Work · 01 Editorial guide
Work authorisation
Work authorisation is a linked sequence of employer sponsorship, work permit or notification, entry visa, residence and employment compliance. These are connected controls, not one document or a substitute for the labour file.
First job Separate work authorisation from the labour contract and from residence.
Start here
Key considerations
The first questions are about urgency, governance and preservation — before collection expands or interviews begin.
- Which China entity will employ and sponsor the person, and for what role and location?
- What is the current work-permit, notification, visa and residence status?
- Is the person already in China, changing employer, or starting from abroad?
Direct answer
What this page decides
02
China work authorisation is a sequence rather than a single permit: the China employer and role must be identified, the work-permit or notification route completed, the appropriate entry basis used where required, and residence and local registration maintained. A visa or residence document does not by itself authorize a different employer, role, location or start date. Employer changes, expiry, cancellation, dispatch, secondment and work performed for another group entity can create separate filing and compliance issues. Keep the labour contract and employment dispute file distinct from the immigration file, and verify current local authority requirements before travel or work starts.
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 |
|---|---|---|
Scope
What this page owns — and what it does not
Practical workflow
Action, evidence, legal gate, output
| Action | Documents / evidence | Legal gate | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| Confirm China employer, role, location, qualifications, salary and assignment structure. | Sponsor and role record | ||
| Assemble employer, qualification, health, contract and authority documents for the applicable work route. | Work-authorisation file | ||
| Sequence visa, entry, accommodation registration, residence appointment, permit collection and lawful start. | Entry and stay calendar | ||
| Track employer, role, location, passport, expiry, cancellation and renewal events before they occur. | Change-control checklist | ||
| Separate labour, wage, dispatch, social-insurance and termination issues while preserving consistent immigration records. | Immigration/employment decision log |
Common failure points
Where files usually break
Array
Array
Array
Array
Array
Array
Array
Decision map
Keep the question bounded.
- Fix the sponsor and roleIdentify the China employing entity, work location, role, qualifications, salary, assignment structure and any group-company or dispatch arrangement.
- Separate the authorisation filesReconcile work-permit or notification, entry visa, residence permit, employment contract, social insurance and any employer-change or cancellation step.
- Control start and stayEntry is not the same as lawful work or residence. Calendar filing, appointment, entry, registration, residence, renewal and cancellation dates before work begins or changes.
- Handoff the employment overlayRoute wages, contract, termination, secondment, social-insurance and workplace issues to the employment hub while keeping immigration records consistent.
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 immigration status control room
National map for visas, work permits, residence layers, change calendar and exit risk.
China work visa (Z visa)
Requirements and process for the work-entry visa, distinct from the work permit.
Work permit document checklist
Employer and individual documents commonly needed for a work-permit file.
Employment & labour hub
Keep the labour contract and workforce file on the employment hub; immigration is a connected control.
Helpful to prepare
Facts that make the next conversation clearer.
These items are orientation aids, not a legal requirement list.
Evidence file
Preserve the record before the forum is chosen.
This is a preparation prompt, not a finding that any item is admissible or required.
- China employer licence, invitation/sponsorship and role/location records
- Passport, qualification, health, police-clearance and application documents
- Work-permit or notification, visa, residence and accommodation-registration records
- Employment contract, assignment, dispatch, social-insurance and payroll records
- Renewal, employer-change, cancellation, expiry and authority correspondence
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.