The Exit and Entry Administration Service Center in Beijing. Photo: Fan Anqi/GT

After China downgraded COVID-19 management to Class B on Sunday, it also restored services related to immigration management. The number of applications for visas and residence permits for foreigners in China is has surged over recent days.

The Global Times visited the Exit and Entry Administration Service Center in Beijing on Monday morning, and learned that over 200 applications from foreigners are being processed across 17 service units per day, and the quota will be gradually increased to meet the growing demand as more foreigners are expected to come to China in the near future.

The center has made preparations beforehand and optimized the layout of foreign service outlets, setting up 17 immigration service points across the city, Ji Xiaowen, person in charge for foreigner immigration application at the Beijing Exit and Entry Administration Service Center, told the Global Times.

They have also set up 13 windows to process both the visas and residence permits for foreigners in the city, expanding the scope of applicants from Class A to B and C.

The length for application processing has been shortened from 12 working days to five for Class A applicants, and from 12 to 7 working days for Class B and C.

Foreign nationals can reserve online on the government's official website or WeChat account and find the nearest spot to get all the applications done in one stop.

While the total number of applications from foreign nationals in Beijing was not disclosed, Ji told the Global Times that the center is seeing an increase in recent days, from about 30 applications per day at the service center to some 50 per day.