Insights
China entry and global residency, explained without the guesswork
Each guide answers one decision, states the rule that governs it, and links to the official source. Written for employers, foreign professionals, investors, and families relocating across jurisdictions.
China Work Visa and Work Permit
Z visa, work permit classes, timelines, transfers, and rejection risk.
Explore the cluster →China Permanent Residence and the Five-Star Card
Five-Star Card eligibility, routes, applications, and renewals.
Explore the cluster →Setting Up and Running a Foreign-Invested Company in China
WFOE setup, structure choice, capital, banking, and compliance.
Explore the cluster →China Business Visas and Short-Term Entry
M/F visas, visa-free travel, PU letters, and 90-day work rules.
Explore the cluster →Global Residency and Citizenship Planning
Golden visas, digital nomad routes, talent schemes, and CBI.
Explore the cluster →All guides
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China's Regional Visa-Free Entry Rules for Business Travelers
China runs six regional visa-free entry schemes, and a new notice published on 20 August 2026 sets out where each one applies and how long you can stay. As of November 2026, most of these routes are for tour groups, not individual business travelers. Hainan is the main exception for short business visits.
China Allows Online Registration for Foreigners Outside Hotels
As of November 2026, foreign nationals staying anywhere other than a hotel in China can complete their mandatory accommodation registration online, following a nationwide rollout that took effect on September 21, 2026. The rule still requires registration within 24 hours of check-in, but the process can now be done through the National Immigration Administration's website or its 12367 app and mini
China Five-Star Card: 2026 Eligibility Guide
China's Five-Star Card is not a points-based immigration program with one score. It is a set of statutory routes, each with its own age, residence, income, or investment test. Most applicants who fail do not fail the headline test; they fail a detail underneath it, such as a break in residence, an employer that does not qualify, or a tax record that does not match the salary claimed. This guide maps each route to the evidence that decides it.
How to Apply for China's Green Card: Documents, Filing and Timeline
The six-month decision period starts when the application is accepted, not when you decide to apply. Between those two moments sit the health certificate, the police clearance certificate, the authentication of foreign documents, the translation, the appointment, and the counter check. Most of the elapsed time in a China green card application is spent before the clock starts.
China Permanent Residence Routes: Employment, Investment, Family and Talent
The question is rarely whether you want China permanent residence. It is which route your facts can actually support. Two applicants with the same job and the same salary can end up on different routes because one has a clean four-year tax record and the other has a qualifying senior title. This guide compares the routes on the tests that decide them, not on the marketing summary.
China Permanent Residence for Spouses of Chinese Citizens
The spouse route looks simple on paper: five years of marriage, five years in China, nine months a year. In practice it is decided by the exit-entry record. A couple can be married for eight years and still fail the residence test because one year included a four-month stay abroad. This guide separates the marriage test from the residence test and shows how to prove both.
China Work Visa for Teachers: Requirements and Rejection Risks
Teaching is a major category of foreign employment in China, and its work-permit files are often refused for document mismatches rather than for a lack of teaching ability. The usual fault line runs between the job description, the degree, the teaching certificate, and the employer's registration — four documents that must tell the same story.
China Work Permit Classes A, B and C Explained
China does not have one work permit. It has three classes, and the class determines the documents, the processing speed, the permitted duration, and whether the applicant can work past 60. Class is not a prestige label; it is the legal route the file travels through, and choosing the wrong one is a common reason for refusal.
China Work Permit Denied: Causes and What to Do Next
A refusal is rarely a verdict on the candidate. It is usually one document that does not match the rule the file was filed under. The first step is to identify which stage refused the file, because a work-permit refusal and a Z visa refusal have different remedies and different clocks.
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