Status hub · Change employer · Job loss · 24-hour registration · Flagship.
Do not start work for the China entity until the Foreigner’s Work Permit exists and residence is being handled on time. A typical overseas hire is: employer obtains a Notification Letter → consulate Z-visa → enter China → collect the Work Permit card → apply for a work-type residence permit (often within about 30 days of entry) → complete 24-hour police registration. Already in China? That is usually an in-country conversion, not a Z-visa story. Class A/B/C changes documents and difficulty, not the legal order. Family members need their own residence file. Working on an M or L visa is illegal employment.
At a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Is a Z-visa enough to work? | No. It is an entry visa. FWP + residence complete the status. |
| Can they start remote from a hotel? | Not for the China employer if they are already here without a permit. |
| How long? | Clean A/B files: weeks to a couple of months end-to-end. City and documents dominate. |
| In-country already? | Often skip the Z-visa if current stay can convert. Job change = 转聘 page. |
| Family on the same card? | No. Dependents are a parallel residence application. |
| 30-day residence clock? | Common practice after Z-entry. Missing it becomes overstay. |
Scope and legal framework
Exit and Entry Administration Law Art. 41. Work in China requires the prescribed work authorisation and corresponding residence. A visa label is not a substitute.
Work-permit administration (SAFEA / MOST + local FAST). Notification Letter, Work Permit card, and employer account on the Service System for Foreigners Working in China. Class A/B/C is a classification, not a waiver of the sequence.
Residence-permit practice. After Z-entry, apply to convert to a work-type residence permit within the window Exit-Entry states (commonly about 30 days). Then stay on that card, not on the expired Z sticker.
Practical workflow
- Stand up the employer account and a real job description that matches Class A/B/C.
- Collect Apostilled degree and criminal record; medical if the window still wants it.
- File Notification (overseas) or in-country FWP (if status allows).
- Enter on Z if required; collect the FWP card; diary the residence deadline.
- Register the address within 24 hours. Family files run in parallel.
Common mistakes
- Starting the China job on an M or L visa.
- Treating the Z-visa expiry as the work clock.
- Name mismatches across diploma, CBC and passport.
- Forgetting 住宿登记 the night they land.
Action checklist
- Decide overseas vs in-country track.
- Score Class A/B/C against the live table.
- Apostille degree + CBC; book translation.
- Do not issue a start date before FWP issuance.
- Diary residence + police registration the day of landing.
- Open dependent files the same week.
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