China’s New Point System for Expats

On 9 September 2016, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs published the reform of the current work visa system for foreigners in China. The changes will merge the various regulations for foreign specialists with the normal application procedures. The reform will also replace the current work permit booklet with a small card. Additionally, it implements a grading system, which will rank foreign workers according to their experience and skills.

On 9 September 2016, the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs published the reform of the current work visa system for foreigners in China. The changes will merge the various regulations for foreign specialists with the normal application procedures.

The reform will also replace the current work permit booklet with a small card. Additionally, it implements a grading system, which will rank foreign workers according to their experience and skills. According to the reform plans, foreigners applying for a Chinese work permit will be graded according to a 3-grade point system.

How to get a Grade A Work Visa?

The following table gives you an overview of the required points for a work visa. You need at least 60 points to get a B grade. It is noteworthy that this table might change according to the experiences gathered during the pilot phase.

Please read our article What does China’s new point system for Expats really mean? for further information.

China’s New Work Permit

Although the new permit is supposed to look like a Chinese ID, Chinese labor authorities are obviously struggling to get enough plastic cards. As this sample shows, the Beijing authorities are currently issuing a DIN A4 certificate with a small perforated area of the size of an ID card in the middle. However, the holder cannot detach the card without destroying the picture. Thus, the holder has to carry the whole document, if she or he wants to use it. We hope that, in the future, Chinese authorities will replace this certificate by a more convenient plastic card.

For further information, please contact service@ecovis-beijing.com