China Work Permit and Residence Permit Timeline
A first China work authorisation is a sequence, not one visa. The entry document, work permit, work-type residence permit and address registration each perform a different legal job.
Workflow guide
Do not treat entry permission as permission to work.
Choose the overseas or in-country route, classify the position and applicant, assemble authenticated documents, obtain work authorisation and complete residence and address-registration steps within the applicable local windows.
Run the first-hire file in five stages.
City practice and document quality control the timetable; these are stages, not service-level promises.
Confirm current immigration status, employer, job, location and whether an in-country application is available. A change of employer is a different workflow.
Do not start China employment merely because the person holds an entry or business visa. Unauthorised work and illegal stay are separate risks and can affect both employee and employer.
Complete the HR control file.
Selections stay in this browser.
Common sequencing questions.
Local authorities and individual status can change the route.
Can the employee work remotely before the permit?
If the person is already in China, calling the work remote or for headquarters does not automatically avoid illegal-employment rules. Obtain advice before any work begins.
Do family members use the same permit?
No. Dependants generally need their own residence applications and dependent status does not authorise employment.
Is changing employer the same workflow?
No. Cancellation, transfer, stay status and new-employer timing require a separate analysis.
Source station
Use current national and local immigration and work-authorisation materials.
Open the page that owns the next status question.
Use the matching route instead of forcing every case into the first-hire sequence.
Working and Staying in China Legally
Open the full status map.
Open specialist route →02 · Employer changeChanging Employer in China
Use for cancellation and transfer timing.
Open specialist route →03 · Job lossStatus After Job Loss
Use when employment has already ended.
Open specialist route →Escalate when present status or the start date is uncertain.
Resolve the live status before work or travel creates a second problem.
The person is already in ChinaCurrent stay status may change the available route.
A start date is imminentBusiness pressure must not override work-authorisation requirements.
A document or deadline failedName, authentication, cancellation or residence issues may need local handling.
Educational information only — not legal advice. Laws, deadlines and local practice can change; obtain fact-specific advice from qualified PRC counsel.
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