Multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years will soon be on offer in a bid to attract more top talent.

China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, which comes into effect in July, will also introduce a six-month visa for short-term hires.

Zhang Jianguo, director of the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, said Tuesday that foreigners must already be employed to apply for the visa.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is helping authorities implement the visas.

"We hope the visas will encourage more international experts to work here," Zhang said, without elaborating.

Liu Guofu, an immigration law specialist at the Beijing Institute of Technology, said the government is targeting key groups.

These include candidates with management experience at leading multinationals, specialists in education and science-related fields and renowned figures in culture and sport.

Ministerial departments have been gauging feedback from specialists, including Liu, since late 2012.

About 550,000 foreign experts worked in China in 2012, Zhang said.

(SD-Agencies)