Guangdong police have started accepting permanent residence applications from foreigners, Shenzhen Daily reported on Monday.

The provincial public security department had issued notices requiring lower level police authorities in the province’s 21 cities to start taking“Green Card”applications Aug. 23, the Southern Metropolitan News reported Saturday.

Exit and entry administrations in Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen had received more than 400 consultations.

Details are available on Web site www.gdcrj.com and by phone on 020-8311-9147 and 8311-1000.

The report contradicted earlier reports that said Guangzhou police were still waiting to start accepting applications. The provincial department’s exit and entry administration was unavailable for comment Sunday.

Eligibility for permanent residence mainly applies to high-level foreign personnel who have stable investment and taxation records, foreign citizens who work as deputy managers, directors or have associate professor or professional titles and have worked in China for at least four years with taxation records for no less than three years.

Also included are people who have made outstanding contributions or are of special importance to China and people who come to China to be with family members, such as husband and wife, minors dependent on their parents, and senior citizens dependent on their relatives.

The application fee for each“Green Card”is 1,500 yuan (US$181) and the card costs 300 yuan.

Public security departments will be responsible for approving applications which should be determined within six months of being lodged.