China’s State Council Information Office released its monthly bulletin “Policies Concerning Expats and Foreign Enterprises” on 1 March, summarising regulatory moves adopted during February (english.www.gov.cn).
Key take-aways include: (1) the National Immigration Administration formally activated nationwide e-Arrival Cards after completing pilot roll-outs at 65 ports; foreign travellers can now submit entry data via the 12367 app up to 72 hours before departure; (2) the Ministry of Public Security confirmed that salary-multiplier thresholds for Category A (6× local average wage) and Category B (4×) work permits are now enforced in all provinces, ending pandemic-era discretion; (3) Shenzhen opened the 2026 window for Greater Bay Area individual-income-tax rebates, with applications due by 31 March; and (4) the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued new technology-contract registration rules that take effect 1 March and are prerequisites for R&D tax incentives.
The digest also highlights a pilot scheme allowing Shanghai-based high-tech firms to invite foreign experts on 15-day port visas processed fully online, and the expansion of 24-hour multilingual support on the 12367 hotline to cover French and Spanish.
![State Council publishes February policy digest for expats and foreign firms]()
Against this backdrop, VisaHQ—an online visa and document processing platform—can help organisations and travellers navigate China’s evolving entry requirements. Through its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service provides up-to-date guidance on visa categories, handles e-Arrival Card submissions, and offers live support, making compliance simpler and faster.
Why it matters: HR and mobility teams must revisit assignment cost projections because higher salary thresholds could push total compensation packages up by 8–12 percent in tier-one cities. The e-Arrival Card saves 10–15 minutes at immigration counters and should be integrated into pre-departure checklists. Companies planning technology-transfer projects need to align contract templates with the MIIT rules to retain super-deduction eligibility.
Practical tips: begin e-Arrival Card onboarding with frequent travellers this month; audit upcoming work-permit renewals against the higher salary floor; schedule finance-tax workshops before the GBA subsidy deadline.
Key take-aways include: (1) the National Immigration Administration formally activated nationwide e-Arrival Cards after completing pilot roll-outs at 65 ports; foreign travellers can now submit entry data via the 12367 app up to 72 hours before departure; (2) the Ministry of Public Security confirmed that salary-multiplier thresholds for Category A (6× local average wage) and Category B (4×) work permits are now enforced in all provinces, ending pandemic-era discretion; (3) Shenzhen opened the 2026 window for Greater Bay Area individual-income-tax rebates, with applications due by 31 March; and (4) the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued new technology-contract registration rules that take effect 1 March and are prerequisites for R&D tax incentives.
The digest also highlights a pilot scheme allowing Shanghai-based high-tech firms to invite foreign experts on 15-day port visas processed fully online, and the expansion of 24-hour multilingual support on the 12367 hotline to cover French and Spanish.
Against this backdrop, VisaHQ—an online visa and document processing platform—can help organisations and travellers navigate China’s evolving entry requirements. Through its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), the service provides up-to-date guidance on visa categories, handles e-Arrival Card submissions, and offers live support, making compliance simpler and faster.
Why it matters: HR and mobility teams must revisit assignment cost projections because higher salary thresholds could push total compensation packages up by 8–12 percent in tier-one cities. The e-Arrival Card saves 10–15 minutes at immigration counters and should be integrated into pre-departure checklists. Companies planning technology-transfer projects need to align contract templates with the MIIT rules to retain super-deduction eligibility.
Practical tips: begin e-Arrival Card onboarding with frequent travellers this month; audit upcoming work-permit renewals against the higher salary floor; schedule finance-tax workshops before the GBA subsidy deadline.
