Update China Visa Rules And Work Visa Policy in Shanghai

24th Mar 2017, Based on the new “Foreigner's Work Permit” (FWP) policy. Now it takes about 15 working days to renew the work permit, plus 7 working days for the residence permit renewal. It's total 22 working days (before it's only 12 working days). If your employer didn't register in the new system, it will take extra 5 working days for online account registration. So 310 Consulting suggest all my clients start your work visa renewal application with us at least 45-60 days before your visa expiring.

17th Mar 2017, Important Notice 1: From 23rd March 2017, the new “Foreign Work Permit” policy will start in Shanghai. Every company needs to register a new account in the new system. It takes at least 5 working days. To avoid any delay, please contact with your consultant of  310 Consulting for the introduction of new system registration (Your company can start to register now!)

Important Notice 2: From 23rd March 2017, the new “Foreign Work Permit” system will start in Shanghai (much complicate paperwork than before). All old system will be shut down. If you have already gave your paperwork to 310 Consulting, please co-operate with your consultant to make sure it will be submitted into government before 23rd March. If you will do your work permit application later after 23rd March, then please re-check with us again for the new requirements.

26th Feb 2017, To attract more foreign talent work in Shanghai, now the Shanghai government release the work visa policy further for fresh graduated foreign student, even they didn't have 2 years working experience (the minimum requirement for China working visa before), if they reach following conditions, they can still apply the working permit and visa here in shanghai directly (more details, please check it with our visa consultant):

1. Have a Bachelors or higher diploma (Issued from any university in shanghai and graduated within 1 year)
   
2. Employed by a company registered in Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) or Zhang Jiang high technology park.
3. Healthy and None-criminal record

16th Oct 2016 (update again on 18th April), Shanghai as an experimental unit, will start the new “Work Permit” policy from November 2016, then from 1st April 2017, the whole China will take affect. According to new policy, the old “Alien Employment Permit” and old “Foreign Expert Certificate” will combine to one named “Foreigner’s Work Permit” (FWP). The foreign expert bureau will taking charge of it.
The new policy will divide the foreigner who works in China into 3 categories. Class A (Talent - encourage), Class B (Specialty - control), Class C (Normal - restrict), How to determine?
Class A (if you meet the condition of either one below):

1. Selected by China talent import plan
2. Internationally recognized rewards
3. Scarce jobs encouraged by Chinese government
4. Innovative and Entrepreneurial Talent
5. Selected by the Youth-Talent project
6. Personal comprehensive quality - score >85 points, score sheet below:

Class B (your job must be one open for foreign expat), and then you have to meet the condition of either one below:

1. You have Bachelor or higher degree and 2 years full time related work experience.
2. You have Bachelor or higher degree and Your salary is equal or over 26,100 RMB/Month (the government will check your income tax receipt next year)
3. For foreign language teacher in China, you should have Bachelor or higher degree and 2 years full time teaching experience, and you can only teach your native language. If your major is Education, Language or Teaching or if you have recognized TEFL certificate, then 2 years full time teaching experience can be exempt.
4. Personal comprehensive quality – score 60-84 points, score sheet above

Class C (number of employee has limitation) and it’s inlcuing:

1. Foreigner who came to China based on governments agreement
2. Internship based on government agreement (F.E. French intern 1000)
3. Foreign maid who will come to China and serve for Class A
4. Some seasonal job on border of China that is approved by Chinese government

To apply the “Foreigner’s work permit” (FWP), you need to apply the “Foreigner’s work license”(FWL) first, It takes about 20 working days all together.
Checklist for applying the FWL:

1. Application form
2. Working experience letter
3. Applicant’s highest degree (Authenticated by the Chinese Embassy / Consulate, or Authenticated by the foreign Embassy / Consulate in China, or notarized by a local notary public in applicant's home country)
4. Applicant’s police clearance (issued by your home country local police department or security department or notary public or Consulate in China is all ok)
5. Health certificate
6. Employment contract
7. Other qualifications if you belongs to class A

If you belong to class A, then you will have following benefit:

1. No age limit and no working experience required.
2. Applicant no need to provide any original documents before you come to China
3. No need to provide official police clearance (using letter of commitment instead)
4. Have express service, processing time save 50%
5. If applicant belongs to class A, list 1 (Selected by China talent import plan), most of documents can use letter of commitment instead.

Magic’s (from VisaInChina.com) comments and suggestion:

1. Most of foreigner’s work permit belongs to class B, no preferential policy
2. If you have the work permit (old system), you can get at least class B work permit (new system) for sure.
3. You should start to get your highest education degree (Authenticated by the Chinese Embassy / Consulate, or Authenticated by the foreign Embassy / Consulate in China, or notarized by a local notary public in applicant's home country)
4. You should start to collect your country police clearance (issued by your home country local police department or security department or notary public or Consulate in China is all ok)
5. Make sure you provide your personal information and document accurately, because in the nearing future, the whole China will using 1 system and all the information is connected, so any mistake or inaccurate information will cause a huge consequence problem in the future.

1st Sept 2016, Shanghai government stop issuing official "Letter of Invitation"(LoI), it means right now, if the Shanghai company wants to invite foreigner coming to China for commercial activity (M visa), they only need to write the Letter of Invitation by themselves. And no need to apply it through the government.

17th July 2016, According to the new policy from Shanghai Labor Bureau, for the new working visa application, you are request to provide original 2+ years working reference letter instead of the copy.

1st May 2016, To attract more foreign talent work in Shanghai, now the Shanghai  Labor Bureau provide a preferential policy for fresh graduated foreign student, even he/she didn't have 2 years working experience (the minimum requirement for China working visa before), if they reach following conditions, they can still apply the working permit and visa here in shanghai directly (more details, please check it with our visa consultant):

1. Master degree or higher degree (Obtain from the university in shanghai)
   
2. Employed by a company registered in Shanghai Free Trade Zone (FTZ) or Zhang Jiang high technology park.
3. Skill certificate suitable for his job

14th April 2016, According to the latest policy, the Labor Bureau requires every company to apply a user card if they want to hire foreign employee. It takes extra 5-15 working days. To avoid any delay in the future, we suggest every client apply it as soon as possible. More details about how to apply it, please check it with our visa consultant.

1st Feb 2016, Foreigners come from 51 countries who transit (destined for a third country or region - HK, Macau, Taiwan with booked a through air ticket) in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang within 144 hours (6 days) are exempted from visas for China. 

20th Jan 2016, Shanghai entry-exit bureau request foreigners who got the new passport transfer their old visa to new passport within 1 month (count from new passport issue date), If you don't do that, you will be requested to show up when you renew your next working visa and you will face a warning or small penalty. (it might also affect your long-term visa application in the future, for example, 5 years working visa or green card application) 

11th Jan 2016, For the working permit renewal, According to the new announcement from the labor bureau, it will take 5 working days instead of 3 working days. So, we remind all of our clients, please submit your working visa renewal application (Service code: Z1 Service) at least 6 working days before it expires.

9th Dec 2015, For the employee from HK, Macau or Taiwan, when you apply the working permit here in shanghai, you don't need to provide the health certificate anymore. Before it cost about 700RMB and takes 4 working days to get the health report, but right now, it's really convenient for the people from HK, Macau and Taiwan to work in shanghai.

1st Nov 2015, According to the new rules from the shanghai labour bureau, if you are working in the company as a GM or vice GM, you don't need to provide Company's Articles of Association (AOA) and the assignment contract signed by board of directors.

1st Oct 2015, According to the immigration regulation, If you quit your current company A and join a new company B, after we submit your new Alien Employment permit (with company B), you need to give up your former residence permit of company A and change it to a 1 month 0 entry M visa immediately to avoid the illegal employment, it will cost extra money and time.

1st July 2015, New Shanghai visa rules to be implemented. According to that, it will have a lot of advantage and innovation for the long term residence permit and the permanent residence permit (China green card) . We will keep updating our website focus on those changes if we get more information, feel free to refer to your friend if it helpful. Following are some changes in practice we just get confirmed:

• If foreign expat work in shanghai continuously for 4 years, every year stay in China over 6 month. Your salary is over 600,000RMB per year and you paid your incoming tax for 120,000RMB per year, with no criminal record in your home country, then you can apply permanent residence permit (China green card or we called D visa);
• If you work for the company which has the valid high-tech certificate , you can apply for the talents residence permit (R visa) for 5 years, after you continuously work for the company over 3 years, then you can apply the permanent residence permit (China green card);
• Above 2 kind of foreign expat, can personally hire a foreign maid (ayi) and support the maid (ayi) to get a same length personal affairs residence permit (S1 visa);
• For the university (in China) fresh graduated foreign student, if you plan to invest in Shanghai or open your own business in shanghai, you can apply 2 years personal affairs residence permit (S1 visa) until your business established.
• For a normal foreign employee, you can apply the Z visa without leaving the country, this is very good since it can save a lot of money and time. (310 Consulting  need to double confirm when it will take effect);
• For a normal foreign employee, after 2 years continuous working in shanghai with a working visa, if you don't break any China immigration laws and regulations, you can apply 5 years long term working residence permit. 

25th June 2015, From 1st July 2015, Taiwanese can enter mainland China with visa free, they just need to carry the valid TaiBaoZheng (in English: Mainland Travel Permit for Taiwan residents - MTP). More details of visa free policy for Taiwan residents: 

5th March 2015, China has a new rule (no.78 Rule) start from Jan 2015, especially for foreigner who comes into China to finish a short term work (less than 90 days). In that rule, it determines which kind of situation count as a short term working and what situation count as a short term business. Right now we can only see an outline of that rule, more details about how to process the short term working visa, it's still under discussion (VisaInChina will focus it and keep update). According to the rule:

Which situation count as a short term working? (less than 90days)

• Foreigner comes to Chinese Co-operation Company to finish some technical, scientific research, management or guidance job
• Foreigner comes to Chinese sport club/organization to have a trial (including coach and athlete)
• Foreigner comes to China for a film shooting (including advertisement film and documentary film)
• Foreigner comes to China for a fashion show (including model)
• Foreign performance (for commercial performance)

Which situation does NOT count as a short term working? (less than 90days)

• Mechanical after sales team come to China to repair, install, maintain, remove, guidance, training (Apply M visa)
• Bid Winner come to China to do the project guidance, supervision, checking (Apply M visa)
• Foreigner from head office goes to shanghai branch, representative office to have some short term work (Apply M visa)
• Foreigner comes to China to attend the sports event, including coach, athlete, team doctor, assistant etc. (Apply M visa)
• Foreigner comes to China work as a volunteer (Apply F visa)
• Foreign performance (for non-commercial performance) (Apply F visa)