Since China’s Ministry of Public Security carried out new regulations on the entry and exit management of foreigners to support Beijing’s innovative development on March 1, 218 foreigners from enterprises, colleges and research institutions in Zhongguancun have received recommendation letters for either residence permits or green cards.

Now, Zhongguancun must point-count to list qualified foreign candidates for permanent residence.

According to the announcement, a scoring system will be adopted under which the foreign talent in Zhonguancun — particularly those in start-up teams or employed by a company as technical personnel — would qualify for permanent residence permits once his or her scores reach a certain level. Foreigners in start-up teams can earn points based on their technological contributions, investments and efforts in team success.

The performance of the team, including its development forecast, growth effectiveness, team quality and team structure, will also be considered.

Points for the foreign technicians hired by the companies, their points will be evaluated based on their working ability, contributions to the company’s economic development and social benefits, as well as whether their skills are in high demand in Zhongguancun.

With the help of a market-oriented, international and professional scoring system, Zhonguancun expects to not only select, but also bring in more foreign talent to meet its urgent needs for human capital in both its existing and emerging industries.