Many foreign students are very young and their study period is short, they are not familiar with relevant regulations in China.

Thus the Department of Entry and Exit Administration of Guangzhou Public Security Bureau visits the more than 10 higher education institutions in Guangzhou providing door-to-door service. The new unit handles the visa applications for foreign students on location and gives personal instructions.

In recent years, with the development of Guangzhou's economy, there has been a surge in the numbers of foreign students coming to study at Guangzhou's higher education institutions.

Sun Yat-Sen University, as an example, admits over 300 new foreign students every semester. The College of Chinese Language and Culture of Jinan University ranks the top among Guangzhou's higher education institutions with over 400 new foreign students registering every semester.

"According to primary estimates, 80% of the new foreign students came to China to study Chinese." said a spokesman, the majority of them coming from Central and South Asia. Many students come for short periods of training lasting from 6 months to one year.

A French student who is applying his visa on-site said that this was his first visit to China and he came to study traditional Chinese medical science. He said the new service was highly personalized and convenient.