Home > Work Visa

Employment/Work Visa (Z Visa)

Employment Visa (Z Visa) is issued to an alien who comes to China for a post or employment, commercial performance or academic exchanges, and to his/her accompanying family members.

Z visa is usually valid for one entry within 3 months and with no duration of stay (that is 000 day of stay). Holder of Z visa should enter China within the validity of the visa. He or she should go through the formalities for a Residence Permit at a local public security authority within 30 days after entry into China. The period of validity of the residence permit is its holder's duration of stay in China.

Required Documents

1. A valid passport as well as a copy of its information page. Your valid passport must have at least six (6) months of remaining validity and at least one blank visa page in it.
2. Application form: One neatly completed Visa Application Form with genuine information and signature.
3. Photo: one recently-taken color photo of 2x2 square inch glued or stapled on the application form.
4. Visa Notifications Form from an authorized Chinese Unit.
5. Any of the following documents:
   • (1) The original and a photocopy of the Foreign Expert's Working Permit issued by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, the People's Republic of China.
   • (2)The original and a photocopy of the Alien Employment License of the People's Republic of China issued by Ministry of Human Resources and the Social Security.
   • (3) The original and a photocopy of the Letter of Invitation for Foreigners Engaged in Offshore Petroleum Operations in the People's Republic of China.
   • (4) The original and a photocopy of the Registration Certificate of Foreign Enterprises Permanent Office in China issued by the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the People's Republic of China, or the original and a photocopy of the Certificate of Approval of Foreign Enterprises Permanent Office in China issued by the Ministry of Commerce of People's Republic of China.
   • (5) The original and a photocopy of the Confirmation of Worker Appointed by the Government of the Sending State issued by the Bureau for External Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China.
6. Accompanying family members shall provide proof of kinship, e.g. marriage certificate, birth certificate, etc, instead of document for work permit.
7. First time applicant whose former nationality was Chinese, shall write down his Chinese name in the application form and submit his original Chinese passport and the photocopy of the information page of the passport. Applicant, who was formerly Chinese and has acquired a new US passport, if there is a Chinese visa in the old passport, shall submit his old US passport or the photocopy of the Chinese visa. If the name in the new passport is different from that in the old one, official document for name change should be provided.
8. Non-US citizens who want to apply visa need provide the original and a photocopy of certificates for permit for residence, work, study or valid US visa.
9. Besides the documentations mentioned above, other documentations might be required by visa officers in order to decide whether to issue the visa case by case.