The following guide explains how to get a Chinese Work Permit and a Residence Permit in order to legally work in China. We can handle this procedure on your behalf, for more information refer to our China Immigration Service or Contact Us

Basic Eligibility Requirements to Obtain a Work Permit in China

Recently, China has instituted a more open and active embrace of foreign workers, which has led to a substantial increase in work permit applications in the countries. The application process has been streamlined and can mostly be completed online. Employers who are interested in hiring foreigners to work in China must comply with local laws and regulations regarding the hiring of foreign staff, such as having a legal entity of their business in China and the appropriate certifications from local government entities.

Employees must also meet basic requirements in order to qualify for a work permit in China. While these eligibility criteria may differ depending on the type of permit obtained, general requirements for the employee include:

Be at least 18 years old and in good health

Not have a criminal record

Have a specified employer

Have the requisite skills and work experience to fill the employer’s vacancy

Have a valid passport and any other required travel documents

Getting the Work Permit in China

Application from home country

Before being able to apply for a China Work Visa (“Z-Visa”) at a Chinese embassy abroad, applicants shall first get the Notification Letter for Foreigner’s Work Permit (“Notification Letter”), which is the official Letter from the Chinese authorities stating that an applicant has been approved to work in China.

To be granted the Notification Letter, the employer has to apply first by providing the required documentation to a local Labor Bureau. It took approximately 3-4 weeks to obtain the Notification Letter.

Then, applicants may apply for a Work Visa at the Chinese embassy in their home country.

After getting the Z-Visa, applicants may enter in China. They would have to undertake a medical examination and to register their residence at the local police station. Then, the 2 last steps would be to replace the Z-visa with a working-purpose Residence Permit and to apply for Work Permit.

Application in China

For applicants who are already in China and wishing to get a Work Permit in tier-1 city, it is possible to apply directly for the Work Permit by submitting all the required documentation to the local Labor Bureau. When the Work Permit would be issued, applicants will then have to apply for a working-purpose Residence Permit (in tier-1 cities, it is possible to convert a Tourist Visa, a Business Visa China and a Study Visa into a residence Permit – applicants can hence avoid having to go back to their home countries to apply for a Work Visa and then come back again in China).

Required Documents

The exact list of documents to submit to the Chinese authorities depends on each case.

Generally, the following documents are required to be produced:

From the Employee

Diploma: the original degree has to be submitted along with its authenticated and legalized copy

Police Clearance Certificate: the original PCC has to be authenticated and legalized

Work Experience Certificate: justifying at least 24 months of experience

CV

Labor Contract

Medical Report

Police Registration Form of Residence

From the Employer

Business License (+ Certificate of Approval if any)

Passport of the Legal Representative

Company Stamp

Classification of Work Permits

Since April 2017, a new Chinese regulation has combined the old Alien Employment Permit and the old Foreign Expert Certificate into one and single work permit: the Foreigner’s Work Permit. The regulation also set up a classification of the work permits in 3 categories: A – B – C, depending on the qualification and the skills of each foreigners working in China:

A = high-level experts

B = professional workers

C = low skilled workers

Since this classification has been set up, Class A and Class B of foreign profiles generally allow them to obtain a Work Permit. Class C refers to very specific low-skilled profiles.

To determine the classification of a Work Permit, there are two methods: be directly qualified or reach enough points on the work permit points table.

Direct Qualification

Class A Work Permits

Application for Class A Work Permit is faster than for Class B and Class C Work Permits. Also, applicants do not need to provide any Diploma or Police Clearance Certificate. Only Class A Work Permit allows foreigners to work if they are over 60 years old.

High Incoming Earners with a salary of over 50,000 RMB / month + working in Shanghai

International prize-winner in sciences, architecture, literary, arts, sports, music, industrial design

Selected profile by the China National Talent Import Plan

Doctor’s degree or higher from a Chinese University of from one of the World Top 500 Universities

Class B Work Permits

Most people qualify for Class B Work Permit. Class B Work Permit is limited to profiles between 18 and 60 years old.

Bachelor degree + 2 years of full-time related work experience after graduation

“Excellent” graduate with a Master’s degree from a Chinese university of from one of the World Top 100 Universities

Class C Work Permits

Class C referring to very specific low-skilled profiles, only junior profiles that match a direct qualification can work with a Class C work permit. Class C Work Permit is limited to profiles between 18 and 60 years old.

Bachelor degree or higher from a university in Shanghai + employed by a company registered in the Shanghai FTZ or Zhangjiang High Tech Park

Master’s degree or higher from a Chinese university (with a score reaching at least 80/100 or B+/B) + employed by a company registered in Shanghai

Intern in Shanghai part of the “French Intern 1000 Plan”

China Work Visa Calculator and Table

Class A = score over 85 points

Class B = score over 60 points

Class C referring to very specific low-skilled profiles, only junior profiles that match a direct qualification can work with a Class C work permit.

Your annual salary (CNY) Select 50,000 - 70,000 70,000 - 150,000 150,000 - 250,000 250,000 - 350,000 350,000 - 450,000 ≥ 450,000 Highest level of education Select No university degree Bachelor or equivalent Master or equivalent Doctor or equivalent Years of related experience Select 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years 10 years 11 years 12 years 13 years 14 years 15 years 16 years ≥ 17 years Anual working time Select 3 - 6 months 6 - 9 months > 9 months Chinese level Select None HSK1 HSK2 HSK3 HSK4 HSK5 Chinese related bachelor Former chinese citizen Age Select 18 - 25 26 - 45 46 - 55 56 - 60 60+ Employed in one of the following areas: Western China, North east China, old industrial areas in China, poor areas in China Select Yes No Graduated from one of the world's top 100 universities? Select Yes No Working experience in one of the world's top 500 companies? Select Yes No Owning intellectual property of any form? Select Yes No Worked in China continuously for 5 or more years? Select Yes No Meet any special criteria set by provincial government? Select Yes No

Applicants that do not score at least 60 points cannot be granted a Work Permit through the points system.

Legalization of Chinese Visa Documents

In addition to the required documents to be submitted to the Chinese authorities to apply for a Work Permit, 2 documents now also need to be translated and authenticated before being submitted: the Diploma and the Police Clearance Certificate. This authentication process is different for each country. Some Embassies/Consulates in China are also able to legalize documents for the Work Permit application (as for example the following Consulates: Australian, French, Greek, Indian, Spanish, British…).

Police Clearance Certificate

Verification from home country

After obtaining the Police Clearance Certificate in their home countries, applicants need to make it authenticated by the Chinese Embassy of their home country.

Verification in China

Some Embassies/Consulates in China are able to legalize Police Clearance Certificate.

However, in the event the Embassy/Consulate of an applicant’s home country in China does not provide such legalization, the application shall then be made in the applicant’s home country. In this case, for applicants who are already in China, they should consider asking someone in their home country to help them: it can be a relative or an accredited company.

Taking the fingerprints in China to apply for Police Clearance Certificate in the home country

In the case the fingerprints of applicants are requested to obtain a Police Clearance Certificate (some countries request the fingerprints before issuing any Police Clearance Certificate – as Canada or the USA), applicants can register their fingerprints directly in China and send them to their home country.

Diploma Verification

Verification in China

Besides the authentication of Diplomas abroad, or through a Consulate in China, the Chinese Ministry of Education has launched an online system able to verify foreign Diplomas: http://renzheng.cscse.edu.cn/ . The verification process through this system takes approximately 1 month.

Verification from Abroad

This authentication process is different for each country, however, everywhere, the authentication process ends with the same last step: legalization by the Chinese Embassy in the applicant’s home country.

Here is a list of the process for several countries: