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.
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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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Changing Employers in China Without Leaving the Country
A job change in China is not a transfer of an existing permit. The old permit is canceled, a new one is issued to the new employer, and the residence permit follows. Done in the right order, most professionals can change jobs without leaving China. Done in the wrong order, the gap becomes illegal employment.
China Work Visa for New Graduates: Can You Qualify Without Experience?
The standard China work permit asks for a bachelor's degree plus two years of experience. A new graduate has the degree but not the years. There are three lawful ways around that gap in 2026: the C-class graduate quota, a local master's or doctoral waiver, or a B-class points assessment. Each has a different eligibility test and a different risk of running out of quota.
China Work Visa Requirements: The 2026 Document Checklist
Most China work-visa delays are not caused by the embassy. They start earlier, in the employer's work-permit notification, where one unauthenticated degree or an expired police certificate can reset the clock by a month. This checklist separates the three filing stages so you can see what is needed, who provides it, and how long each document stays valid.
How Long Does a China Work Visa Take? The 2026 Timeline
Plan for two to four months from first document to residence permit. The filing itself is not the long part; authentication, appointment availability, and one missing certificate are. This is the timeline employers and candidates should put in the offer letter, with the statutory limits and the realistic buffers separated.
What the Five-Star Card Lets You Do — and What It Doesn't
Most descriptions of the Five-Star Card list benefits without the boundaries. That produces two opposite mistakes: holders assume they have become Chinese citizens, or they assume the card is just a prettier residence permit. It is neither. It is indefinite residence with work rights and a broad identity function, and it stops well short of nationality.
Renewing or Replacing a China Permanent Resident ID Card
A Five-Star Card expires; the permanent residence status behind it does not, unless it is cancelled. That distinction solves most of the anxiety around renewal. The card is a document with a validity period. Replacing it is an administrative step, not a new application, provided the holder has not lost the underlying status.
Five-Star Card vs Work-Type Residence Permit: Which Do You Need?
A work-type residence permit and a Five-Star Card can look similar in daily life: both are cards, both carry an ID number, and both can be shown at a bank or a hotel. They are not the same status. One is a time-limited permission tied to a purpose, often an employer. The other is indefinite residence with work rights built in. Choosing between them is mostly a question of timing, mobility, and how much renewal risk you want to carry.
Z Visa vs Work Permit: What Each China Document Actually Authorizes
A Z visa is an entry visa. A work permit is an authorization to work. A work-type residence permit is the status that lets you stay. Confusing the three is the most expensive mistake in China employment compliance, because the window between them is where illegal work begins.
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