To apply for the Permanent Residence permit, an alien individual, or their parents or a principal if the applicant is less than 18 years old and unmarried, needs to submit the application to the county-level branch of the Public Security Bureau.

The public security unit will investigate and verify the applicant in accordance with the specified prerequisites, and will then submit the application to the Public Security Bureau for further examination and approval. Aliens who are granted permanent resident in China will receive an "Alien Permanent Permit" signed by the Public Security Bureau. Applicants filing from abroad will receive a "Form of Confirmation of Alien Permanent Permit"; they must then present themselves at the relevant Chinese embassy or consulate in their country of residence for a D visa, then obtain their Alien Permanent Permit from the public security unit within 30 days after entering China.

A Chinese green card is a legal identification that can also be used separately to stay in China. The validity of a Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens is five or ten years: Aliens under 18 years old being granted permanent residence should be issued with a five-year certificate, and Aliens over 18 should be issued with a 10-year certificate.

If the validity of Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens expires, or has been lost or damaged, or if there are any relevant changes in circumstances, the certificate holder should apply for modification or renewal of the certificate directly to the public security authority. If the public security authority considers that a certificate holder is still entitled to maintain permanent residence, it should change or renew the certificate with no new application needed.

A permanent residence permit will be cancelled under four circumstances

The Certificate of Permanent Residence of Aliens will be revoked or declared invalid if:

1 You are deemed likely to cause harm to national security or interests;

2 You are ordered by the peoples court to be expelled from the country;

3 You have obtained permanent residence through falsified materials or other illegal methods;

4 Your accumulated stay in a year is less than three months, or your accumulated stay in a period of five years in China is less than one year, without permission.

The Regulations on Examination and Approval of Permanent Residence of Alien in China are not applicable to Chinese citizens who reside overseas or overseas Chinese who still hold a Chinese passport.