So, want to stay in China a little longer? Let’s have a look at how to get a China work visa, while still in China. We are going to have a look at your different options, and separate them into a few categories.

A Foreigner’s Work Permit (FWP)

Let’s start with looking at a Foreigner’s Work Permit (FWP), and the qualifications you need in order to get one. To make this a bit easier to see, we have made an infographic to let you quickly look through your different options.

All the information included in this article is from government sources.

The FWP Requirements In More Detail 

Class A

As well as earning an income of 600,000 RMB and over per year, there are several other options that will allow you to get a Class-A visa. This includes being the winner of specific international awards, holding 30% of shares in a business, or having a personal investment in a company based in China of over 500,000 USD. For more specific information on the different levels of a Class-A visa, feel free to check here.

Class B

B1: As shown above in the infographic, B1 requires a Bachelor’s degree as well as 2 years of full-time work experience in a related field. It must be noted that the two years of work experience only count if they were done after the completion of your Bachelor’s degree. Any work experience during or before your Bachelor’s degree will not be counted towards your work experience when applying for a Class-B visa.

B2: The important part of a B2 is the salary being either equal or over 4 times the average of the city in which you live.  If you live in Shanghai, for example, where the current average wage in society is 9,580 per month, you would need a salary of 38,320 RMB or over per month. In a city like Chongqing, you would need to earn 30,036 RMB per month. 

B3: If you want to be a foreign language teacher, this is the option for you. A Bachelor’s degree is necessary, along with 2 years of teaching work experience. However, if you have a TEFL (Teach English as a Foreign Language) certificate, or hold a degree in Education, you do not need 2 years of teaching experience. You do however still need 2 years of work experience.

The most important point here is that you have to be from one of 7 accepted countries to teach English in China. These include:

• The United Kingdom
• Ireland
• The United States of America
• Canada
• Australia
• New Zealand
• South Africa

Here is an article on the need-to-knows for teaching English in China.

B4: This is based on your personal comprehensive quality. Below you will see the score sheet, on which you need to score over 60 points in order to qualify for the visa.

Class C 

Alright, let’s dive some more into Class C.

C1: As we have shown in the infographic above, C1 requires a Bachelor’s degree from a Chinese university within the last 2 years or a Bachelor’s degree from a globally-recognized top 500 university within the last 2 years. A C1 visa can also be issued if you are employed in special zones in China. These include but is not limited to (Here in Shanghai):

• A Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ)
• Zhang Jiang National Innovation Demonstration Zone
• Lingang Special Area
• Hongqiao Central Business District
• Any company included in the Shanghai Sci-tech Innovation Occupation List

C2: Similarly to C1, If you are a graduate within the last 2 years from either a Chinese university or a Top-500 university overseas, with either a Master’s degree or a Doctorate, then you are eligible for a C2 visa. However, it must be noted you must have achieved a score of 80/100, which, for example, according to the UK standard of grading, is equal to that of B/ B+. On top of this, the company you work at needs to be registered in China.

C3: This one is quite specific. If you are a French Intern, part of the 1000 Plan, or a German Intern, part of the DIHK Program. The internship should last 6 months or less.

Qualify for a Foreigners Work Permit (FWP)? 

A quick note here, on the official government website, found here, it is said you cannot apply for a work visa while already in Mainland China. However, we have been in contact with an officer currently working for the government regarding issuing visas, and this has been waived as a result of the pandemic.

So, to emphasize, it is still possible to apply and receive a Work Visa while in Mainland China. 

If you do qualify, best of luck in your job hunting endeavours.

Don’t Qualify for a Foreigner’s Work Permit (FWP)? 

Your next best option would be an S2 visa. This, however, is dependent on if you have family members here in China. Keep in mind that the same message is given about not being able to receive the Visa while in Mainland China, but we can assure you it is still a possibility currently.

So let’s quickly get into what the S2 Visa entails:

The S2 visa is issued to those who wish to visit family members (Keep in mind, if you are already in Mainland China, this visa is still possible),  who are currently either working or studying in Mainland China, as well as those who intend to go to China for other private matters. This visa will last for no more than 180 days. Let’s quickly specify who is considered as ‘family members’:

• Spouses
• Parents
• Sons
• Daughters
• Brothers
• Sisters
• Grandparents
• Grandsons
• Granddaughters
• Parents-in-law

Since you are most likely in China if you are reading this, rather than an invitation letter, you must supply proof of relationship, provided by your embassy. This document should clearly state your relationship with the person who is currently in China.

Hopefully, this information helps in your hunt for a new China visa!