Lingang unveils raft of incentives to lure top talent

The Lingang Special Area yesterday announced a range of incentives — including streamlined permanent residency,and targeted housing assistance — to attract top global and domestic talent.

Lingang’s administrative committee also signed strategic cooperation agreements with 18 domestic and overseas human resources agencies to promote the development of their businesses in the special area and will work closely with them to achieve the goal of “freedom of personnel employment.”

That is one of the “five freedoms” targeted in the special area, along with freedom of investment, freedom of trade, freedom of capital and freedom of transportation.

The agencies include Shanghai Foreign Service (Group) Co, Shanghai Human Resources Consulting Association and Relo Group.

The 48 new incentives are a significant move for Lingang to embrace global talent. In addition to easier permanent residency — granted instantly for urgently needed professionals — and housing measures, recognition of professional qualifications will be streamlined and talent will be encouraged to launch businesses.

Chinese professionals will be eligible to apply for permanent residency five years after they acquire a residency permit, instead of the seven years needed in other parts of the city.

High-level talent in key industries and with the support of the committee can apply after three years.

Workers with special achievements, such as WorldSkills winners and Grand Skill Award of China recipients will also be granted immediate permanent residency.

One third of the new incentives are targeted at specialists and world leaders in science and technology.

Other changes include granting more educational credits for university graduates hired by educational, medical and other public welfare institutions when applying for permanent residency than their peers in other parts of the city.

Foreign talent can sit special vocational qualification exams and licensed professionals will be able to open a business after a simple record-filing.

Lingang is also encouraging overseas students to start an undertaking part-time, returnees and overseas talent to launch businesses, and high-level foreign students to work for local enterprises after graduation.

As part of the special area’s strategy for affordable and comfortable housing, single workers who are not Shanghai citizens but meet certain criteria will be able to buy a home on their own, without having to be married and starting a family, as is required in other parts of Shanghai.

Lingang will also limit housing prices and supply as well as provide more low-rent apartments.

Top-notch talent will get high-end apartments and villas.

Lingang will also introduce engaged (appointed) civil servants for urgent and professional positions or major projects in the special area.

A talent service center will offer applicants one-stop services while overseas talent will enjoy pre-job training, legal advice and cultural familiarization.

Additionally, the special area will also optimize the living environment for talent, introduce international and domestic high-quality services, promote the construction of high-standard international communities, encourage high-quality domestic education groups to open campuses or cooperative schools in the special area, and introduce world-class international schools.