The talent service center in Shanghai's Jiading district now has the authority to issue a single unified work permit for foreigners. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]

The talent service center in Shanghai's Jiading district has been granted the authority to issue a single unified work permit for foreigners since Dec 12.

The new permit program was started on Dec 12 and combines the Alien Employment Permit with the Foreign Experts Certificate. It is part of a project launched to streamline the application process for foreigners and the approval period has already been shortened to five days.

The new program enables highly skilled expats to enter China without submitting work permit applications- they only need to complete an online application after having been granted an invitation to work from a Shanghai-based company.

When the online application is approved, they will be informed to take their documentation to the relevant institutions for an on-site check. If they pass both checks, they will be granted a new work permit.

Moreover, foreigners who are considered highly skilled workers can enjoy an even smoother ride and will be exempt from a number of formalities including supplying proof of non-criminal record, job qualifications, and degree certificates.

The single unified work permit contains an individual's photo, name, length of stay, identification number, employment, and other basic information relevant to expats working in China.

Foreigners will now be assigned special identification numbers, ones recognizable and to be?processed by the agencies of public security, customs, taxes, education, and human resources.

Expats who have applied at least twice for a one-year work permit will be eligible for a five-year work permit, a decision that will make the process more convenient.

The program has been piloted in Shanghai since Nov 1 and is a product of Shanghai's strategic attempts to lure top level talent to accelerate its scientific and technological development. The practice will be applied nationwide in April 2017.