Hub: Expat status hub · Change employer · Overstay · IIT departure · Visa flagship.
The employer must usually apply to cancel the Work Permit within about 10 working days after employment ends. You then go to Exit-Entry to change or cancel the work-type residence permit. Many cities issue a stay visa of about 30 days so you can pack, exit, or finish a new sponsorship — local practice varies, so do not treat 30 days as a national statute. You may not work for the old or a new employer in that gap. Dependents usually fall with the main permit. Missing the stay window is an overstay problem. A ready new sponsor is a change-employer file, not a reason to skip cancellation.
At a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Does the job end kill my status? | The Work Permit is employer-specific. Cancellation starts the residence change. |
| Who cancels the Work Permit? | Usually the employer, about 10 working days from the end date. |
| Can I use the leftover Z-visa dates? | No. Printed expiry is not a work licence after cancellation. |
| How long can I stay? | Often a ~30-day stay visa after residence is cancelled. Confirm your city. |
| Can I work while job-hunting? | No. New work needs a new Work Permit. |
| What about my spouse and children? | Dependent residence usually falls with the main applicant. |
| Employer refuses a release letter? | Document the end date and escalate; do not wait in silence. |
| Is this the same as changing employer? | Related clocks, different page — use the transfer guide for the new sponsor SOP. |
Scope and legal framework
This page covers foreigners whose China work ended by resignation, termination, or a company that stopped sponsoring. It does not replace the change-employer SOP or the overstay penalty map.
Exit and Entry Administration Law (work and residence themes). A foreigner who works in China must hold the prescribed work authorisation. The employer is the sponsoring unit. When the employment relationship ends, the status file has to be closed or rewritten — it does not float.
Work-permit service rules (SAFEA / local FAST windows). If employment ends, the employer shall generally apply to cancel the Work Permit within 10 working days. If the employer has been dissolved, the foreigner may need to apply to cancel. Unauthorised departure has a separate publicity path — do not use it as a planning tool.
Residence-permit change practice (PSB Exit-Entry). Changes to a work-type residence permit are reported at Exit-Entry. After cancellation, officers commonly convert remaining stay into a short stay visa. The number of days is a local administrative practice, not a single Civil Code article.
Practical workflow
- Get the written end date, 离职证明, and the cancellation application you must sign.
- Diary the employer’s ~10-working-day cancel duty. Chase in writing if they stall.
- Book Exit-Entry as soon as the Work Permit cancellation certificate exists (or as local officers instruct).
- If a new employer is ready, switch to the transfer sequence — still no work in the gap.
- If you are leaving China, treat IIT/social-insurance close-out as a parallel file (departure clearance).
- Move dependents on the same week: school letters, tickets, their residence cards.
Common mistakes
- “I still have five months on the visa.” The sticker is not a floating work permit.
- Starting the new job on Monday while the old permit is still being cancelled.
- Waiting politely while HR “forgets” to cancel — you then cannot transfer or get a stay visa cleanly.
- Ignoring the spouse card until the school emails you.
- Overstaying to finish a handover instead of asking for a stay visa or leaving.
Action checklist
- Write down the last working day and keep the labour contract and termination paper.
- Sign the Work Permit cancellation form; ask for the cancellation certificate number.
- Do not start work for anyone else until a new Work Permit is issued.
- Book Exit-Entry; ask whether you will receive a stay visa and for how many days.
- If transferring, send the new HR the cancellation certificate the day you have it.
- Line up dependent cards, lease, and school in the same week.
- If exiting, start IIT/bank/lease close-out immediately.
- If HR stalls, escalate in writing and ask counsel about the local cancel-without-employer path.
Find a China visa & immigration lawyer
Cancellation fights, stay-visa timing and transfer sequencing are immigration files. The verified Visa & Immigration listings below are live DJ Classifieds profiles.
