How Long To Get Work Permit In China
If you’re a foreigner planning to work in China, you must apply for more than one working permit from different government departments. But the application process is pretty confusing when you’re a newbie. That’s why I’m going to give you an important step by step guide that outlines exactly how long it takes to get a work permit.Whether you’re planning to come to Beijing for a long-term work or just for a short visit, getting the work visa could be quite a challenge. To get work permit, there are some paperwork and procedure you need to comply with if you want to live and work in this city.
Residency permit: Both the working residence permit and the non-working residence permit (the same applied for a tourist) is issued for one year. To extend the visa, an applicant should go to the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) police station with his or her passport or foreign travel certificate, residence registration and resident certificate, as well as original and photocopy of certification regarding no criminal record in China.
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How Long To Get Work Permit In China
Everybody wants to know how long does it take to get Chinese Work Permit, I’d say 4-6 months. But please remember that getting the working visa for the first time takes up about 4-6 months alone and without any job, so then, you should add another month or two.
If you are moving to China, you will want to get the right visa beforehand. Generally, most expats that work in China need a Z Visa that allows you to live and work in China for a particular period of time. It is important to research how long it takes to get a work permit before making the decision though.
Work Visa China 2022
Work Permits
Foreign workers are required to have the proper visas and work permits in China, as established by immigration laws. Work permits must be secured for employees, and sponsored by a locally licensed and incorporated entity, which can be a problem for companies just entering the Chinese market. If you have yet to complete the incorporation process you can use Shield GEO to sponsor the employee for the necessary permits.
Most expatriate workers will require a Z visa / work permit.
Is It Hard To Get A Work Visa In China
Your Options
Use your own company
It is possible for companies that have established a Rep (Representative) Office or WFOE (Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise) in China to arrange Z Visas. It takes around 6 weeks. It is highly recommended to utilise a Chinese Immigration specialist to assist with the application and processing.
Documentation Required (Employer)
Copy of business license, copy of business registration certificate, copy of code certificate, copy of certificate of approval
Documentation required (Employee):
Passport copy, CV, employment contract and educational degree certificates. Health certificate (can be obtained after arrival in China)
The process for obtaining a Z visa is as follows:
- The Employer and the employee sign a local employment contract (labour contract)
- The Employer applies for an Employment License through the relevant trade authorities (4 days)
- The Employer is issued with an Employment License, valid for 6 months, for the employee
- The Employer submits documentation to the regional office of foreign affairs to get the Letter of Z Visa Notification (5 days).
- The Employee applies for the Employment/Work Visa (Z Visa) at the Chinese Consulate in their country of residence. (4 days)
- Within 30 days the Employee must travel to China on the Z Visa. It is a single entry visa.
- Within 15 days of the employee entering China, the employee and The Employer submit an application at the local Labor & Social Security Bureau to apply for the Employment / Work Permit (3 days).
- Once the Employment / Work Permit is approved, and within 30 days after entering China, the
Use the Shield GEO Employer of Record Solution
It takes around 4 to 6 weeks to secure a work permit. Please contact us for a quote on costs.
Documentation required (Employee):
Passport copy, CV, employment contract and educational degree certificates. Health certificate (can be obtained after arrival in China)
The process for obtaining a Z visa is as follows:
- Shield GEO and the employee sign a local employment contract (labour contract)
- Shield GEO applies for an Employment License through the relevant trade authorities (4 days)
- Shield GEO is issued with an Employment License, valid for 6 months, for the employee
- Shield GEO submits documentation to the regional office of foreign affairs to get the Letter of Z Visa Notification (5 days).
- The Employee applies for the Employment/Work Visa (Z Visa) at the Chinese Consulate in their country of residence. (4 days )
- Within 30 days the Employee must travel to China on the Z Visa. It is a single entry visa.
- Within 15 days of the employee entering China, the employee and Shield GEO submit an application at the local Labor & Social Security Bureau to apply for the Employment / Work Permit (3 days).
- Once the Employment / Work Permit is approved, and within 30 days after entering China, the employee will need to apply for the Residence Permit.
Getting A Chinese Work Visa
Types of visas in China
| Category | Description of Visa |
|---|---|
| D Category Visa | Issued to those who intend to reside in China permanently |
| F Category Visa | Issued to those who intend to go to China for exchanges, visits, study tours and other activities |
| J1 Category Visa | Issued to resident foreign journalists of foreign news organizations stationed in China. The intended duration of stay in China exceeds 180 days. |
| J2 Category Visa | Issued to foreign journalists who intend to go to China for shortterm news coverage. The intended duration of stay in China is no more than 180 days. |
| M Category Visa | Issued to those who intend to go to China for commercial and trade activities. |
| R Category Visa | Issued to those who are highlevel talents or whose skills are urgently needed in China. |
| Z Category Visa | Issued to those who intend to work in China |
China Work Permit Requirements 2022
Work Permits and Employment-Based Visas
Whether you are looking for skilled worker visa or any other permit that allows you to work in China, you will need to decode some enigmatic abbreviations with letters and number such as “C visa” or “X1 visa”. The letters in these abbreviations are based on the Chinese designations for specific visa categories: C (chuányuán = crew), L (lǎowài = foreigner, tourist), X (xuéshēng = student), J (jìzhě = journalist), G (guòjìng = transit), etc. The numbers indicate the length of your planned stay.
For individuals who wish to work or study in China, these are the combinations they have to keep in mind:
- Z – visa for workers (staying in China for longer than six months)
- X1/2 – visa for students (X1 if you are staying for longer than 180 days, X2 if your chosen period is less than that)
- J1/2 – visa for foreign journalists (J1 if you are staying for longer than 180 days, J2 if your chosen period is less than that)
Required Documents for a Chinese Visa
The documents you will need to file in order to obtain your visa, depend on the type you need. The usual Chinese work visa requirements include the Chinese work permit visa application form, passport, and photograph, as well as:
- an official letter of invitation
- a health certificate covering a recent medical exam
- an official employment license from the Chinese authorities
However, the regulations may vary slightly for special sub-categories of foreign staff, e.g. NGO workers, people employed in the offshore petroleum industry, and several other options.
For the employment license, you need to have a status as a “foreign expert” with special qualifications, e.g. as an EFL-teaching native speaker with a B.Ed., or a contract from a company officially accredited to employ foreign nationals. Fulfilling these visa requirements will help your future employer obtain the employment license for you.
Types of Chinese Visas
Other types of Chinese visas include:
- M – business visa(duration of stay 30-60 days);
- F – visa for exchange, visits, study tours (duration of stay 30-90 days)
- S1/2 – visa for individuals visiting non-resident family in China (duration of stay: S1 – more than 180 days, S2 – up to 180 days)
- Q1/2 – visa for individuals visiting resident or native family in China (duration of stay: Q1 – more than 180 days, Q2 – up to 180 days)
If you, as a worker, are granted a Z visa, you can bring your family to China under S1/2 visa. However, in this case, your family will not be able to work in China.
How to Register with the Police
In accordance with the Chinese Exit-Entry Administration Law, all foreigners have to register with the Public Security Bureau (PSB) within 24 hours of arrival. If you are staying at a hotel, the staff will take care of this registration for you.
In other cases, you have to take care of this registration yourself. In order to do so, head to your nearest police station, i.e. the local PSB, and bring along the following documents (originals and photocopies):
- your passport (including your visa),
- the lease or deed of your home or your host’s household registration,
- a completed Temporary Residence registration form.
Note that depending on where you are registering your resident address, further or different requirements may apply. Once registered, you will receive your approved Registration Form of Temporary Residence, which is essential for those who need to get a Chinese residence permit. Also, remember to register any change of address when, for example, moving from a hotel into your own apartment, or any changes connected to your visa.
How to Get the Temporary Chinese Residence Permit
Holders of long-term visas (Z, D, X1, S1, J1, Q1) also need to acquire a temporary Chinese Residence Permit within 30 days of their arrival in China. Keep in mind that even though your visa might allow you to stay in the country for more than 6 months, it will not be valid if you don’t take this step.
In order to do so, head to your nearest Exit-Entry Administration Service Center of the PSB and take along the following:
- your passport (including your visa),
- the registration form of your Temporary Residence (see above),
- a filled-out Foreigner’s Visa and Resident Permit Application Form,
- a passport photograph,
- your official Health Certificate (issued by the Health & Quarantine Bureau), and
- any supporting documents which were previously needed for your visa application (e.g. your employment contract, marriage certificate, etc.).
For these types of transactions, it is advised to have an interpreter with you.
How to Apply for a Chinese Visa
You need to apply at your closest Chinese Visa Application Service Center or, if your country does not have one, at your nearest Chinese embassy. At the Service Centers, postal applications are often also accepted. If you prefer or actually have to visit in person, make an appointment to avoid long waiting times.
Ideally, you should apply for your visa around one month before you intend to enter China. At a minimum: two weeks. Since visas are only valid for a limited amount of time (typically 1–3 months), you should, however, not apply too early. Otherwise, your visa may already be expired on the planned day of entry.
Provided everything is in order with your application, it typically takes around four working days to be processed. Postal applications may take somewhat longer with processing times of around ten working days.
Chinese Work Permit Point System
When applying for a work permit, your value to the country will be assessed by various criteria. Depending on how highly you score, you might get additional benefits during the application process.
Criteria Clauses Points Annual Salary Under 50,000 CNY 50,000 – 70,000 CNY 5 70,000 – 150,000 CNY 8 150,000 – 250,000 CNY 11 250,000 – 350,000 CNY 14 350,000 – 450,000 CNY 17 450,000 CNY or more 20 Educational Qualifications / Vocational Skills None Bachelor’s degree/high-level worker 10 Master’s degree/technical expert 15 Doctor’s degree/highest possible international vocational qualification 20 Work Experience Under 2 years 2 years 5 Over 2 years (+1 with every year, up to 20) 6-20 Time Spent Working in China (per year) Under 3 months 3-6 months 5 6-9 months 10 Over 9 months 15 Location of Employment Western Regions, Northeast region’s industrial areas, areas of interest (impoverished counties) 10 Age 18-25 10 26-45 15 46-55 10 56-60 5 Over 60 Mandarin Proficiency None *HSK level 1 1 *HSK level 2 2 *HSK level 3 3 *HSK level 4 4 *HSK level 5 or above 5 Bachelor’s degree or above that was taught in Chinese 5 Former Chinese national 5 Extras Graduating from a high-level university 5 Work experience at a Fortune 500** company 5 Patent or intellectual property rights 5 5+ years’ work experience in China 5 (regional level) talent needed for the development of regional economy 1-10
*HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi) – Mandarin Proficiency Test
**Fortune 500 – an annual list of top 500 corporations around the globe, compiled and published by Fortune magazine
Depending on your score, you can be either A, B, or C tier talent.
Tier A Talent – 85 Points or more
The benefits:
- faster visa processing and paperless verification
- ability to work in any industry
- longer visa validity
Other ways to qualify for this tier:
- get employed through China’s regional plans for foreign talent
- earn over six times the average local salary
- get a highly valued position in Chinese or foreign enterprise in a large scale, middle-sized, or small-scale industry (senior management, technical heads, chairmen, legal representatives)
- get employed by one of the top tier hospitals, province level hospitals, or foreign-funded hospitals.
- do post-doctoral research after graduating from a high-level academic institution (only eligible if you are under 40 years old)
- be a highly successful entrepreneur (earn over 10 million CNY per year, offer a new service or product that requires a patent and large investments, be in a senior management or technical position of a company in an industry that aligns with China’s regional requirements)
- get awarded in your field of work
- prove academic excellence (high position in an academic institution, senior-level contributions to high-ranking national journal)
- prove overall excellence (prestigious awards, a senior position in government or a renowned international organization, senior role in Fortune 500 company)
Tier B – 60-84 points
If you belong to this tier, the application process is usually slower and more complicated than for individuals in the tier A. Also, you can usually only be eligible for a visa in a certain industry that is in demand in China.
Other ways to qualify for this tier:
- have a bachelor’s degree or above and two years of experience
- be certified or have a skill that is urgently needed in the labor market
- teach a foreign language or hold a bachelor’s degree or above in education
- earn four times the average local salary
Tier C – Under 60 points
The entry of individuals belonging to this tier is limited to quotas set by the Chinese government. Workers that usually belong to this tier work in China temporarily.
Other ways to qualify for this tier:
- do short-term work in China (under 90 days)
- be on an internship/young talent program
What Are the Necessary Documents for a Visa Application?
In general, you will be asked to provide the following basic documents for your application:
- your passport with blank visa pages and at least six more months of validity,
- a filled-out visa application form (to be found online on the website of your respective Visa Application Service Center or Chinese embassy),
- a recent passport photo, and
- a copy of any previous Chinese visas (if not in current passport).
Please keep in mind that further requirements for specific visas may apply.
Single-, Double-, vs. Multiple-Entry
When completing your visa application form, you can state your preferred number of entries (single, double, or multiple). This denotes how often and in which time period you may enter the country with your visa.
Since even returning from a visit to Hong Kong or Macao counts as a new entry, make sure to write down your travel itinerary in the corresponding field of your visa application to stress your need for a double-entry or multiple-entry visa. However, even then you might still be issued a single-entry visa. If you do not plan to go abroad during your stay in China, a single-entry visa is the cheaper option anyway.
Chinese Work Visa Costs
The price for the application and the issuance of a work permit in China varies depending on the country of your origin. It can go from about a 1,000 to 1,500 CNY. The fees also vary according to how quickly you want for it to be processed and whether you choose to apply in person or via mail.