In the latest reshuffle of Chinese government institutions, a new Immigration Bureau under the Ministry of Public Security will be set up to handle visas, repatriation of people found to be in the country illegally, and border control. It will also provide exit and entry services for Chinese nationals. The move comes as more foreigners are entering China, both legally and illegally, and more Chinese are emigrating, or acquire a second nationality, which is still illegal in China.

The Ministry of Science and Technology will take over the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, which handles employment of foreign experts. The government is also taking additional measures to attract more skilled foreigners to China for work – efforts that are often undermined by red tape, particularly the complicated visa application process.

“Along with the rise of China’s power, an increasing number of foreigners have come to work and live in this country, which means better immigration services are needed,” State Councillor Wang Yong told more than 2,900 lawmakers at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. There were more than 900,000 foreigners working in mainland China in 2016, according to official data, compared with only 10,000 in the 1980s. China meanwhile granted permanent residency to 1,576 foreigners in 2016 – a 163% jump from the previous year – under a “green card” scheme that began in 2004. The number of Chinese going to live in other countries is also on the rise, going from 4.1 million in 1990 to 9.3 million in 2013, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

Wang Huiyao, Director of the Center for China and Globalization, a think tank in Beijing, said it was high time an immigration bureau was set up. “With so many departments involved and a complicated application process, moving to China can be a real headache for foreigners and the bureaucracy has also put off international talent from coming here,” Wang said, adding that a central agency could provide a better service and more welcoming atmosphere.

Dou Xiankang, President of Wuhan University and an NPC Deputy submitted a proposal to improve the pension system for top overseas talent in China.