Social insurance for foreigners – was it enforced?

“Compared to October last year, many cities have issued implementing rules for the PRC social insurance contributions by foreign nationals,” said Gordon Feng, chair of Paul Hastings' employment law practice in Shanghai. Beijing, Chengdu, Qingdao, Suzhou and Chongqing have all issued local implementing rules requiring foreign employees to enroll in government schemes for pension, medical care, work-related injury, unemployment and maternity.

With many of China's foreigners residing in Shanghai, the city still maintains that contributions to the schemes are voluntary in the country's most populated municipality. “It seems Shanghai is not interested in enforcing the Social Insurance Law against foreigners as it is keeping quiet about any implementing regulations and so far the enrollment remains voluntary,” said Feng.

Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan residents were also part of the initial measures, but later removed as previous legislation required contributions from them. “The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security already had regulations for Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan (HMT) residents in place, requiring them to enroll in the social insurance system, but the enrollment was not mandatory in practice before October 15, 2011” said Feng. He believed HMT residents were later removed because otherwise the rules would have been redundant.