Hiring · 02 Editorial guide
Hiring and Onboarding Employees in China
Hiring is a sequence: offer, contract, registrations and day-one compliance. Immigration is a connected control, not the same file.
First job Map the hiring sequence and required documents before the start date.
Start here
Key considerations
The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.
- What is the intended start date?
- Which entity will employ the worker?
- Which registrations and documents are still open?
Direct answer
What this page decides
02
This page owns the hiring sequence: which PRC entity employs the person, offer versus signed labour contract, eligibility and work authorisation, and the registrations that must exist by the start date. Social-insurance enrolment is flagged here as a hiring control; contribution bases and local practice live on Working time & pay. Visa and work-permit classes live on the Visa hub. Do not start work on a personal WeChat offer alone.
At a glance
Which fact changes the next route
Use the fact that changes ownership or urgency to decide the next move.
| Question | Why it matters | Next route |
|---|---|---|
| Which entity is the employer? | Group secondment is not a shortcut. | Lock the employing WFOE or PRC co. |
| Foreign hire? | Work permit and residence are gates. | Visa hub; keep this page for the labour file. |
| Start date already passed with no contract? | Contracts L4. | |
| Need SI and housing fund set-up? | Onboarding control plus local bureau. | Working time & pay for ongoing duties. |
Scope
What this page owns — and what it does not
Practical workflow
Action, evidence, legal gate, output
| Action | Documents / evidence | Legal gate | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name the employing entity | Business licence, headcount plan | No informal dual employment | Entity choice |
| Eligibility and authorisation | ID, work permit path | Visa hub if foreign | Clear to hire |
| Align offer and contract | Offer, Chinese contract, handbook ack | Contracts L4 | Signed file |
| Register SI and related onboarding | Local bureau list | Do not invent contribution rates | Registration proof |
| Day-one access and files | Personnel file, chops, devices | PIPL for personal data | Onboarded |
Documents
What to gather before the next call
These items help clarify the file; they are not a legal requirement list.
| Item | Why needed | Who holds it | Risk if missing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signed labour contract | Relationship | HR | Work without writing |
| ID and education / prior-employer papers | File completeness | Employee | Later dispute over credentials |
| Work-authorisation proof if foreign | Illegal employment risk | Immigration owner | Start date illegal |
| SI registration evidence | Onboarding duty | HR / vendor | Arrears later |
Common failure points
Where files usually break
Letting the person work for entity A on entity B’s contract.
Starting a foreign hire on a tourist or M-visa ‘for a few weeks’.
SI left to ‘next month’s payroll vendor’ with no owner.
FAQ
Narrow follow-ups owned by this page
Can we use an EOR instead of a WFOE hire?
That is a structure choice with its own risks. This page still needs a lawful employing entity on the facts.
Decision map
Keep the question bounded.
- Lock the offer and contractTerms must be consistent before onboarding.
- Check eligibilityNationality, work authorisation and the employing entity.
- Complete registrationsWork, social insurance and internal files.
Timeline
Sequence and clocks that change the next action.
- Before offerRole, location, employer entity and worker eligibility.
- Before start dateSigned contract, policies and required filings.
- Day oneOnboarding file, payroll setup and workplace rules.
Quick answers
Need the short version? Start with one narrow question.
These explainers answer one question. They do not replace this topic route or a deep guide.
Curated resources
Open the asset that matches this job.
China employment and labour law
Hiring sequence, onboarding documents and employer compliance before the start date.
Visa and immigration for China work
Keep work authorisation, entry and residence as connected but separate controls from the labour contract.
Prepare an employment enquiry
Organise high-level, non-confidential workforce facts before counsel or Ask a Lawyer.
Helpful to prepare
Facts that make the next conversation clearer.
These items are orientation aids, not a legal requirement list.
Counsel hand-off
What to bring when you instruct
Instruct employment (and immigration) counsel. Bring: entity, draft contract, nationality, intended start date, and SI vendor status.
Local context
Add the city only when it changes implementation.
Social insurance, labour-bureau practice and arbitration forums vary by city after the national framework is clear.
Open city and province guidesCounsel hand-off
Need employment counsel?
This hub organises workforce questions. It does not decide status, grounds, severance or a dispute outcome on your facts.
Find employment counselLegal review
Who reviewed this guide
Need qualified counsel?
Move carefully. Move with a record.
Use the portal to identify counsel for this practice and related China-side issues.