摘要：J. Benjamin Bai, a U.S.-born Chinese lawyer employed by King & Wood Mallesons’ Shanghai office, received the new permit and reside

On September 29, Shanghai issued its first five-year work permit for foreign legal professionals—including foreign legal consultants—as well as the corresponding five-year foreigner residence permit in Changning District.

9月29日，上海在长宁区颁发了首张外国法律专业人士（包括外国法律顾问）的五年工作许可证以及相应的五年外国居民居留证。

J. Benjamin Bai, a U.S.-born Chinese lawyer employed by King & Wood Mallesons’ Shanghai office, received the new permit and residence document. He commented, “Previously, applying for such permits was time-consuming and cumbersome. This time, Changning District took a bold step with reform and innovation, not only shortening the processing time but also significantly extending the employment period for foreign talent. This ‘less hassle, more benefit’ approach directly delivers the advantages of policy reform, benefiting both law firms and legal professionals.”

美国出生的华人律师白俊彬（J. Benjamin Bai）是金杜律师事务所上海办公室的雇员，他获得了新的许可证和居留文件。他评论道：“以前，申请此类许可证既耗时又繁琐。这次，长宁区在改革和创新方面迈出了大胆的一步，不仅缩短了处理时间，还显著延长了外国人才的就业期限。这种‘少麻烦、多好处’的方法直接传递了政策改革的优势，使律师事务所和法律专业人士都受益。”

According to officials, this initiative reflects Changning District’s efforts to enhance cross-department collaboration and provide faster, smoother procedures for attracting foreign talent. The reform brings “policy benefits” to law firms eager to expand overseas, marking a breakthrough in the city’s regulatory framework for hiring foreign legal professionals.

据官员介绍，这一举措反映了长宁区加强跨部门协作，为吸引外国人才提供更快、更便捷程序的努力。改革为渴望拓展海外业务的律师事务所带来了“政策优惠”，标志着该市在招聘外国法律专业人士的监管框架方面取得了突破。

As international business grows, corporate demand for legal services abroad is increasing, driving law firms to seek globally qualified talent. Historically, hiring foreign professionals in China required separate applications for work permits and residence visas. Employed foreigners had to travel to China twice annually for document renewal, raising operational costs and complicating overseas business expansion and talent retention.

随着国际业务的增长，企业对海外法律服务的需求也在增加，这促使律师事务所寻求全球合格人才。历史上，在中国招聘外国专业人士需要分别申请工作许可证和居留签证。受雇的外国人每年需要两次前往中国续签文件，这增加了运营成本，并使海外业务拓展和人才保留变得更加复杂。

After identifying these challenges during a June survey, the Changning District Bureau of Justice coordinated with the local talent office and the public security immigration unit to find an effective solution.

在6月的一项调查中发现了这些挑战后，长宁区司法局与当地人才办公室和公安出入境部门协调，找到了有效的解决方案。

The reform introduced a “one-stop, integrated processing” approach to replace the previous step-by-step application system. Previously, foreign professionals had to apply for a work permit first and then a residence visa. Now, with a recommendation letter from the judicial administrative authority and coordinated online pre-review by talent and public security departments, law firms can submit applications for foreign employees in a single window, drastically reducing processing time and improving administrative efficiency.

改革引入了“一站式、集成处理”的方法，取代了之前的分步申请系统。以前，外国专业人士需要先申请工作许可证，然后申请居留签证。现在，凭借司法行政部门的推荐信和人才及公安部门的在线预审协调，律师事务所可以通过一个窗口为外国员工提交申请，大大缩短了处理时间，提高了行政效率。

Moreover, the reform extends the maximum permit duration to five years—the statutory limit—rather than being tied to the law firm’s annual inspection cycle. By evaluating each foreign professional’s expertise and the city’s talent needs, authorities can now issue five-year permits, significantly reducing the need for repeated in-person renewals.

此外，改革将许可证的最大期限延长至五年法定期限，而不是与律师事务所的年度检查周期挂钩。通过评估每位外国专业人士的专业知识和城市的人才需求，当局现在可以发放五年许可证，显著减少了重复亲自续签的需要。

The policy also balances “flexible acceptance” with “proactive supervision.” Law firms approved for permits over one year can extend foreign employees’ permits through supplementary documentation, lowering operational costs. At the same time, authorities maintain strict oversight: foreign professionals involved in illegal or unauthorized practice are subject to a joint early-warning system, allowing timely revocation of permits to ensure a regulated and orderly legal services environment.

该政策还平衡了“灵活受理”与“主动监管”。获得超过一年许可证的律师事务所可以通过补充文件延长外国员工的许可证，从而降低运营成本。同时，当局保持严格监督：参与非法或未经授权执业的外国专业人士将受到联合预警系统的约束，以便及时吊销许可证，确保法律服务环境的规范和有序。

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