BEIJING -- Beijing's municipal government has announced a new employment standard for foreigners, lifting the threshold for acquiring a job in the city.

Announced on Sunday, the new standard stipulates that non-Chinese citizens who wish to work in Beijing should meet four requirements:

-- Aged between 18 to 60, with no criminal record.

-- Bachelor's degree or above with at least two years of relevant work experience. Teaching requires at least five years of relevant experience.

-- Have a specific name for employer and a valid passport or other valid international travel documents.

-- Hold a valid work permit, or a residence certificate for work.

However, the age limit for candidates applying for programs recruiting senior foreign experts to work in China is up to 65 years old.

According to statistics from the municipal government, more than 37,000 foreign citizens from the United States, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Germany and Australia, among others, now work in Beijing, with 95 percent holding a bachelor degree or above.

They mainly work in the fields of information, computer science, education, consulting and science and technology.