Family · 03 Editorial guide
Family & dependents
Dependent status follows the principal. Do not treat family entry as a free-standing work route.
First job Identify the principal’s status before assuming a family member can stay or enter.
Start here
Key considerations
The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.
- Whose status is the family member depending on?
- Is that principal’s stay currently lawful?
- Is the family question entry, stay, or school/work?
Direct answer
What this page decides
02
A family or dependant immigration plan begins with the principal person's exact entry, work and residence status. For each relative, confirm the legal relationship, age or dependency facts, passport and current location, then map the requested visa, stay or residence route. Do not assume that relationship status grants work authorisation or that the principal's approval automatically extends to family members. This page prepares the application record; the competent authority decides eligibility, documents, duration and conditions.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| What status does the principal actually hold? | The available family route may depend on the principal's valid permit and residence record. | Collect the current visa, work permit and residence documents. |
| How is each relationship proved? | Civil-status records may require a complete authentication and translation chain. | List every certificate, issuing authority, translation and prior name. |
| What will the family member do in China? | Accompanying, study and employment are separate activities. | Map the intended activity before choosing an application route. |
| Is anyone already in China? | Current status, expiry and local registration can change sequencing. | Record entry dates, current permission and the next deadline. |
Scope
What this page owns — and what it does not
Practical workflow
Action, evidence, legal gate, output
| Action | Documents / evidence | Legal gate | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fix the principal record | Passport, visa, work permit, residence permit and sponsor records | Confirm validity and consistency | Principal-status sheet |
| Build the family file | Marriage, birth, adoption or dependency records and translations | Confirm names and document chain | Relationship evidence index |
| Map each applicant | Passport, location, current stay, intended activity and timing | Separate entry, residence, study and work questions | Applicant route matrix |
| Prepare lifecycle dates | Application receipts, registrations, expiry dates and change events | Coordinate principal and family renewals | Filing and renewal calendar |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Principal's complete status record | Anchors the family route | Principal, employer and authorities | Planning relies on an expired or different status |
| Civil-status and dependency evidence | Proves the claimed relationship | Applicants and issuing authorities | Names, dates or authentication steps conflict |
| Applicant travel and stay history | Shows present position and deadlines | Each family member | A current-status issue is discovered after filing |
Common failure points
Where files usually break
Assuming dependant residence includes permission to work.
Starting translation or authentication before checking the required document chain.
Renewing the principal without coordinating family expiry dates.
Decision map
Keep the question bounded.
- Name the principalThe permit or residence the dependent would follow.
- Name the family factSpouse, child, and what they need to do in China.
- Keep work separateA dependent category is not a work permit.
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.
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
Bring every applicant's passport and travel history, the principal's visa, work and residence records, employer or sponsor papers, marriage and birth or dependency evidence, translations and authentication, current local registrations, intended activities and all expiry dates.
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 guidesCounsel 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.
Find immigration 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.