Work Visas in China (also called Z visa or residence permit now) are issued to foreigners who want to apply for employment.
The foreigners working in China are divided into 3 categories:
1. Class A (Talent - encourage),
2. Class B (Specialty - control),
3. Class C (Normal - restrict).
All of the categories have different requirements with A to be the hardest to obtain and normally for a work visa you have to reach at least Class C to be able to apply your FWP and working residence permit.
-However, there is good news for business owners in China: if you are the shareholder of the Chinese company (legally registered in the business license as a shareholder), and your company is a well-reputed taxpayer, then you don’t need to provide any documents like Bachelor degree or 2 years working experience etc., you still can obtain the work permit and work visa with less paperwork.
-An option for students who just graduated is to apply for a new business startup visa piloted in select districts in Shanghai. This visa is valid for one year and can be extended and transferred to a work permit once your company is established. Even before your business is established, the new startup visa will allow you to conduct market research, business development, staff recruitment, lease searching, initial company setup procedures, etc.
To learn more about visa application process and requirements as a business owner, please contact us.