Advice for the owner (shareholder) of the company in shanghai:
shanghai government welcome foreign investment here, and they encourage expats establish their own business. If you are the owner (shareholder) of the WFOE, you can apply the China work permit and work visa with less paperwork (especially without the bachelor degree or the working experience) at beginning, but when you renew your work permit and visa, they will check your company income (to make sure that your WFOE is running for real business but not only for a visa sponsorship), normally there are 2 official ways to prove your company has income:
1. Company VAT tax receipt
2. Invoices (Fapiao) record which your company issued to your clients
shanghai government welcome foreign investment here, and they encourage expats establish their own business. If you are the owner (shareholder) of the WFOE, you can apply the China work permit and work visa with less paperwork (especially without the bachelor degree or the working experience) at beginning, but when you renew your work permit and visa, they will check your company income (to make sure that your WFOE is running for real business but not only for a visa sponsorship), normally there are 2 official ways to prove your company has income:
1. Company VAT tax receipt
2. Invoices (Fapiao) record which your company issued to your clients
For the startup company, the Chinese government has the preferential tax policies, if your company income is less than 30,000RMB/month, it’s no need to pay the VAT tax. But 0 VAT tax is NOT equal to 0 income. You can show the invoices (Fapiao) record which your company issued to your clients before to prove your company has income.
(PS: The subject of the invoices has to accord with your company business scope.)
FAQs of the work permit & visa rules for company owner (shareholder):
Q:My WFOE is very small, I don’t have the Chinese Employee, and will that affect my work permit and visa renewal?
A:No, that’s not affect if you have above proofs to prove that your company is running for real business.
(PS: The subject of the invoices has to accord with your company business scope.)
FAQs of the work permit & visa rules for company owner (shareholder):
Q:My WFOE is very small, I don’t have the Chinese Employee, and will that affect my work permit and visa renewal?
A:No, that’s not affect if you have above proofs to prove that your company is running for real business.
Q:I registered my WFOE with a virtual address and I don’t really have an office address, I always work at home, will that be a problem for my work permit and visa application?
A:No, that’s not a problem if your company is running for real business.
Q:How long period tax receipt or invoices record the government would like to check?
A:For the past 12 months.
Q:My client pay me through Wechat / Alipay, they never ask for a Fapiao. What should I do?
A: You should issue the invoice (even they don’t ask for), and declare the income legally. So your company will then have the official proof.
A: You should issue the invoice (even they don’t ask for), and declare the income legally. So your company will then have the official proof.
Q:Is there a minimum amount of monthly income my company need to reach to have my work permit and visa renewed?
A:Until now, it’s no limitation of that.
A:Until now, it’s no limitation of that.
Q:Can I just issue some invoices when I am doing my work permit and visa renewal?
A:No, if all invoices date is close to the date when you submit your work permit application, the government will not consider its true, and they will reject it.
给外国投资人（股东）的一些签证建议：
A:No, if all invoices date is close to the date when you submit your work permit application, the government will not consider its true, and they will reject it.
给外国投资人（股东）的一些签证建议：
中国政府欢迎合法的外国投资者，他们鼓励外国人在上海设立自己的公司。如果你是外资公司的投资人（股东），你可以轻松的获得长期的中国工作许可证和中国工作签证（特别是在申请材料方面，免去了学士学位和工作经验的硬性要求）。但是你也必须对你的公司负责，在申请工作许可和签证延期的时候，政府机关会检查你的公司收入状况（以确保你设立公司的目的是真实的为了创业，而不仅仅是为了办理签证）。通常情况下，有以下2种合法文件可以证明公司的收入状况：
1. 公司的增值税税单
2. 公司过往开具给客户的发票底单
1. 公司的增值税税单
2. 公司过往开具给客户的发票底单
对于小微企业，政府机关会给予税收优惠，如果公司每月的收入小于30,000元/月，则无需缴纳增值税，但是增值税=0不代表公司的收入=0。这个时候，就需要公司提供过往的发票底单来证明公司是有正常收入的。
(PS:发票的主题必须符合贵公司的业务范围。)
下面是一些关于投资人办理工作许可和签证的《常见问题》汇总：
(PS:发票的主题必须符合贵公司的业务范围。)
下面是一些关于投资人办理工作许可和签证的《常见问题》汇总：
Q:我的公司目前规模很小，并没有聘用中国雇员，这样会不会影响我的工作许可和签证的申请？
A:不会，只要你有以上的公司的合法收入证明就可以。
Q:我公司注册的时候使用的是虚拟地址，我一直在家里办公，这样会不会影响我的工作许可和签证的申请？
A:不会，只要你有以上的公司的合法收入证明就可以。
A:不会，只要你有以上的公司的合法收入证明就可以。
Q:我公司注册的时候使用的是虚拟地址，我一直在家里办公，这样会不会影响我的工作许可和签证的申请？
A:不会，只要你有以上的公司的合法收入证明就可以。
Q:政府机关会需要提供多少时间的公司收入证明？
A:过去12个月的
A:过去12个月的
Q:我的客户会通过微信或者支付宝转账到我私人账户，他们没有要求我提供发票，怎么办？
A:即使你的客户没有要求你公司提供发票，只要是公司的收入，你就应该开具相应的发票留底，并合法申报这些收入，因为这些发票都是你公司合法收入的凭证。
A:即使你的客户没有要求你公司提供发票，只要是公司的收入，你就应该开具相应的发票留底，并合法申报这些收入，因为这些发票都是你公司合法收入的凭证。
Q:有没有规定说公司的收入达到每月多少金额，才能符合办理工作许可和签证的条件？
A:截止到目前，没有相关的限制。
A:截止到目前，没有相关的限制。
Q:我能不能只在办理工作许可和签证的时候才开具一些发票来证明我公司的收入？
A:当然不可以，如果发票的时间和你签证的申请时间接近，政府机关会非常怀疑你的动机和公司真实的运营状况，这样会大大增加拒签的概率。
A:当然不可以，如果发票的时间和你签证的申请时间接近，政府机关会非常怀疑你的动机和公司真实的运营状况，这样会大大增加拒签的概率。
