Work Visa China

The rapid growth of China's economy since the "opening up" is legendary. For decades, it has attracted many foreigners to live and work in Beijing, Shanghai, and other major cities. With the opportunities created by rapid economic development and immersed in rich culture, China is a hot destination for more and more foreigners to seek new challenges. As a foreigner, you must have a work visa in China. Fortunately, the Chinese authorities have made great efforts to simplify the application process of your paperwork and welcome foreign experts for commercial purposes.

This is a quick guide to getting a work visa in China.

Do you need a Chinese work visa?

If you plan to live and work in China at any time, you can definitely need a legal work visa. At present, only a very small number of citizens (Singapore, Brunei, and Japan) can come to China without a visa for a short time and have the right to work without special permission. However, for all people in other countries, you need to obtain a visa before you start living or working in China.

What is the procedure for obtaining a work visa in China?

Visa applications in China are managed by local embassies or special service centers. Visa service centers are usually set up in major cities around the world to support embassies to issue visas quickly, so this is a good choice if you can use it.

There is a very useful tool in the China visa application service center, which allows you to enter the type of visa you want and whether you can attend the visa service center in person or apply by mail. The site then tells you the documents you need and the next step in the application.

There are many types of visas, depending on the time you intend to stay in China and other factors, such as your nationality. For example, there are different requirements for people who previously had Chinese nationality.

To work in China, the Z visa may be the best for you. Or, if you are proficient in the field, you may be eligible for an r-visa.

You can apply for a visa within three months of the date you intend to travel, but it is recommended that you allow at least one month to process documents. Your local embassy or visa service center will provide you with more detailed processing time to help you plan.

In most cases, you can fill out the application form online through the website of the China visa application service center. You can then print it out and send it with the required documents to the nearest application center or embassy.

In some cases, you must go to the service center in person to get a visa. You can schedule and book online. If you are eligible to apply by mail or through an agent, you will receive detailed information on how to send documents when you complete your application online.

You will pay the visa fee when you get your approved passport back. If you go through the formalities in person, you can pay these fees in cash; if you apply by post office, you can pay by credit card / debit card. The fee schedule changes based on visa and is quite complex. Nationality, processing speed, consular fees, management fees and taxes are included. To find out your final visa fee, please consult the embassy or visa service center at the beginning of your application.

There are many visa agencies that can help you navigate the visa application process in China. Because of the inevitable language barrier, it is a common choice for people to work in China. However, these services are not cheap, so before you agree to work with an agent, make sure you know exactly what you are going to pay.