Foreign nationals who are seeking employment in China for the first time, if they are not well-versed in the application procedures and required documents for work visas, may encounter unnecessary trouble and even find themselves in an irreversible predicament. Below is a typical case.
外籍人士首次来华就业，若对工作签证的申请程序和所需材料不甚了解，可能会遭遇不必要的麻烦，甚至陷入无法逆转的困境。以下便是一个典型的案例。
Recently, we received a consultation from a foreign senior manager. Since the company had not previously dealt with matters related to foreign employees' visas to China, an assistant was dispatched to handle the matter. Without fully understanding the complexity of the work visa application, the assistant merely followed online application guides and netizen suggestions, submitting some materials that did not meet the application requirements. As a result, the applicant received a warning of illegal work from the Science and Technology Bureau. Under such circumstances, it is highly likely that the applicant will not be able to apply for a work visa again and may face penalties under the regulations of entry and exit administration.
最近，我们收到了一位外籍高级管理人员的咨询。由于公司之前没有处理过外籍员工来华签证的相关事宜，因此派遣了一位助理来负责此事。该助理在没有充分理解工作签证申请的复杂性的情况下，仅仅根据网上的申请指南和网友的建议，提交了一些不符合申请条件的材料。结果，申请人收到了科技局发出的非法工作警告。在这种情况下，申请人很可能无法再次申请工作签证，并且可能面临出入境管理法规的处罚。
01 Notes for Foreign Nationals Applying for a Visa for the First Time
01外籍人员初次办理签证须知
When foreign nationals are employed in China, they must ensure that the positions they hold do not violate the country's relevant regulations.
外籍人士在中国就业时，必须确保所从事的岗位不违反国家的相关规定。
For non-A-level talents, the initial application for a work permit and residence permit is usually valid for one year. Companies should start the renewal application one month before the expiration date (we recommend preparing for renewal at least 2-3 months in advance).对于非A类人才，初次申请的工作许可和居留许可通常有效期为一年。企业应在有效期结束前一个月开始续签申请（我们建议至少提前2-3个月准备续签事宜）。
No company or individual is allowed to hire foreign employees who have not obtained a work permit and residence permit. Therefore, if a company plans to hire foreign nationals, it must immediately apply for a foreigner's work permit and residence permit. Foreign nationals can only legally work for their employer after obtaining a work-type residence permit. As policies gradually relax and become more humanized, the penalties for illegal employment and illegal employment practices also become stricter.
任何企业和个人都不得雇佣未获得工作许可证和居留许可的外籍员工。因此，如果公司计划聘用外籍人士，必须立即着手申请外国人工作许可证和居留许可。外籍人士只有在获得工作类居留许可后，才能合法地为其雇主工作。随着政策的逐步放宽和人性化，对非法就业和非法用工行为的处罚也变得更加严格。
After a foreign national obtains a work residence permit from Company A, they can only work for Company A. If a foreign national wants to switch to Company B, they must immediately go through the change procedures for the residence permit. In actual operations, we often encounter some foreign nationals who think that their residence permit processed by Company A has not expired, or they have not yet found suitable work, so they keep delaying the visa change, resulting in illegal employment when working at Company B. Similarly, if a foreigner finds work while holding a family member's residence permit, they must also immediately change to a work-type residence permit before they can legally work.
外籍人士在A公司获得工作居留许可后，只能为A公司工作。如果外籍人士想要跳槽至B公司，必须立即办理居留许可的变更手续。在实际操作中，我们经常遇到一些外籍人士，他们认为自己在A公司办理的居留许可尚未到期，或者还没有找到合适的工作，因此一直拖延不变更签证，导致在B公司工作时也未能及时变更，这属于非法就业。同样，如果外国人持有家属类居留许可并找到工作后，也必须立即变更为工作类居留许可，方可合法工作。
02 Steps for Foreign Nationals to Apply for Employment Procedures in China
02外籍人士来华就业手续的办理步骤
Follow the basic principle of "qualify first, then issue a visa." Therefore, foreigners must ensure they have the "two certificates" to complete all the application procedures for legal employment in China, as follows:
遵循"先获得资格，后发放签证"的基本原则。因此，外国人必须确保持有"两证"，才能完成在华合法就业的所有申请程序，具体如下：
The steps for foreign nationals to apply for a work visa are as follows:
外籍人士办理工作签证步骤如下：
Entry from abroad (initiate the project at least 3 months before starting work)
A.境外入境（至少入职前3个月启动项目）
Material preparation: Prepare company and personal information, check for omissions and improve, which takes 3-5 working days
资料准备：准备公司、个人资料，查漏补缺、优化提升，需要3-5个工作日
Unit qualification registration: Real-name authentication by the Science and Technology Bureau, registration in the foreigner's work permit system, which takes 3-5 working days
单位资质注册：科技局实名认证，外国人来华工作许可系统注册，需要3-5个工作日
Before entry: Apply for the "Notice of Work Permit for Foreigners in China", which takes 10-15 working days; Apply for a visa (Z VISA or R VISA), which takes 4-7 working days
入境前：申办《外国人来华工作许可通知》，需要10-15个工作日；申办签证（Z VISA 或R VISA），需要4-7个工作日
After entry: Within 15 days, handle the "Temporary Accommodation Registration Form", obtain a medical examination certificate, apply for the "Foreigner's Work Permit", which takes 10-15 working days; Within 30 days, apply for a work-type residence permit, which takes 7-10 working days
入境后：15日内办理《临时住宿登记表》，办理体检证明，申办《外国人工作许可证》，需要10-15个工作日；30日内申办工作类居留许可，需要7-10个工作日
Legal work: Start legal work, purchase social security, etc.
合法工作：入职合法工作，购买社保等
B. Application within the country (initiate the project at least 3 months before starting work)
B.境内申请（至少入职前3个月启动项目）
Material preparation: Prepare company and personal information, check for omissions and improve, which takes 3-5 working days
资料准备：准备公司、个人资料，查漏补缺、优化提升，需要3-5个工作日
Unit qualification registration: Real-name authentication by the Science and Technology Bureau, registration in the foreigner's work permit system, which takes 3-5 working days
单位资质注册：科技局实名认证，外国人来华工作许可系统注册，需要3-5个工作日
Supplementary materials within the country: Handle the "Temporary Accommodation Registration Form", obtain a medical examination certificate, handle the notarization and certification of no criminal record abroad, which takes 4-6 weeks
境内资料补充：办理《临时住宿登记表》，办理体检证明，办理境外无犯罪公证认证，需要4-6周
Before starting work: Apply for the "Foreigner's Work Permit" which takes 10-15 working days, apply for a work-type residence permit, which takes 7-10 working days
入职前：申办《外国人工作许可证》需要10-15个工作日，申办工作类居留许可，需要7-10个工作日
Legal work: Start legal work, purchase social security, etc.
合法工作：入职合法工作，购买社保等
It can be seen that the process for foreign nationals to apply for a work visa is quite complex, involving multiple government departments and the need to be familiar with many laws and regulations. Many clients, due to a lack of relevant experience, submit application materials hastily, and the results are often unsatisfactory.
由此可见，外籍人士申请工作签证的流程相当复杂，涉及多个政府部门，需要熟悉众多法律法规。许多客户由于缺少相关办理经验，草率提交申请材料，结果往往不尽如人意。
03 Preparations that Foreign Employees and Companies Should Make
03外籍员工与公司应做的准备工作
Step one:
第一步：
Firstly, please verify whether your company has completed the initial authentication in the foreigner's work permit system. If not, please contact our professional consultants immediately to obtain a detailed plan and guidance for the work visa application process (we have a professional consulting team that will provide you with personalized application guidance and customized service plans).
首先，请核实您的公司是否已经在外国人工作许可系统中完成了初始化认证。如果尚未完成，请立即与我们的专业顾问联系，以获取工作签证办理流程的详细方案和指导（我们拥有专业的顾问团队，将为您提供个性化的申请指导和定制化服务方案）。
Step two:
第二步：
Secondly, please confirm whether the foreigner about to apply for a work permit has the qualifications to obtain a foreigner's work permit and work visa (whether the foreigner is a Category A, B, or C talent). If you are not sure which category you meet, you can contact our consulting advisors to obtain the corresponding introduction and assessment.
其次，请确认即将办理工作许可的外国人是否具备获得外国人工作许可和工作签证的资质（外国人属于A类、B类还是C类）。如果您不确定自己符合哪一类条件，可以联系我们的咨询顾问，以获得相应的介绍和评估。
Warm reminder:
温馨提示：
The above content is a brief sharing of the types of work permit applications. Applicants should choose the correct application type according to their own conditions to ensure a smoother acquisition of work permits and residence permits, and to avoid applications being returned or rejected due to insufficient personal experience, which will adversely affect the success rate of subsequent applications. If you have any questions before applying, please feel free to contact our customer service team at any time, and we will provide you with more answers and application plans.
以上内容是关于工作许可申请类型的简要分享。申请人应根据自身条件选择正确的申请类型，以确保更顺利地获得工作许可证和居留许可，避免因个人经验不足而导致申请被退回或拒绝，这将对后续申请的成功率产生不利影响。如果您在申请前有任何疑问，欢迎随时联系我们的客服团队，我们将为您提供更多的解答和申请方案。
