How Does the Spousal Greencard Work?

Hi Everyone,

I have been married to my Chinese wife, who is from Beijing, for over three years.

1. She says that, after five years, we can apply for a Permanent Residence Chinese Green Card for me.

2. This would also mean that when we have kids, they can go to local public schools in Beijing.

3. More importantly, me as a Chinese Greencard holder can:

a. Move in freely in and out of China without needing an employer invitation
b. I can work with whatever employer I want, and come and go without needing a visa transfer
c. I can even work for multiple employers at once?

4. Can anyone tell me the rules of this process? Where the limitations are? The risks, etc.?

The core rules are:

Married for at least 5 years.
No more than 90 days outside of China within the most recent 5 years.
Clean criminal record in China, your home country, and any country you lived in more than. . . . I'm not 100% sure of it, but I think it's somewhere in the 6 months to one year range.

You'll also need to freeze some money in either your bank account or your wife's bank account.  The exact amount varies by location.

The application will need to be filed where the Chinese spouse's hukou is.  If it's local, just head down to the place you renew your res permit at.  They should be willing to share the qualifications sheet.  If not, get the info the next time you are in your wife's hometown.

Be aware that the local rules (and maybe even some national ones) may change some over the next 2 years, so check for updates when you hit 4 and a half years of marriage.

I appreciate your responses.

You, and the rest of the people on this forum, are a wealth of knowledge.