Applying for a mainland China green card, officially called a Foreign Permanent Resident Identification Card, is a very complicated process partly because very few foreigners have ever attempted to document their experience. Each province has its own specific rules and handling, but overall the process is set by the central government for processing once approved by the locality and province. As of the 2020 census results, there were a reported 1.4 million people in the Chinese mainland from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau, or Foreigners – representing about 0.1% of the total 1.4B population. By my own estimates, more than half of these individuals left from 2020-2021 due to COVID-19, and another half of the remaining in 2022 due to the lockdown events in Shanghai. Perhaps less than half of the remaining individuals are eligible for PR, and even less than half that have submitted an application. I would estimate that less than 0.005% of the total mainland China population have ever received a green card. Here are some details that may help others trying to understand what this card is, why you may want to apply, how to apply, and expectations on the challenges involved.
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