Refer China: New Skill Cert Lets Expats Work in China

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City Issues First Skill Certs Letting Expats Get Work Visas Without Job Experience

On the morning of April 22, at the 2025 National City Tour Job Fair in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province, the city of Yiwu issued China's first-ever International Business AI Application Professional Skill Certificates (《国际商贸AI应用专项职业能力证书》) to 18 foreign students. This groundbreaking move enables certificate holders to apply for jobs in designated companies without prior work experience.

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Recognizing international talent as a vital driver of global trade, Yiwu has taken bold steps since last year to attract overseas students and professionals. One major innovation is the alignment of foreign professional skill certification with work permit applications.

The International Business AI Application assessment is one of the key pilot projects. Yiwu selected 32 foreign students from Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua University of Vocational Technology, and Yiwu Industrial & Commercial College—those who expressed strong interest in working or starting businesses in Yiwu. After training and evaluation, 18 of them successfully received the nation's first professional certificates in this AI trade specialty.

Amin, a Moroccan student at Zhejiang Normal University, expressed joy as he received his certificate. He showcased a short AI-assisted livestreaming video he created—a skill learned through the program. Thanks to his certification, he secured a job offer from a foreign trade firm in Yiwu.

"For foreign students, it used to be very difficult to obtain work visas after graduation," said an official from Yiwu's Human Resources and Social Security Bureau. "Now, with this certificate, they can directly apply for jobs at companies on the city's employment whitelist."

Yiwu also released the names of its first five designated "International Youth Employment Whitelist" companies and organized direct recruitment meetings. "Being on the whitelist helps us attract more international talent," said Li Chun, Assistant General Manager at Yiwu Cujia Trading Co., which signed employment contracts with three international students that day.

Yiwu is rapidly transforming into a truly international entrepreneurial city—welcoming talent from near and far.

Source: 义乌新闻