China Inbound Legal Guides · Visa & Immigration

Visa & Immigration

Work authorisation is stacked. Employer or city change can collapse a layer even when the passport sticker looks fine.

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Which status layer is expiring — permit, Z visa, or residence? Open the matching topic route or counsel — this hub does not decide the legal outcome on your facts.

China visa and immigration route covering work authorisation, residence, family and exit risk.

Status stackPermit · visa · residence · exit

UpdatedAugust 2026

AudienceForeign nationals, employers of foreign staff and families

Status and exit clocks

Overstay, illegal employment or an exit record can close options quickly. This is a deadline screen, not a family-safety route.

Open overstay & exit route

Signature · Status layers & expiry / change calendar

Work permit, Z visa and residence are different layers — they expire on different clocks.

person/status → change → documents → jurisdiction → next route

PersonEmployee, dependant, visitor
LayerPermit / visa / residence
ClockExpiry and city of issuance
ChangeEmployer, title, city
RiskOverstay / illegal work

Status layers

Which layer is actually at risk?

Start with the situation

Which status layer is expiring — permit, Z visa, or residence?

Each topic owns one bounded decision, then connects to deeper guides, local context or counsel. This hub does not duplicate long-form analysis.

Work

Work authorisation

Work permit, notification letter, Z visa and the employment overlay.

First jobSeparate work authorisation from the labour contract and from residence.

Open topic route

Residence

Residence & stay

Residence permit, stay layers, expiry and the calendar that keeps status lawful.

First jobMap current status layers and the next expiry before planning travel or a job change.

Open topic route

Family

Family & dependents

Dependent and reunion status that follows a principal permit or residence.

First jobIdentify the principal’s status before assuming a family member can stay or enter.

Open topic route

Change

Employer, title or city change

Transfers, cancellations and the illegal-employment risk when the job moves.

First jobIdentify what must be cancelled or re-filed before the person starts the new role.

Open topic route

05Priority screen

Exit clock

Overstay, illegal work & exit

Overstay, unauthorised work, exit records and time-sensitive triage.

First jobScreen the clock and the current status before ordinary visa research.

Open topic route

Transit

Transit & visa-free entry

240-hour transit and visa-free policy as a bounded entry question, not a work route.

First jobConfirm whether the trip is entry-only before treating it as work or residence.

Open topic route

Common entry points

Already know what is happening?

01I need to work in ChinaStart with work permit, Z visa and the employment overlay.02A permit or stay is about to expireStart with status layers and the calendar.03Overstay or illegal-work riskStart with the exit and status clock.

Quick answers

Narrow questions this practice actually gets.

Not a second copy of this hub. Each card is one Wiki explainer.

Quick AnswerChina Immigration: Status Layers & Expiry DashboardBuild a five-date dashboard and renew the earliest critical layer first.Quick AnswerChina Immigration: Work Permit, Z Visa & Residence SequenceSequence employer-owned and applicant-owned steps separately; never start work on a Z sticker alone.Quick AnswerChina Immigration: 240-Hour Transit & Visa-Free Policy DeskConfirm nationality, port, stay area and activity limits; work/study/news still need prior approval.Quick AnswerChina Immigration: Employer, Title & City Change TriggersMap which layer is tied to the changing fact; block the employment move until the gate is clear.Quick AnswerChina Immigration: Family & Dependent Status ScreenAssemble relationship and principal-status evidence; screen any planned employment separately.Quick AnswerChina Immigration: Overstay, Illegal Employment & Exit-Risk TriageIdentify the problem type, freeze risky activity, preserve evidence, escalate to the right counsel track.

Curated resources

Go deeper without losing the route.

Long-form analysis lives on canonical guides. This hub only points.

core guide

China immigration status control room

National map for visas, work permits, residence layers, change calendar and exit risk.

deep guide

Work permit and residence permit timeline

Sequence and typical clocks from notification letter to residence.

deep guide

Overstay, fines and exit risk

Overstay, exit records and deportation-risk orientation — not a prediction of outcome.

deep guide

Family and dependent status

Dependent and reunion questions that follow a principal’s lawful stay.

deep guide

Changing employer without illegal employment

Cancellation, transfer and the gap risk when the job moves.

city guide

Beijing visa and immigration lawyers

Local counsel layer when exit-entry bureau practice is material.

Local context

Add the city when the bureau practice changes.

Exit-entry processing and local file practice vary after the national status question is identified.

Open city and province guides

Counsel hand-off

Need immigration counsel?

This hub organises status questions. It does not grant permits, decide overstay outcomes or replace the employing entity’s filings.

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