Work Visa
New Work Visa Legislation
To standardize the management of the China Work Permit and to attract talented workers, China is going to issue a new work permit system which classifies the applicants by a points-based system. It will classify the foreign talent pool into Top Talents ‘Group A’, Professional Talents ‘Group B’ and Non-technical workers ‘Group C’. The new policy will not affect expats who are currently working in China – however, if they apply for a visa extension, the new legislation will apply.
A trial period of the new policy began in November 2016 for selected pilot jurisdictions, including Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Anhui, Guangdong, amongst others and will be implemented nationwide beginning April 2017.
What to expect
The Alien Employment Permit (AEP) and the Foreign Expert Permit (FEP) will be consolidated into one Work Permit Card. Under the current rule the two types of Work Permits are managed by two separate Bureaus, both with different standards, criteria and systems. By consolidating the two Permits, China aims to unify the standard of application and for the government’s management and control of the same applications.
Talent Pool classification table
- Type A: High Level Talents
- Talent Points ＞85
- Type B: CommonTalents
- Talent Points 60-85
- Type C: Common Applicants
- Talent Points ＜60
| Options | Standards | Points |
| Direct Qualification | Be selected to national Talent Plan or international acknowledged professional contribution standards | – |
| Be in the encouraged industry or position | – | |
| Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent and excellent young talents | – | |
| Annual Salary (CNY) | ≥450,000 | 20 |
| 350,000 – 450,000 | 17 | |
| 250,000 – 350,000 | 14 | |
| 150,000 – 250,000 | 11 | |
| 70,000 – 150,000 | 8 | |
| 50,000 – 70,000 | 5 | |
| ＜50,000 | 0 | |
| Education | Doctor or equivalent | 20 |
| Master or equivalent | 15 | |
| Bachelor or equivalent | 10 | |
| Related Working Years | For ≥2, 1 year=1 point | Highest=15 |
| 2 years | 5 | |
| ＜2 | 0 | |
| Annual Working Time (Months) | ≥9 | 15 |
| 6 – 9 | 10 | |
| 3 – 6 | 5 | |
| ＜3 | 0 | |
| Chinese Level | Chinese related majoy bachelor or equivalent | 10 |
| HSK 5 Class | 10 | |
| HSK 4 Class | 8 | |
| HSK 3 Class | 6 | |
| HSK 2 Class | 4 | |
| HSK 1 Class | 2 | |
| Working Area | Western China | 10 |
| South East China | 10 | |
| Middle or poor area in China | 10 | |
| Age | 18 – 25 | 10 |
| 26 – 45 | 15 | |
| 46 – 55 | 10 | |
| 56 – 60 | 5 | |
| ＞60 | 0 | |
| Graduation | Graduated from a World-Top 100 university | 5 |
| Work in World-Top 500 companies | 5 | |
| Encouraged Points from Provincial Government | Shortage talents of local social and economic | 0-10 |
