Foreigner’s Work Permit (外国人工作许可证)
The single work authorisation for foreigners in mainland China, issued in three categories ranked by points and salary.
The categories are not types of visa. They are tiers of the same permit, and the tier decides how long you get, whether your family can come, and whether you can ever reach permanent residence. The trap is assuming the tier is fixed at entry. Every renewal re-tests you against the current local thresholds, so a salary that kept pace with inflation but not with the local average wage can drop you from A to B, or B to C, mid-career.
Programme snapshot
| Item | Current rule |
|---|---|
| Main audience | Foreign professionals with a Chinese employer willing to sponsor |
| Route family | Skilled work |
| Validity | A: up to 5 years. B: 1 year, up to 2 in some cities. C: 1 year or the assignment |
| Stay per entry | Tied to the residence permit issued after entry, up to 5 years |
| Threshold | A: 85 points or 6x local average wage (Beijing RMB 859,464/yr, 2026). B: 60 points or 4x (Beijing RMB 572,976/yr, 2026). C: under 60 points or quota-bound |
| Renewal | Annual or multi-year, re-tested against current thresholds |
| Settlement | Switch-required. A permit is a status, not a settlement |
| PR clock | 4 years at the required seniority, 3 of them in China |
| Citizenship clock | None |
| Family | A and B: S1 visas for spouse and minor children. C: rarely granted |
| Local employment | Yes, sponsor only |
| Tax headline | Salary taxed to 45 percent. The six-year rule governs foreign-source income: worldwide tax from the seventh consecutive resident year, reset by 30 consecutive days abroad |
| Processing | 15 to 40 working days for notification and card, then a Z visa abroad, then a residence permit |
The three categories
| Category | Points | Salary route, Beijing 2026 | Reality |
|---|---|---|---|
| A, high-end talent | 85 of 100 | RMB 71,622/month | No age limit, which makes it the only work route over 60 |
| B, professional talent | 60 to 84 | RMB 47,748/month | Bachelor’s plus two years relevant experience. Age 60 ceiling |
| C, other personnel | Under 60 | No national floor | Quota-bound, no PR credit, dependants rarely granted |
Points cover salary, education, experience, age, years in China, language and qualifications.
Application flow
- The employer confirms its foreign work permit registration and quota.
- The employer files the notification with the local Science and Technology Bureau, with the authenticated degree and experience letters.
- On approval, apply for a Z visa abroad on the notification.
- Enter, complete the medical, collect the permit card and residence permit, then register with the tax authority.
Good fit
A professional with a real role at a company that already employs foreigners and has done the registration work. A senior executive or scientist whose employer will document the salary, since Category A has no age limit.
Poor fit
Freelancers, contractors, and anyone paid partly by an offshore entity, because salary is measured on base pay from the contracting entity. Anyone over 60 without Category A credentials, or whose prospective employer has no work permit quota.
Watchpoints
- The salary test is on base pay only. Bonuses, allowances and tax-exempt benefits are excluded, and this is where most applications fail.
- Renewals re-test you against today’s threshold. The six times wage route has been enforced strictly in Beijing and Shanghai since mid-February 2026, and the minimums rose nearly 50 percent in one step.
- The degree must be authenticated. By a Chinese mission, or by the awarding country’s embassy in China. A notarised copy is rejected.
- The age 60 ceiling is now real. Enforced for new applications in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Dalian and Qingdao since 2026, and renewals for over-60 holders are city-specific. Plan the PR application before 58.
- Category C builds nothing. Years on it count for nothing at the PR stage.
Sources
- Shanghai municipal government, foreign talent work permit thresholds for 2026, opened 2026-10-22
- KPMG, Global Mobility flash alert 2026-087, secondary
- Clark Hill, February 2026 Asia-Pacific immigration recap, secondary
- China Briefing, work permit categories A, B and C, secondary
Last updated 2026-10-22.