01 Application Conditions
Basic Employer Conditions
a.The entity of employer should be established in accordance with the law and free of records of serious violation or dishonesty. The positions for expats should be those with special needs,suitable job candidates are temporarily lacking in China, and the position should not violate relevant national regulations. The wages paid to the employed expats shall not be lower than the local minimum wage standard.
b.It’s important to obtain prior approval from the industry regulatory authorities according to the laws and regulations, for specific jobs.
Basic conditions for applicants
a.The applicant should be at least 18 years old, in good health, free of criminal records, have a confirmed employer in China, and possess the necessary professional skills or corresponding knowledge level to engage in the work.
b.The work engaged in by the expats shall meet the needs of China’s economic and social development, which is in need of professional personnel in China.
c.If there are other provisions in laws and regulations regarding expats coming to work in China, those provisions shall prevail.
Specialized processional expats refer to scientists, scientific and technological leading talents, international entrepreneurs, specialized special talents, etc., who meet the requirements of “highly talented professionals in shortage”, market demand orientation and the needs of China's economic and social development as well as talents who meet the accumulative points standards for Specialized processional expats. Specialized processional expats are not limited by age, education background and work experience. Please refer to the Classification Standards for Expats’ Working in China (Trial) for details.
Visiting professionals refer to individuals who meet the guidance catalog and job requirements for visitors coming to China, and are needed for economic and social development, have a bachelor’s degree or above and 2 years or more of relevant working experience, and are less than 60 years old. For those who truly need to meet the standards of innovative and entrepreneurship talents, professional skills talents, outstanding visitors graduates, visiting professional talents who meet the accumulative points standards, and those who implement intergovernmental agreements or agreements, restrictions such as age, education, or work experience may be appropriately relaxed. Please refer to the Classification Standards for Visitors’ Working in China (Trial) for details. If the Chinese government has regulations for specialized personnel and governmental project’s personnel, they shall prevail.
Other visiting personnel (Category C)
Other visiting personnel refer to those who meet the needs of the domestic labor market and comply with national policies and regulations. Please refer to the Classification Standards for Visitors Working in China (Trial) for details.
Work permit will be granted if the following conditions are met:
a.Those belonging to the scope of authority of the expats’work administration authorities;
b.Those who meet the above conditions for visitors work in China;
c.The application documentations are true, com- plete and meet the requirements.
List of Application Documentations
The employer or entrusted specialized service agency can register an account online
(To work in China for more than 90 days, excluding 90 days)
a. Apply for Notification Letter of Expat’s Work Permit in the People’s Republic of China ( In short: Notification Letter of Expat’s Work Permit )
b. Applying for the Expat’s Work Permit in the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as “Expat's Work Permit”)
(For expats working in China for over 90 days, excluding 90 days)
In one of the following circumstances, the applicant can directly apply for the work permit in China, and all application documents shall be submitted in accordance with the Notification Letter of Expat’s Work Permit and the Expat’s Work Permit Application:
a.Expats talents (Category A) in China with other visas or valid residence permits;
b.Expats who work in China and change his/her employer but not the working post (occupation) and maintain work residence permit valid;
c.The foreign spouse or child(ren) of a Chinese citizen or the spouse or child(ren) of a expat that permanently lives or works in China, with valid visa or residence permit;
d.Meeting the relevant preferential policies of the free trade zone or the all-round innovation & reform pilot zone;
e.Employers complying with the relevant preferential policies for the regional headquarters of multinational corporations in China;
f.Internal personnel transfer of enterprise groups;
g.Under an intergovernmental agreement or protocol;
h.Representatives of foreign institutions in China that have entered China with a work visa; expats who have a 90-day work permit in China and have been legally employed in China during their stay;
i.Within the recent 5 years, those who have worked legally and continuously in China for more than 1 year and have good credit (including 1 year);
j.Other cases that are considered eligible by the approval authority;
1.If the expat changes his or her employer, please cancel the existing work permit firstly.
2.Internal staff transfer within multinational corporations(MNC)’ regional headquarters and corporate groups in China refers to the transfer of senior executives such as managers and professional and technical personnel employed by MNCs’ regional headquarters or corporate groups in China in the same positions (including changing to new positions or upgrading from professional positions to administrative positions) between the regional headquarters and its wholly-owned or joint-venture branches and subsidiaries (between the parent company and its member companies or member companies). A new work permit can be applied for within 30 days as of the date of the cancellation of the original work permit. The expat’s work permit application form, employment contract (letter of dispatch), valid residence permit, passport information page and cancellation certificate shall be submitted. In the case of any change of job positions, relevant work qualification certificates shall be submitted.
(For expats working in China for 90 days or less)
If the current employer continues to employ the applicant in his or her original position (occupation), he or she shall apply to the approval authority 30 days before the expiry of the applicant’s work permit.
If there is any change of the applicant’s personal information (e.g. name, passport No. , job title, category, etc.), the application shall be submitted to the relevant approval authority within 10 days as of the date of change.
The Expat’s Work Permit will automatically be cancelled if not renewed by the end of the current validity period. If the permit needs to be cancelled, withdrawn or revoked in accordance with the law, the approval authority will cancel the work permit. If the applicant dies, loses his/her civil capacity, has his or her employment contract or employment relationship terminated ahead of time, the employer shall apply for cancellation to the approval authority within 10 working days as of the occurance of such events. If the employer is logged off, the applicant may apply to the approval authority to cancel the work permit.
When applying for the reissue of an Expat Work Permit, the applicant shall post a statement on the Management and Service System for Expats’ Work in China and file an application as of the date when the certificate was lost or was found to be lost for reissue to the relevant approval authority. Where the certificate is damaged, the applicant shall present the original work permit while applying for reissue.
Employer shall submit the information online. After being reviewed and preliminarily approved by the acceptance authority, the applicant, the employer or the authorized specialized service agency shall submit written materials to the acceptance authority. Specialized expats (Category A) can submit corresponding electronic materials online instead of written materials.Acceptance Of Application
For online submissions of information, please log in to the Service System for Expats Working in China on the website of State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.Shijiazhuang Foreign Experts Affairs Bureau is responsible for handling Class A and B work permits.
Telephone number: 0311-85667324, Address: No. 452 Zhongshan East Road, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province.
Shijiazhuang Human Resources and Social Security Bureau is responsible for handling Class C work permit,
Telephone number: 0311-86689127, Address: No. 102 Qingyuan Street, Shijiazhuang City.
01 Applying to Work in China for More than 90 Days
02 Applying to work in China for less than 90 days (including 90 days)
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