On December 21st, 2015, Bai Shaokang, the deputy mayor of Shanghai, declared at a press conference that Shanghai was about to implement a 144-hour visa-free transit policy. So far, the application has been approved by the State Council and is expected to be put into practice since January 30th, 2016. 
 

Compared with the 72-hour free transit policy, the new program features more favorable highlights.

 Firstly, the allowed stay is extended to 144 hours, while the requirements remain the same as before. This allows passengers to arrange their travel plans more flexiblly and save a lot of trouble. For regular flyers and businessmen, this is really a great bonus.

 Secondly, the policy covers Hangzhou and Nanjing as well. In other words, visitors can enter and leave from any of the three cities.

 Thirdly, the transit port is not only limited to airports in Shanghai. It means that cruise ship and train passengers can also enjoy this policy.

Read details about the 72-Hour Visa-Free Transit
 

According to the Shanghai Airport Immigration Inspection Office, since the implementation of the 72-hour visa-free stay policy in January 1st, 2013, more than 100 thousand foreigners have taken advantage of this facility. After three years, it proves to be a great success, propelling Shanghai forward as an international metropolis. To enhance the fruitful tryout, the government thus put forward a series of immigration measures, including the 144-hour visa-free transit policy and Green Card (Permanent Residency) bonus. Though not having been carried out yet, it is predicted that this scheme will gain favor of international travelers.

With the fast process of globalization, we can expect more and more steps in the future to lower the barriers between countries.