According to the law, foreigners who illegally stay in the country will be given a warning before being fined. In severe cases, they will be fined no more than 10,000 yuan or detained for five to 15 days.
Foreigners who violate China's laws and regulations and are deemed "unsuitable" to stay will be given an exit deadline. Foreigners who commit "severe violations" that do not constitute crimes may be deported and not allowed to enter the country again for 10 years, the law says.
Inspections conducted by the NPC in Guangdong and Hainan provinces, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and Beijing between February and March in 2012 found that the country's visa and employment policies have been unable to keep up with social trends.
The inspectors said a national network should be established to coordinate the management of foreigners' residence and work information.
The law states that the minimum stay for foreigners holding work certificates is 90 days, while the period of validity for a residence certificate ranges from 180 days to five years.
For foreigners holding visas with a maximum stay of 180 days, the holders should hand in documents to government departments above the county level to apply for an extension seven days before the certificate expires, adding that the length of the extension should not exceed the originally permitted duration.
China previously had two exit-entry laws, one each for foreigners and Chinese nationals. Both were created in 1985. The law for foreigners is believed to be somewhat out of date, as it barely mentions issues related to the illegal employment of foreigners.
"The newly-adopted law, integrating the two existing laws, is crucial for the country to regulate exit and entry administration and ensure sovereignty, security and social order while boosting overseas exchanges," said He Yicheng, a member of the NPC Standing Committee.
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