Tuesday, January 13, 2009

CHINA: New Year Office Closure Notice; The Year of the OX 2009

This Lunar New Year Festival is the most important holiday in China and lasts for 15 days starting January 26th, 2009.

PLG office and all Government offices in China will be closed from January 25, 2009 through January 31, 2009.

Customs will be closed from January 24, 2009 until January 31, 2009.

History of the Celebration:

The year 2009 is the year of the Ox. The legend states that a mythological beast, Nian (meaning year), preyed on people the night before each New Year. After successfully being driven into the woods, the festivities begun and red lanterns and decorations were displayed to keep the beast away, as Nian despised the color red. The Chinese phrase for happy new year stems from the Guo Nian which translates to survive the Nian and Guo which means to pass over and observe.

The custom continues today and involves extensive cleaning and hanging red paper in advance, as well as food, gift-giving, and setting off firecrackers the night of to bring about good luck in the upcoming year.

Pro-link GLOBAL wishes our China team a Happy New Year!

Labels: ,

posted by Pro-Link Global | 1:14 PM

Monday, December 01, 2008

CHINA: Shanghai - Local Residence Changes Effective Immediately

CHINA: SHANGHAI

Local Residence Process Changes Effective Immediately

All foreign nationals are required to register their residence or accommodation within 24 hours of arrival in Shanghai.

All foreigners in Shanghai who visited the Shanghai Public Security Bureau before the 1st of December 2008 need to re-register and obtain new Temporary Residence Registration forms.

This is a follow up to a previous Global Brief, where Pro-link GLOBAL advised that on 1st October 2008, the Shanghai Public Security Bureau would issue a new Temporary Residence Registration Form for foreign nationals, replacing the prior version of the form.

This form has been released and all foreign national visitors and residents in Shanghai, including Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau passport holders, are required to complete temporary residence registration at the local police stations using the new form.

Please note that those clients who change residences in Shanghai must have their residence permits amended at the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau in Pudong within 10 days of obtaining a new Temporary Residence Registration Form.

We have been advised that registration processes may vary across local police stations or managing offices, it is best to check with your local area police station to confirm their specific requirements.

The general documents may include:

- Original and copy of passport;
- Original and copy of lease agreement (or property title certificate);
- Copy of lessee's ID card; and,
- New registration form - The form will either be a pink paper or white A4 paper which has a sequence number with a quadrate stamp.
Please note that the foreign national may have to file the registration report in person, however generally this is not required. This Global BRIEF alert is provided for your information only.

Should you have any specific questions pertaining to your case, please reach out to your Pro- Link GLOBAL Consultant as appropriate.

Labels: ,

posted by Pro-Link Global | 5:00 PM

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

China Consulate Closed for the Holiday

The China Consulate in Los Angeles, California will be closed Thursday and Friday (27th & 28th) for Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving, China!

Labels: ,

posted by Pro-Link Global | 12:03 PM

Friday, November 07, 2008

Suzhou Public Security Bureau (PSB) No Longer Allowing-Third Party Escorts

Though it has been a common practice for Pro-link GLOBAL (China) to escort assignees into the Suzhou PSB, it is no longer being permitted. Instead, the local HR representative will need to accompany the assignee into the local authority’s office. PLG will continue to prepare cases as before, but when it is time to complete the last step of entering the building with the final registration, Third Parties will not be able to assist.

Thank you for noting this change, for adapting accordingly and have a great weekend!

Labels: , ,

posted by Pro-Link Global | 6:31 PM

Monday, October 13, 2008

China Immigration Regulations Update

As promised, this is a follow-up to the previous post regarding the Beijing and Shanghai Labor Bureaus requiring University Degrees now for Work permits and whether or not this affected current Work-permit holders when requesting a renewal.

Our local team responded quickly and has informed us that at this time, it does not impact those needing a renewal.

As always, thank you for your continued patience with these on-going modifications.

Labels:

posted by Pro-Link Global | 8:23 PM

Thursday, October 09, 2008

Ever-Changing China Immigration Regulations

We have just been informed that the Beijing Labor Bureau and the Shanghai Labor Bureau are both requiring University Degrees for Work permits. They MAY consider work experience but there is no guarantee.

We will check with our local team to see if it impacts the RENEWALS of existing Work Permit holders and revert back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding while we deal with China's incessant changes.

Labels:

posted by Pro-Link Global | 8:59 PM

Monday, September 29, 2008

China National Holiday

In observance of the Chinese National Holiday, our China offices will be closed from Monday, September 29th through Friday, October 3rd.

Thank you for observing and recording this update and have a great week!

Labels:

posted by Pro-Link Global | 10:30 AM