The State Council recently issued the "Opinions on Further Optimizing the Foreign Investment Environment and Increasing the Attraction of Foreign Investment" (hereinafter referred to as the "Opinions"), which requires better coordination of the domestic and international overall situation, creating amarket-oriented, legal, and international first-class business environment, fully leveraging China's super large scale market advantages, and attracting and utilizing foreign investment more vigorously and effectively, in order to promote high-level opening upto the outside world Make contributions to the comprehensive construction of a socialist modernized country. The full text isdetailed in the "Opinions of the State Council on Further Optimizing the Foreign Investment Environment and Increasing the Attraction of Foreign Investment".
The Opinion proposes 24 policy measures in 6 aspects. One is to improve the quality of utilizing foreign capital. Increase efforts to attract foreign investment in key areas, leverage the comprehensive pilot demonstration and driving role of expanding the opening up of the service industry, broaden channels for attracting foreign investment, support the gradient transfer of foreign-invested enterprises, and improve the promotion mechanism for foreign investment project construction. The second is to ensure the national treatment off oreign-invested enterprises. Ensure legal participation ingovernment procurement activities, support equal participation instandard formulation work in accordance with the law, and ensureequal enjoyment of support policies. Thirdly, we will continue to strengthen the protection of foreign investment. Establish a sound mechanism for protecting the rights and interests of foreign investment, strengthen admini strative protection of intellectual property rights, increase administrative enforcement of intellectual property rights, and standardize the formulation of foreign economic and trade policies and regulations. The fourth is to improve the level of investment and operation facilitation. Optimize the residence suspension policy for foreign employees of foreign-invested enterprises, explore a convenient cross-border data flow security management mechanism, coordinate and optimize law enforcement inspections for foreign-invested enterprises, and improve service guarantees for foreign-invested enterprises. Fifth, increase financial and tax support. Strengthen the guarantee of foreign investment promotion funds, encourage foreign investment enterprises to reinvest in China, implement relevant tax preferential policiesfor foreign investment enterprises, and support foreign invest ententerprises to invest in areas encouraged by the state for development. Sixth, improve the promotion methods for foreign investment. Improve the mechanism for attracting investment, facilitate the promotion of overseas investment, expand channels for promoting foreign investment, and optimize the evaluation of foreign investment promotion.
Among these 24 policy measures, the 13th measure to improve the level of investment and operation facilitation mentions the need to optimizethe residence suspension policy for foreign employees offoreign-invested enterprises. Continuously optimize entry and exitpolicies and measures, and provide convenience for foreign executives, technical personnel, and their families offoreign-invested enterprises to enter, exit, and stay. Let's take a look at which foreign executives, technicians, and their families offoreign-funded enterprises can conveniently apply for work permits in China under the existing "Foreigner Work Permit System".
01 Which foreign companies and positions they hire can apply for foreign high-end talents (Class A)
According to the currently implemented classification standards for foreignwork in China, the chairman, legal representative, general manager, or chief technical expert hired by domestic and foreign medium-sized enterprises with senior management or technical positions, or small foreign-invested enterprises that meet the encouraged industries inthe Catalogue of Foreign Investment Industries and the Catalogue of Foreign Investment Advantage Industries in the Central and Western Regions. Foreign talents who meet the demand for market-oriented and encouraged positions can apply for foreign high-end talents (Class A) and enjoy convenient services such as "green channels" and "vacancy acceptance".
In order to deeply implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress ofthe Communist Party of China and the spirit of the Central Talent Work Conference, and implement the deployment requirements of the State Council's "Opinions on Conducting Pilot Work for Business Environment Innovation" (Guo Fa [2021] No. 24). In January 2023, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security decided to carry out a pilot work on the identification standards for foreign "high, elite, andscarce" talents in Shanghai. New and revised standards have beenadded and revised on the basis of the "Foreign High end Talents (Class A)" standard in the "Classification Standards for Foreigners' Work in China (Trial)". Click to refer to the "Pilot Work of Shanghai Foreign" High, Precision, and Shortage "Talent Identification Standards" for interpretation.
Personnel with senior management or technical positions who have added national key laboratories (recognized by the science and technology department), new research and development institutions recognized by the Shanghai Municipal Government (recognized by the science andtechnology department), foreign-funded research and development centers (recognized by the commercial department), trade oriented headquarters (recognized by the commercial commission), private enterprise headquarters (recognized by the commercial commission), and R&D and transformation functional platforms (recognized by the science and technology department) can apply for foreign high-endtalents (Class A).
Newly added personnel with senior management or technical positions hired by domestic and foreign medium-sized enterprises, or foreign invested advanced technology or product export enterprises in this city, aswell as small foreign-invested enterprises that meet the entries of the "Catalogue of Encouraged Foreign Investment Industries", such as chairman, legal representative, general manager, or chief technical expert, can apply for foreign high-end talents (Class A).
02 Whatare the standards for domestic and foreign medium-sized enterprises?
In December 2017, the National Bureau of Statistics revised and issued the "Measures for the Classification of Large, Small, and Micro Enterprises in Statistics (2017)" (Guo Tong Zi [2017] No. 213, hereinafter referred to as the current measures) based on the new national standard "Classification of National Economic Industries" (GB/T 4754-2017), while continuing the classification principles, methods, structural framework, and scope of application of the 2011 Measures.
The current method selects indicators such as employees, operating income, total assets, or alternative indicators, and formulates specific classification standards based on industry characteristics.The scale of various legal entity enterprises or units established inaccordance with the law within China is divided into large, medium, small, and micro. Individual businesses shall be classified according to this method. The industry scope includes 15 industry categories and social work industry categories.
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❑Agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery
❑Mining
❑Manufacturing industry
❑Electricity, heat, gas and water production and supply
❑Construction
❑Wholesale and retail
❑Transportation, storage and postal services
❑Accommodation and catering
❑Information transmission, software and information technologyservices
❑Real Estate
❑Leasing and business services
❑Scientific research and technology services
❑Water conservancy, environment and public facilities management
❑Residential services, repair and other services
❑Culture, sports, and entertainment industries, etc
When actually judging the size of the enterprise (unit)
You need to pay attention to the two aspects!
一、Enterprise classification indicators shall be based on the current statistical system
➤ Employees: refers to the number of employees at the end of theperiod. If there are no employees at the end of the period, the annual average number of employees will be used instead
➤ operating revenue
● Industry, construction industry, wholesale and retail industry abovede signated size, accommodation and catering industry above designated size, and other industries with set main business income indicators shall adopt main business income
● Wholesale and retail enterprises below the quota use sales of goods as a substitute
● Accommodation and catering enterprises below the quota adopt turnover instead
● Agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery enterprises adopt total operating income instead
● For other industries that do not have a main business income, the operating income indicator is used
➤ Total assets: replaced by total assets
二、The satisfaction of indicator conditions varies slightly
➤ Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises must simultaneously meet the lower limit of the listed indicators, otherwise they will be classified as a lower level
➤ Micro enterprises only need to meet one of the listed indicators
03 What are the encouraged industries in the Catalogue for the Guidance of Foreign Investment Industries?
With the consent of the State Council, the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Commerce publicly issued Order No. 52on October 28, 2022, releasing the full text of the "Catalogue of Encouraged Foreign Investment Industries (2022 Edition)"(hereinafter referred to as the "Encouraged Catalogue"), which will come into effect on January 1, 2023.
The revised version of the "Encouragement Catalogue" is animportant measure to further stabilize foreign investment under thecurrent situation. It is not only conducive to promoting high-level opening up to the outside world and accelerating the construction ofa new development pattern, but also helps to further stabilize foreign investment, optimize investment structure, and boost foreign investment expectations and confidence. The "Encouragement Catalogue" consists of two parts: one is the National Catalogue of Encouraged Foreign Investment Industries, and the other is the Catalogue of Foreign Investment Advantage Industries in the Centraland Western Regions.
国务院日前印发《关于进一步优化外商投资环境加大吸引外商投资力度的意见》（以下简称《意见》），要求更好统筹国内国际两个大局，营造市场化、法治化、国际化一流营商环境，充分发挥我国超大规模市场优势，更大力度、更加有效吸引和利用外商投资，为推进高水平对外开放、全面建设社会主义现代化国家作出贡献。全文详见《国务院关于进一步优化外商投资环境加大吸引外商投资力度的意见》。
《意见》提出6方面24条政策措施。一是提高利用外资质量。加大重点领域引进外资力度，发挥服务业扩大开放综合试点示范引领带动作用，拓宽吸引外资渠道，支持外商投资企业梯度转移，完善外资项目建设推进机制。二是保障外商投资企业国民待遇。保障依法参与政府采购活动，支持依法平等参与标准制定工作，确保平等享受支持政策。三是持续加强外商投资保护。健全外商投资权益保护机制，强化知识产权行政保护，加大知识产权行政执法力度，规范涉外经贸政策法规制定。四是提高投资运营便利化水平。优化外商投资企业外籍员工停居留政策，探索便利化的数据跨境流动安全管理机制，统筹优化涉外商投资企业执法检查，完善外商投资企业服务保障。五是加大财税支持力度。强化外商投资促进资金保障，鼓励外商投资企业境内再投资，落实外商投资企业相关税收优惠政策，支持外商投资企业投资国家鼓励发展领域。六是完善外商投资促进方式。健全引资工作机制，便利境外投资促进工作，拓展外商投资促进渠道，优化外商投资促进评价。
在这24条政策措施中，在提高投资运营便利化水平的第十三条措施中提到，要优化外商投资企业外籍员工停居留政策。持续优化入出境政策措施，为外商投资企业的外籍高管、技术人员本人及家属提供入出境、停居留便利。让我们跟着小外来看一下在现有《外国人来华工作许可制度》下哪些外资企业的外籍高管、技术人员本人及家属可便利化申请来华工作许可吧？
哪些外企及企业所聘岗位可申请外国高端人才（A类）？
根据目前实施的外国人来华工作分类标准，国内外中型企业聘用的具有高级管理或技术职务的人员或符合《外商投资产业指导目录》鼓励类产业条目和《中西部地区外商投资优势产业目录》条目的小型外商投资企业聘请的董事长、法定代表人、总经理或首席技术专家。可以作为符合市场导向的鼓励类岗位需求的外国人才，申请外国高端人才（A类），享受“绿色通道”和“容缺受理”等便利化服务。
为深入贯彻落实党的二十大精神和中央人才工作会议精神，落实国务院《关于开展营商环境创新试点工作的意见》（国发〔2021〕24号）部署要求。2023年1月，科技部、人力资源社会保障部决定在上海市开展外籍“高精尖缺”人才认定标准试点工作。在《外国人来华工作分类标准（试行）》中“外国高端人才（A类）”标准基础上进行了新增及修订，点击查阅《上海市外籍“高精尖缺”人才认定标准试点工作》的一图解读。
新增了全国重点实验室（科技部门认定）、上海市认定的新型研发机构（科技部门认定）、外资研发中心（商务部门认定）、贸易型总部（商委认定）、民营企业总部（商委认定）、研发与转化功能性平台（科技部门认定）工作的具有高级管理或技术职务的人员可以申请外国高端人才（A类）。
新增了国内外中型企业聘用的具有高级管理或技术职务的人员或本市外商投资先进技术或产品出口企业、符合《鼓励外商投资产业目录》条目的小型外商投资企业聘请的董事长、法定代表人、总经理或首席技术专家可以申请外国高端人才（A类）。
国内外中型企业的标准是什么？
2017年12月，国家统计局根据新国家标准《国民经济行业分类》（GB/T4754—2017），在延续2011年《办法》的分类原则、方法、结构框架和适用范围的前提下，修订出台了《统计上大中小微型企业划分办法（2017）》（国统字〔2017〕213号，以下简称现行办法）。
现行办法选取从业人员、营业收入、资产总额等指标或替代指标，并结合行业特点制定具体划分标准，将在我国境内依法设立的各种组织形式的法人企业或单位的规模划分为大型、中型、小型和微型。个体工商户参照该办法进行划分。行业范围包括了15个行业门类以及社会工作行业大类。
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❑农、林、牧、渔业
❑采矿业
❑制造业
❑电力、热力、燃气及水生产和供应业
❑建筑业
❑批发和零售业
❑交通运输、仓储和邮政业
❑住宿和餐饮业
❑信息传输、软件和信息技术服务业
❑房地产业
❑租赁和商务服务业
❑科学研究和技术服务业
❑水利、环境和公共设施管理业
❑居民服务、修理和其他服务业
❑文化、体育和娱乐业等
在实际判断企业（单位）的规模时
大家需要注意两个方面哦！
企业划分指标以现行统计制度为准
➤从业人员：是指期末从业人员数，没有期末从业人员数的，采用全年平均人员数代替
➤营业收入
●工业、建筑业、限额以上批发和零售业、限额以上住宿和餐饮业以及其他设置主营业务收入指标的行业，采用主营业务收入
●限额以下批发与零售业企业，采用商品销售额代替
●限额以下住宿与餐饮业企业，采用营业额代替
●农、林、牧、渔业企业，采用营业总收入代替
●其他未设置主营业务收入的行业，采用营业收入指标
➤资产总额：采用资产总计代替
指标条件的满足情况略有不同
➤大型、中型和小型企业，须同时满足所列指标的下限，否则下划一档。
➤微型企业只须满足所列指标中的一项即可。
《外商投资产业指导目录》鼓励类产业条目有哪些？
经国务院同意，国家发改委、商务部于2022年10月28日公开发布第52号令，全文发布《鼓励外商投资产业目录（2022年版）》（以下简称《鼓励目录》），自2023年1月1日起施行。
修订新版《鼓励目录》是当前形势下进一步稳外资的重要举措，不仅有利于推进高水平对外开放、加快构建新发展格局，也有利于进一步稳住外商投资、优化投资结构、提振外资预期和信心。《鼓励目录》共包括两部分，一是全国鼓励外商投资产业目录，二是中西部地区外商投资优势产业目录。
sources from SFBC
