For a foreigner work in China, need to apply the China work permit and work visa. As the new policy start from 2017, now become not easy to apply – more documents required and stricter for approval, some of the documents are very trouble to get, such as legalized diploma and Non-criminal report. There’s a quit big change of the policy since 2017, for the different approval officer in different cities, they have different understanding of the new policy, this making different requirements for the application documents. In Shanghai, there’s 24 branch bureaus in charge of each area application.

Because of the new policy, people always get confused of the Z visa and work visa, they are actually different.

For a normal new application process, you have to go by these steps:

1. Work Permit Notice -> 

2. Z Visa -> 

3. WorkPermit Card -> 

4. Working Visa (Resident Permit for work purpose)

The normal Z visa we are talking about is just a step during the whole process. After getting the Work Permit Notice, you need to go out China and apply the Z visa from the China Embassy in your country(or Hongkong), you need to enter China with the Z visa and apply Work Permit card and work visa(Resident Permit) within 30 days, as the Z visa is a temporary visa for you to enter China and it’s only valid for 30 days.

The work visa we are talking about is the Resident Permit(For Work Purpose) which we finally want.

However, to help foreigner work in China faster and easier, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou issued new policy and allow applicant to apply work visa without Z visa, Shanghai have the shortest process:

If applicant in China:

1. Work Permit Card -> 

2. Work Visa (ResidentPermit)

If applicant outside China:

1. Work Permit Notice -> 

2. L/M/X/Z Visa -> 

3. Work Permit Card -> 

4. Working Visa(Resident Permit)

Or

1. Work Permit Notice -> 

2. L/M/X/Z Visa -> 

3. Work Visa(Resident Permit) -> 

4. Work Permit Card

For application in Beijing and Guangzhou:

1. Work Permit Notice -> 

2. L/M/X/Z Visa -> 

3. Temporary Work Visa (3 months Resident Permit) -> 

4. Work Permit Card -> 

5. Work Visa(1 year)

However, for the new application in other cities of China, the Z visa is a must step.

Other topics you may interested:

Why Class A Work Permit is much better than B and C?

How Fresh Graducates apply China Work Permit

Some New Work Permit Policy Start from March 2018

China Improve Visa Exemption Policy for Hainan Free Trade Port

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