Work-permit timeline · Change employer · Job loss · Overstay · Status hub.
An M (business) visa is not work authorisation. Providing labour or holding a de facto job for a China entity usually is illegal employment under Exit-Entry Law Arts. 41 and 80 — including “unpaid help” at your own WFOE, consulting invoices, or overseas payroll while you sit in a China office. Short negotiations with no roster can still be business travel; a week at a desk should be treated as work. The legal path is a Foreigner’s Work Permit plus work-type residence, not another M extension. Already doing it: stop, then use the timeline — do not add overstay on top.
At a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| Can I work on an M visa? | No. |
| Board meeting? | Usually still travel if it stays a meeting. |
| Own WFOE unpaid? | Still work if you are doing the job. |
| Invoice from HK? | Does not convert the stamp. |
| Who is fined? | You and the host company. |
| How to regularise? | FWP + residence — timeline page. |
Scope and legal framework
Exit and Entry Administration Law Art. 41. Work in China requires the prescribed work permit and corresponding residence. The authorisation is employer-specific.
Same law Art. 80. Illegal employment can bring fines and, in serious cases, detention for the individual, plus separate penalties for the entity that used the labour.
Practical workflow if you are already on the ground
- Stop the job-like activity this week.
- Do not “fix it” by extending M.
- If a China employer will sponsor, start the Notification / FWP / residence sequence — usually from outside or via a lawful in-country conversion if status allows.
- If the job already ended, use job loss, not another M story.
Common mistakes
- Installing equipment for six weeks on M.
- Managing WeChat groups of China staff as “HQ support.”
- Assuming unpaid = legal.
Action checklist
- Write what you will do each day of the trip.
- If it looks like a job, do not board on M.
- Host company: no desk, no badge, no payroll.
- Already working: stop + counsel + permit track.
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