the completion of the review, the applicant should promptly apply to the Department of Human Resources and Social Security to suspend the application process. After the child is born and registered in the original registered residence, the applicant can apply for the child's accompanying migration together.
What should be done if there are changes in the unit or personal information during the application process, or if the subsequent procedures are not completed in a timely manner after the approval?
If there are changes in the unit or personal information or other related circumstances during the application process, the applicant should apply to the Department of Human Resources and Social Security to suspend the application process. After modifying or supplementing the relevant information and materials as required, the applicant can re-enter the review process. If the failure to complete the relocation and settlement procedures in a timely manner is due to incorrect information or personal reasons after the review, the application should be withdrawn by the unit, and a new application can be submitted according to the regulations after 3 months.
How should foreign companies apply for registration in Shanghai, such as representative offices?
Foreign companies applying for registration in Shanghai, such as representative offices or consulates of various countries, should apply through qualified foreign affairs service units. Non-resident personnel of universities, hospitals, and other public institutions should be registered with the competent industry department and then apply through the unit that has signed a contract, following the standards for enterprise registration personnel. The relevant materials should be provided by the actual working unit.
What should be done if it is not possible to provide foreign academic transcripts?
Relevant certificates issued by overseas universities can be provided as substitutes.
How is the continuous payment of value-added tax (business tax) or corporate income tax for the past 6 months recognized?
It is recognized based on the actual payment.
How should the requirement of "registered capital not less than RMB 500,000 (actual paid-in capital)" be understoodThe requirement of "registered capital not less than RMB 500,000 (actual paid-in capital)" means that the company applying for registration should have a minimum registered capital of RMB 500,000, and this capital should be actually paid into the company's bank account. In other words, the company should have a minimum initial investment of RMB 500,000 that has been deposited into its bank account and is available for use in its operations. This requirement ensures that the company has sufficient financial resources to support its business activities.
Question: What is the general process for international students to settle in Shanghai?
Firstly, the basic requirements for settling in Shanghai include: obtaining a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree from a recognized foreign higher education institution after studying abroad for at least 1 year. In some cases, the foreign graduation institution of the student needs to be on the reference list approved by the Ministry of Education in China, having a study certificate issued by the embassy for returning students, having the first job in Shanghai after returning to China, paying social security contributions continuously for 6 months in the same unit, with a social security base higher than the average salary in Shanghai last year, the period of unemployment starting from the first return to China should not exceed 2 years (including the time of resignation), the company where the student works in Shanghai must meet the policy requirements, it must be a registered company in Shanghai with a registered capital of at least 1 million RMB (please consult the human resources department of the company in advance because the process of settling in Shanghai for international students needs to be initiated by the employer).
Once all the conditions are met, the next step is to register the unit information with the Shanghai Human Resources and Social Security Bureau, prepare the necessary documents for the student who wishes to settle, submit the application for acceptance to the Shanghai Talent Center, after the successful approval of the settlement application, the unit receives the settlement approval, and proceeds with the settlement procedures. After obtaining the household registration certificate, the student can apply for a residence card, and after receiving the residence card, they need to go to the Shanghai Talent Building to handle the filing of their academic qualifications.
Question: What are the requirements for the ranking of the graduation institution for the policy of international students settling in Shanghai?
Answer: The requirement is that the domestic undergraduate or master's university graduation institution should be in the top 985 or 211 rankings, or for foreign institutions, they should be within the top 500 in the QS ranking. In addition to the top 500 institutions, a list of additional institutions eligible for settlement in Shanghai is updated every year. For example, in 2019, the University of Warwick in the UK was added to the list, so if a student graduates from the University of Warwick and returns to China to work in Shanghai, they can settle in Shanghai.
Question: What is the basic definition of a returned overseas student?
Answer: According to relevant national policies, returned overseas students refer to individuals who have studied abroad as government-sponsored or self-funded students and have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher from a foreign university (including) or possess a university bachelor's degree or higher or hold a mid-level or higher professional and technical position in China, and have studied or worked in higher education institutions or research institutions abroad for one year or more as visiting scholars or trainees.
Question: If someone obtains a master's degree abroad and returns to work in a city other than Shanghai several years ago, and now they work for a company in Shanghai, can they apply for Shanghai household registration as an overseas talent?
Answer: No, according to the policy for the introduction of overseas talents, returned overseas students must come directly to Shanghai to work after returning to China.
Question: If someone obtains an associate degree abroad and currently works in Shanghai, can they apply for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student?
Answer: No, according to the definition of returned overseas students, they must be individuals who have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher from a foreign university.
Question: If someone obtains a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree in China and later studies abroad for six months, can they apply for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student?
Answer: No, according to the definition of returned overseas students, individuals who study abroad or work as visiting scholars or trainees must have obtained a bachelor's degree or higher in China or hold a mid-level or higher professional and technical position, and then study or work in higher education institutions or research institutions abroad for one year or more.
Question: How can returned overseas students apply for Shanghai household registration through talent introduction?
Answer: It must be applied by the human resources department of the employing unit.
Question: If someone obtains a master's or doctoral degree abroad and has recently returned to China and is preparing to find a job in Shanghai, can they apply for Shanghai household registration?
Answer: According to the policy for the introduction of overseas talents, returned overseas students must have a job in Shanghai, and the employment contract signed between the employer and the returned overseas student must have a duration of one year or more in order to apply for household registration.
Question: If someone obtained a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree abroad and has been working in Shanghai for several years, and they have a child over 18 years old, can the child settle in Shanghai as the child of a returned overseas student?
Answer: According to the conditions for the settlement of the children of returned overseas students, the child must be under 16 years old or attending regular high school.
Question: Can bothparents of a child who meets the conditions for settlement as the child of a returned overseas student settle in Shanghai?
Answer: According to the current policies, only one parent (either the father or the mother) can settle in Shanghai as the parent of a child who meets the conditions for settlement as the child of a returned overseas student. Both parents cannot settle simultaneously.
Question: After graduating from a foreign university and getting married upon returning to China, can the spouse's household registration be transferred when applying for Shanghai household registration?
Answer: The spouse who marries a returned overseas student after returning to China does not fall within the scope of accompanying relocation when applying for Shanghai household registration.
Question: When applying for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student, if one does not own a property in Shanghai, can they register their household under a relative or friend's address?
Answer: When applying for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student, the household registration can only be registered under direct relatives, one's own property, collective household registration of the employing unit, or the collective household registration of the Talent Service Center.
Question: What is the policy basis for the "Implementation Measures for Applying for Shanghai Household Registration for Returned Overseas Students Coming to Work in Shanghai"?
Answer: The policy basis for the "Implementation Measures for Applying for Shanghai Household Registration for Returned Overseas Students Coming to Work in Shanghai" is the "Notice of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security on Standardizing the Policies for Registering Returned Overseas Students" (Gongtongzi [2010] No. 19) and the "Notice of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government on Issuing the 'Several Provisions on Encouraging Overseas Students to Work and Start Businesses in Shanghai'" (Hufu Fa [2005] No. 34), as well as relevant regulations in Shanghai.
Question: What is the required social security payment base for applying for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student in 2019?
Answer: Currently, the reference level is 7,832 yuan per month. Any adjustments will be announced separately.
Question: If a company is registered in U.S. dollars and the registered capital exceeds 1 million RMB based on the exchange rate at the time of registration, but falls below 1 million RMB based on the current exchange rate, can the company apply for Shanghai household registration for returned overseas students?
Answer: Generally, the exchange rate on the day of registration is used for calculation.
Question: If a student had social security records in another province during their study abroad period (no longer paying after graduation), will it affect their Shanghai household registration?
Answer: Social security contributions made in a different location before going abroad and ceased upon going abroad will not affect the household registration application.
Question: If a returned overseas student starts working in a province other than Shanghai after returning to China, and then after one year starts working in Shanghai, can they apply for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student?
Answer: According to the "Implementation Measures for Applying for Shanghai Household Registration as a Returned Overseas Student," "Returned overseas students should come to work in Shanghai directly after returning to China, and the cumulative unemployment period should not exceed 2 years." If the person has already worked in another province or city after returning to China, they are no longer eligible for the relevant policies for applying for household registration as a returned overseas student.
Question: If an unmarried person applies for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student and wants to get married before the registration is approved, can they get married during that period? Can the spouse accompany them?
Answer: During the approval process, personal information generally should not change. The spouse who gets married after returning to China as a returned overseas student does not fall within the scope of accompanying relocation.
Question: If someone obtains a dual bachelor's degree from a joint program between a foreign university and a domestic university, where they actually completed all four years of study in the domestic university without studying abroad, can they apply for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student?
Answer: Individuals who obtain foreign academic degrees without actually studying abroad through methods such as distance education are not within the scope of applying for Shanghai household registration as returned overseas students.
Question: The requirements for a returned overseas student to apply for Shanghai household registration include: 1) having the first job in Shanghai, and 2) paying social security contributions continuously for 6 months. If someone has their first job in Shanghai but wants to switch to a second job within Shanghai before completing 6 months at the first company, do they still qualify for Shanghai household registration as a returned overseas student?
Answer: If the first job in Shanghai is obtained after returning to China and the second company meets the requirements, it can still be applied for. According to the regulations for returned overseas students applying for household registration in Shanghai, "Returned overseas students should come to work in Shanghai directly after returning to China, and the cumulative unemployment period should not exceed 2 years." Written materials of all work experiences after returning to China need to be provided.