On January 5, 2026, at the Nantong municipal government service hall, British expert William from Swift Technical Engineering Consultancy (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.—accompanied throughout by a dedicated officer from the Jing'an District Talent Service Center— completed a cross-regional registration for foreign talent mobility within two hours.
This marks the first case in Jing'an District and also the first in Shanghai to complete Yangtze River Delta cross-regional mobility registration for foreign talent handled under the "Dedicated Officer and Cross-Provincial Joint Services" model. It marks a further upgrade of the "Jing'an (Shanghai)" international talent service brand and provides a practical model for advancing talent integration across the Yangtze River Delta.
Meet urgent business needs
In December 2025, during a company visit, the Jing'an District Talent Service Center learned that Swift Technical Engineering Consultancy (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. urgently needed to assign its key foreign expert, William, to the Nantong branch to support a major project. Under the existing procedure, his work and residence permits would have to be canceled in Shanghai and then reapplied for in Nantong—a process taking 30 to 45 days that would have seriously delayed the project schedule.
In response, the Jing'an District Talent Service Center acted swiftly. Leveraging the Yangtze River Delta foreign-talent service collaboration mechanism, and with support from the municipal and district talent authorities, it proactively coordinated with the Foreign Experts Department of the Nantong Science and Technology Bureau. Through a collaborative platform, the two sides carried out online pre-screening of application materials, unified review standards, and tailored a clear and efficient offline processing plan for the company.
Afterwards, a dedicated officer accompanied the company and the expert to Nantong for coordination and processing, ensuring seamless handovers and completion in a single visit. This truly achieved "single-site registration with mutual recognition across two jurisdictions," avoiding duplicate submissions and unnecessary intercity travel.
"It was an incredibly smooth experience!" William remarked after receiving the registration certificate. The company's Greater China head added, "This service solved a major challenge for us by breaking down administrative barriers to foreign talent mobility and giving us greater flexibility in deploying operations across the Yangtze River Delta. The streamlined administrative process not only kept the project on schedule but also boosted foreign experts' confidence in pursuing long-term development in the region."
Break down barriers, deliver innovative services
This innovative service stems from Jing'an District's deep insight into talent needs and its proactive response.
In recent years, in alignment with the goal of "International Jing'an: an Outstanding Urban Area", Jing'an has continuously optimized its talent ecosystem. In 2025, it launched the "Overseas Talent Service Package", offering comprehensive support such as cross-regional mobility guidance, policy coordination, and living support. William's case is a concrete implementation of the package's "Yangtze River Delta Mobility Green Channel". With strong support from municipal and district talent authorities and through the joint development of a Yangtze River Delta service collaboration network, Jing'an has been building an entire-process service system featuring "coordinated pre-screening + on-site assistance + mutual recognition across jurisdictions," aimed at breaking down regional barriers and promoting the free flow and efficient allocation of talent across the Yangtze River Delta.
The successful handling of this case not only effectively addressed the company's urgent difficulties and ensured the smooth progress of a key project, but also sent a clear message to the international community that the Yangtze River Delta is open to global talent and committed to deeper talent sharing. By shifting from a passive "wait-for-applications" approach to proactive "accompany-and-assist" services, and from fragmented procedures to coordinated facilitation, Jing'an—through institutional innovation and upgraded services—has truly eased constraints on talent and empowered enterprises, offering a replicable, scalable model for building the Yangtze River Delta into an innovation hub that attracts global talent.
From Jing'an to Nantong, from Shanghai to the broader Yangtze River Delta, the bottlenecks that once impeded international talent mobility are dissolving, and the momentum for integrated development continues to grow. Through its most thoughtful and people-centered services, Jing'an is bringing to life its service philosophy: "A warm welcome to talent from afar, a secure home for outstanding professionals."
Going forward, Jing'an District will seize this opportunity to systematically establish a "Cross-Regional Mobility Service Program for Key Enterprises and High-Level Talent". This program will gradually expand services from cross-provincial registration to multiple critical stages of foreign talent's work and daily life in China, and support integrated talent co-development and the Yangtze River Delta's high-quality development through sustained, pragmatic innovation in service delivery.