On May 17th, Ding Xuhuan, the dean of Municipal Chinese Overseas Affairs Office and the director of the Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs presented Thomas Stephen Ramsey, an American expert of China Three Gorges University, the first “Employment Permit for Foreign Employee ”.

　　It is understood that the Employment Permit for Foreign Employee to work in China is divided into three categories according to their professional level: A, B and C. On April 25th, the Provincial Audit Reform Office agreed that the Foreign Experts Bureau formally authorized the Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs under the control of Municipal Chinese Overseas Affairs Office to implement the specific work of managing the “Employment Permit for Foreign Employee”. In the case of adequate material preparation, the permit can be completed in 15 working days.

　　The Municipal Chinese Overseas Affairs Office only deals with the permit for the economic foreign experts working in Yichang, and cultural and educational foreign experts who apply for permit for work need to send the materials to outside of Municipal Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs before the delegation of authority. With the implementation of the new policy, people?deal?with?these affairs will be very efficient but with much less work than before.

　　It is reported that there are over 80 economic and cultural and educational experts in Yichang. Foreigners can hold their “Entry Permit for Aliens” and “Work Permit for Foreign Experts Working in China” to apply for the “Employment Permit for Foreign Employee”, the “Entry Permit for Aliens” and “Work Permit for Foreign Experts Working in China” have been issued, which are within the validity period, are still valid. (Reporter Lei Chuntao, Trainee Reporter He Guanying, Correspondent Wu Xuan, Xie Fang)