China Work Permit and Employment Rules 2025

The process of negotiating the China work permit and employment regulations may be like a complicated maze. The situation has now changed dramatically with the introduction of the K Visa on STEM talent, and the full introduction of China to the Apostille Convention.

The Three Tier Talent Classification System

China has an elaborate points-based system to classify the foreign workers. The level you are in defines how fast you are processed, what you need to be provided with and even how long you are supposed to stay.

Category A (High-End Talent)

• Who they are: Elite scientists, Fortune 500 leaders the world over or those who earn more than RMB 600,000/year.
• The Privileges: They are fast-tracked in the green channel, age restrictions do not exist, and the pre-entry Work Permit Notice does not always need to be filed before entering China.

Category B (Professional Talent)

Is designated to represent the professional talent employees employed in the organization.(Professional Talent) category is assigned to reflect the category of employees who are professionals working in the organization.

• Who they are: This is the most popular group of foreign employees.
• Eligibility: To be eligible, you should have, as a rule, a Bachelor’s degree, 2 years of relevant professional experience, and a 60-84 points score in the official scoring table.

Ordinary/Temporary (Category C)

• Who they are: Entry-level workers, or seasonal workers, such as select government-to-government internship programmes.
• The Reality: These permits are limited and sometimes based on the short-term (less than 90 days) projects.

Critical Visa & Permit Acronyms

There is a certain chain of papers to work legally, and you have to find your way in it. These processes have been transferred to the Foreigner’s Work Permit Management System (electronic) almost completely in the year 2025.

• Work Permit Notice: This is an electronic letter that is to be issued to you prior to your entry into China. This is applied to by your employer via SAFEA (State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs).
• Z Visa (Work Visa): This visa is a one entry visa that lasts 30 days. It is just supposed to get you to China to conclude your work permit.
• FWP (Foreigner Work Permit): Your working license. It is an ID in a credit card size and has a QR code where you can store your employment information.
• Residence Permit (Work): You will have to change a Z Visa to this permit within 30 days of landing. It is stuck in your passport and serves as your multi-entry pass.

2025 Rules of Employment Law/Compliance

The Labor Contract Law of China is among the most pro-employee laws in the Asian region. These are the compliance benchmarks that must be followed by both you and your employer:

• Mandatory Written Contract: Within one month of your start date, you have to sign a written contract. Otherwise, the non-observance of such allows the employee to receive twice the salary during each month of working in the absence of a contract (up to 11 months).

Probation Period Rules:

• 1-year contract: Max 1 month probation.
• 1-3 year contract: Not more than 2 months probation.
• 3+ yr/Open-ended contract: Probation 6 months max.

Registration: Every foreigner is obliged to report his or her temporary residence at the local Public Security Bureau (PSB) or the police station within 24 hours after arrival. This has been and is currently available in many cities through a WeChat mini-program.

Technical Documentation, The Apostille Shift

By the end of 2023 and established in 2025, China has repealed the prerequisite of the Hague Convention of the requirement of double legalization to member states.

• Apostille Convention: Degrees and Criminal Record Checks are also not required to be stamped in Chinese Embassy. Rather, all that is needed is one Apostille sticker represented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of your country.
• Medical Report: You need to have a regular health examination. Although it can be done in a country clinic under specific health care organization, the majority of expats choose to have it done in the local Foreigner Travel Health Center at the time of arrival in China.
• Language Proficiency: Although this is not compulsory, possession of an HSK (Chinese Proficiency Test) certificate will earn you a lot of points under your Category B application.

FAQs

Final Thoughts

The China work permit and employment regulations are now simplified but more online in 2025. Your educational background must match your job description perfectly referred to as verticality a concept that Chinese immigration officials are extremely critical of.

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Disclaimir 

The following article is meant to be informative as well as educative. It is recommended that the readers should not take anything at face value found in unreliable sources, including the official SAFEA portal or the Chinese Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.