More than 20 expats in Xiamen, Fujian province are certified as foreign professionals and sci-tech special representatives. [Photo by Li Lin/fjsen.com]

More than 20 expats in Xiamen, Fujian province were certified as foreign professionals, as well as science and technology special representatives on Aug 25.

The certification was based on Xiamen's foreign talent evaluation mechanism, the first in the country, which is aimed at meeting the urgent needs of companies to attract talents.

The evaluation mechanism was formed by the municipal bureau of science and technology, the municipal bureau of human resources and social security, and the Xiamen Torch Development Zone for High Technology Industries.

According to the evaluation mechanism, foreign talents who qualify to work in Xiamen can apply for a work permit with a validity of one year. Foreign talents with a professional skill of intermediate level or above are able to extend their work permit to between three and five years.

During the certification ceremony, 11 expats from countries like Russia, India, the United States, Canada, Japan, Turkey, and Spain passed the evaluation of professional technical skills and will work for companies in the Xiamen Torch High-tech Zone such as Electric Glass (Xiamen) Co, a branch of the Japanese glass company.

Another 10 foreign special representatives from countries like India, Singapore, Australia, Egypt, Japan, South Korea, and Denmark also received employment certifications. They are experts in fields like electronic information, smart manufacturing, animation design, and marine ecology.