About OTGEO
OTGEO · Cross-Border Think Tank
A hands-on participant in China’s talent strategy
OTGEO is a cross-border business strategy and residency planning firm. Our core practice covers global immigration, China entry advisory, project matching, and residency planning — providing integrated offshore resources for high-net-worth individuals and multinational companies.
Key facts
Last updated 2026-11-03| Legal name | OTGEO (中创侨智) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2019 — founding team active in cross-border residency since 2012 |
| Headquarters | 11F, CapitaLand Plaza, 2nd Ring South Road, Yanta District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China |
| Core services | China entry, global immigration, overseas business services, residency planning |
| Coverage | 33+ countries and regions |
| Network | 300+ partner law firms and 352 affiliated lawyers across 30+ countries |
| Compliance | Entry-Exit Agency Filing No. 61011326102112245 |
| Contact | +86 4006-123670 | [email protected] |
OTGEO®
Cross-border business strategy and residency planning.
Guided by a dual mission — helping clients go global and helping the world come to China — we cover four core practice areas: global immigration, China entry advisory, project matching, and residency planning, delivering integrated offshore resources to families and companies.
— Rigorous filing logic, tailored strategy, and support for every cross-border move.
Core team
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Marx
Managing Director
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Rachel
Project Director
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David
Technical Director
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Artemis
Business Director
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Suleman
Immigration Consultant
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Echo
Immigration Consultant
Team members are listed under their professional English names. Background and case experience of individual leads are available on request during an initial consultation.
In , China established the National Immigration Administration — a standalone ministerial-level body signalling that the country was opening its doors to global talent in earnest.
At the time, the entry-exit services industry was still moving in one direction: Chinese nationals going abroad. But a group of consultants with more than eight years in investment and skilled migration read the reform differently. Their reasoning was simple: when a 1.4-billion-person economy restructures how it attracts foreign talent, someone has to translate national strategy into workable service design.
In , OTGEO was founded — not an extension of an existing business, but a reset of direction. While the market competed for outbound clients, OTGEO committed everything to the “foreigners coming to China” lane: foreign talent acquisition, permanent residence planning, and compliance for foreign-invested enterprise. That choice mapped directly onto the national talent strategy — and has been validated repeatedly since.
Every year since has moved in step with policy. When the Five-Star Card launched, we were ready with a full-cycle program. In the same year the 12367 platform went live, our CNVISA system completed its digital integration. Our Xixian New Area branch joined the Qin Chuang Yuan International Talent Service Center, embedding our network in a national talent hub. And with our first industry report, we took a seat at the policy conversation as a think tank. Years of closed-loop casework have made OTGEO a trusted professional witness — and an execution partner — in China’s foreign talent services market.
Policy sources: National Laws and Regulations Database · National Immigration Administration · The State Council of China
A timeline of policy and practice
OTGEO’s growth is inseparable from China’s high-level opening-up, its foreign-related legal reforms, and the digitalization of government services. We move with the times — and with policy.
A legal foundation, and a global outlook
China enacted the Exit and Entry Administration Law, laying the legal groundwork for foreign-related business and administration. Our founding team — then working in traditional immigration — had already begun importing mature cross-border compliance practice from abroad, advising the first wave of foreign institutions entering China. That experience became the bedrock of everything that followed.
Two permits become one, and service standards tighten
The foreign work permit system was fully implemented: the “Foreign Expert Certificate” and the “Employment Permit” merged into a single work permit, with tiered management for Class A, B, and C talent. In response, our team rebuilt its service standards around a full-lifecycle assessment model and a fast-track filing channel — the framework that later became the backbone of OTGEO’s standardized delivery.
A new ministry, and a contrarian bet
The National Immigration Administration was formally established, marking a new era of unified, institutionalized entry-exit management. While the industry was still competing over outbound migration, our founders made a decisive call: reverse direction and commit fully to “foreigners coming to China”. We began structuring a complete China-entry practice, drawing on the visa and compliance frameworks of developed markets — among the earliest firms in China to do so.
The entity is founded, the direction is reset
The National Immigration Administration rolled out a wave of administrative reforms and business-environment measures, substantially easing restrictions on foreign talent working and doing business in China. OTGEO was formally established — not a business extension, but a reset of direction. We built a standardized, replicable system for foreign talent acquisition and foreign-invested enterprise compliance, mapped directly onto the national talent strategy.
Digital government, and a parallel rebuild
The National Immigration Administration launched the 12367 service platform, bringing round-the-clock, multilingual immigration services online. OTGEO launched CNVISA, its own bilingual China-entry platform, with online pre-assessment and end-to-end digital case management — a parallel digital rebuild timed to the state’s own.
The Five-Star Card, and a move into government coordination
China began issuing the new Five-Star Card — the next-generation permanent residence ID, built to the same technical standard as the national ID card. OTGEO published a detailed analysis of substantive review criteria across every permanent-residence pathway and launched a full-cycle Five-Star Card program, helping the first cohort of multinational executives secure approval. The same year, our Xixian New Area branch joined the Qin Chuang Yuan International Talent Service Center, embedding our network inside a national talent hub.
Visa-free expansion, and a national service grid
China expanded unilateral visa-free entry and 144-hour transit visa-free policies for a growing list of countries, pushing business and people-to-people exchange to record levels. OTGEO deepened its local service network in Beijing, Xi’an, and other core cities, connecting foreign investment access with executive compliance support end to end.
Source: The State Council of China
From service provider to industry think tank
China’s opening-up entered a normalized, institutionalized phase, and the foreign-related services market shifted from scale to quality. OTGEO published its Annual Observation and Trends Report on China Entry Services (2025), drawing on a large closed-loop case base to map policy direction with hard data — a reference now cited by multinational HR teams and foreign-related institutions.
A first-class business environment, and a next-generation platform
A market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized business environment reached full build-out, with digital government services at advanced international standards. OTGEO launched its next-generation China Entry Smart Service System, integrating AI and automated workflows across visas, compliance, and residency planning. In September 2026, the National Immigration Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation jointly issued the Measures for the Record-Filing of Entry-Exit Intermediary Service Institutions and Personnel; OTGEO was among the first institutions to complete filing, building the next decade on a compliance-first foundation.
352
Partner Lawyers
120+
High-Net-Worth Families Served
17
Practice Standards
33+
Countries Covered
Note: figures are current as of and reflect internal company metrics, including law firms under long-term partnership agreements and their practising lawyers. Scope definitions are available on request.
Why OTGEO
Deep sector experience
Our core team averages more than eight years in the field, with working command of immigration law across multiple jurisdictions and the logic of cross-border legal practice — the capability that matters most in complex cases.
A large, vetted law-firm network
We hold long-term strategic relationships with more than 300 established law firms across 30+ countries and regions, allowing us to match clients with the right local partners quickly and at a reasonable cost.
High-standard privacy and security
We work under strict confidentiality agreements for high-net-worth clients, with secure, end-to-end handling that protects both your overseas assets and your family’s identity transition.
Explore our partner network: Global law firms and channel partners →
Frequently asked questions
What is OTGEO?
OTGEO (中创侨智) is a cross-border business strategy and residency planning firm founded in 2019. We advise high-net-worth individuals and multinational companies on China entry, global immigration, overseas business services, and residency planning.
Where is OTGEO based, and how can I reach you?
Our headquarters are at 11F, CapitaLand Plaza, 2nd Ring South Road, Yanta District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. You can reach us at +86 4006-123670 (international: +86 180-9200-5030) or [email protected].
Is OTGEO a licensed entry-exit intermediary?
Yes. OTGEO has completed entry-exit intermediary service filing under registration number 61011326102112245, and holds ICP filing 陕ICP备19015647号-1. Filing documentation is available for verification before engagement.
What services does OTGEO provide?
Four practice areas: China entry (Z work visa, M business visa, X student visa, family reunion, permanent residence, foreign-invested company setup); global immigration (golden visa, citizenship by investment, digital nomad, talent migration); overseas business services (company registration, notarization and apostille, cross-border legal, banking); and residency planning for families and their asset structures.
Which countries and regions does OTGEO cover?
We cover more than 33 countries and regions, with long-term partnerships with over 300 law firms in 30+ countries and access to more than 352 affiliated lawyers worldwide.
Do you provide services in English?
Yes. Our team works in both Chinese and English, and international clients can complete consultation, document preparation, and case communication entirely in English.
Move with people who know the way.
Speak with a senior OTGEO partner and start building your cross-border residency plan.