Former Chinese citizens applying as international students: the nationality checks and who they apply to

If you or your parents once held Chinese nationality and you want to apply for a master's or PhD in mainland China as an international student, the first test is nationality. Order No. 42, Article 2 defines an international student as a foreign student who does not have Chinese nationality under the Nationality Law and who receives education at a school. For graduate entry, Quality Standards, section 2.5 states no four-year/two-year passport-and-residence rule of the kind it states for undergraduate and junior-college applicants; what a university applies to graduate applicants is set out in that university's own admissions brochure.

The English wording in this article is this site's translation of the Chinese text.

What "international student" means

Order No. 42, Article 2 defines an international student as a foreign student who does not have Chinese nationality under the Nationality Law and who receives education at a school. Chapters 2 to 5 of Order No. 42 apply to higher education institutions (Order No. 42, Article 2).

The four-year/two-year rule and the stage it covers

Quality Standards, section 2.5 states a rule for Chinese citizens who have emigrated abroad and then apply to enter a higher education institution at the undergraduate and junior-college stage as a foreign student. Such an applicant must hold a valid foreign passport or nationality certificate for four years (inclusive) or more, and within the most recent four years (counted to 30 April of the entry year) must have a record of actual residence abroad for two years or more. Nine months of actual residence abroad in a year may be counted as one year, based on entry and exit stamps (Quality Standards, section 2.5).

Section 2.5 states this four-year/two-year rule only for applicants entering the undergraduate and junior-college stage. Section 2.5 does not state this rule for master's or doctoral applicants.

What the standards require of universities for former Chinese citizens

For applicants who fit the circumstances above, Quality Standards, section 2.5 provides that the higher education institution shall require them to provide supporting materials and shall examine those materials.

More generally, section 2.5 provides that higher education institutions shall specify in their admission standards the identity qualifications for international students applying for admission, and shall establish an effective review procedure to examine the applicant's nationality and other identity qualifications. Higher education institutions may set stricter rules on the identity qualifications for international students applying for admission (Quality Standards, section 2.5).

For an applicant who is a Chinese citizen who has emigrated abroad or who otherwise may hold Chinese nationality, section 2.5 provides that the higher education institution shall verify the nationality with the local immigration and exit-entry administration department. The institution shall also publicise the proposed admission of such admitted personnel in an appropriate manner and shall actively accept supervision (Quality Standards, section 2.5).

For graduate applicants: what to check in the brochure

The Quality Standards are addressed to higher education institutions and state what a university must set, publish, or do; they are trial standards. For a master's or doctoral applicant who may hold Chinese nationality, section 2.5 does not state the four-year/two-year rule and does not state what specific identity check the university will apply at the graduate stage. What a university applies to graduate applicants is written in that university's own admissions brochure.

Suggestion: because each university sets its own identity qualifications, read the admissions brochure of the programme you plan to apply to and ask the admissions office how it verifies nationality for applicants who may have held Chinese nationality.

Questions people ask

Does Order No. 42 say I can apply as an international student if I no longer hold Chinese nationality?

Order No. 42, Article 2 defines an international student as a foreign student who does not have Chinese nationality under the Nationality Law and who receives education at a school. Whether you meet that definition depends on your nationality under the Nationality Law.

Does the four-year/two-year rule apply to master's or PhD applicants?

Quality Standards, section 2.5 states the four-year/two-year rule only for applicants entering the undergraduate and junior-college stage. Section 2.5 does not state this rule for graduate entry; what a university applies to graduate applicants is in its brochure.

Sources

• Quality Standards for the Higher Education of International Students in China (Trial) — Ministry of Education of the PRC
• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42) — Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Public Security of the PRC

Checked 11 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, CHSI or any university, is not legal advice, and the official text and the current notice of the university or authority handling your case prevail if they differ.