Permanent residency in Shanghai has been made more accessible to two groups: foreign experts and high income earners. Foreigners employed by any of the 3,500 firms listed on the official website of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission can now apply for a new five-year work permit, and will be able to apply for a green card after working in Shanghai for a further three years. Foreigners who have worked in Shanghai for more than four consecutive years, earning a gross salary of at least CNY600,000 and having paid tax of more than CNY120,000 in each of those years can also apply for a green card. Foreigners planning to set up a business in Shanghai are also no longer required to get a work permit before entering the country. Instead they can get a 30-day private affairs visa for business starters at either Pudong or Hongqiao airport and “upgrade” it later. Applicants are required to present a formal business plan and evidence of their relationship with a local business partner or “incubator.” More details of all the visa rule changes are available in both Chinese and English on the website of the Shanghai Exit-Entry Administration Bureau, the Shanghai Daily reports.