According to latest updated from CNN, China is making it easier to access the country for foreigners enter China. So How to get China visa? There is one stipulation: they must have received a Covid-19 vaccine manufactured in China.
If you are outside of China and would like to get China visa to enter China. There are two solutions you are able to make it regarding how to get a China visa:
How to get China visa – Solution I: Apply PU letter
Difficulty level: Very difficult, must be HUGE business project.
Family accompanies: Not available
How to get China visa – Solution II:
Get Chinese vaccine certificate + Valid APEC card or Other Visa that can get access to mainland China
Difficulty level: Depends if you can inoculate Chinese vaccine or not.
Family accompanies: Not available
How to get China visa to get entry China?
Foreigners who are currently outside of China and would like to get entry into China shall apply for a new visa at the nearest Chinese consulate, embassy or visa application center. Base on different purpose for get entry China, type of Visa is also different.
1. Z-Visa, for work in China purpose
If you meet one of the following application requirements, you can apply a Z visa. First, an invitation letter, also called PU letter, and a work permit which shall be applied by your employer in China. Secondly, injected China produced COVID-19 vaccines and get a vaccination certification and a work permit.
2. M Visa, for business trip
M visa can only be applied if you are get an invitation letter (PU letter) or injected China produced COVID-19 vaccines, and obtained a valid APEC business travelling cards.
3. Q1 Visa, for family visit
For applying the Q1 visa, expats shall 1. Injected China produced COVID-19 vaccines and 2. get a copy of relationship proof like the marriage certificate. 3. Get a invitation letter from their family member in China.
It’s possible that the new visa will only be valid for three months. It can change to a 30-day visa upon arrival, during which time you must apply for a new residence permit.
There are around 23 Chinese embassies in the world announced the new visa policies these days related to the Chinese vaccines issues, however, the Chinese vaccines are still not available in most of the countries and regions, including United States and United Kingdom.
Chinese vaccine is only available in limited countries and regions. Below are the current list for your reference.
How to Apply PU Letter?
Obtaining an invitation letter (PU letter) is very essential if foreigners would like to get entry into China. Below you can see the general process to apply for the PU letter in Shanghai:
- Prepare the application information and documents including foreigner’s personal information, job duties, company background etc.
- Send the application information and documents to local Foreign Affairs Office.
- Each local Foreign Affairs Office will verify the information and documents submitted.
- Local foreign affairs will pass the documents and information to Municipal Foreign Affairs Office to do second round of verification.
- The Municipal Foreign Affairs Office will finally make the decision to approve the PU letter or not.
If the PU letter can be issued or not really depends on the background of the foreigners and company. The more important of the foreigner in a company, the easier he or she can get the PU letter, especially the C level or top management expats working for the Fortune 500 companies in China.
Quarantining Requirement in China
All foreigners get entry to China are required to be quarantined in a designated hotel for 14 days. Foreigners will be sent to a hotel assigned by the government directly from the airport. Some of the regions, expats can choose different levels of the hotels.
The hotel cost during the quarantine period are around RMB ¥400–600 per day in the hotel and all the cost shall be undertake by foreigners.
Temporary Solution if foreigners are unable to enter China
Even though there are still possible solutions for foreigners to work in China. However, both of the solutions all not easy to achieved. Considering the business growing, foreign investors can choose a temporary solution to ensure the business continuance in China
1. Hire local Chinese employees instead of foreigners.
China has a big talent pools especially in the tier 1 cities. Foreign investors can base on the job duties to find employee in Chinese job portal easily in China. You can also engage PEO & Employment agency to hire local Chinese employees for you if you don’t have a legal entity in China yet.
If you would like to set up a company in China, you are able to hire local Chinese employees working for you directly. You can use your China WFOE to sign labor contract with the Chinese employees, and handling employee salary calculation and mandatory social security in China for them.
2. Hire foreigners that are already in China.
If foreigners are already in China and hold a valid visa for staying in China. It will be much easier to hire them working for you in China by applying the employer change of their current work visa. However, it is extreme important to ensure such change shall be complete on-time, otherwise, expats have the possibility to leave China.
3. Keep foreigners working abroad.
This solution is not suitable for all the positions. However, if your foreign employees are not required to meet clients, and can work remotely. You can also choose to keep them working abroad.
China border and visa polices are keep on changing and updated base on China and global COVID-19 situation. JSC will keep you updated for the latest polices and regulations to ensure expats can start working in China or go back to China for working quickly.
Frequently asked questions for payroll and hiring employees in China.
No, you do not need.
If you don’t have a company in China, you can hire employees through PEO service through the employment agency in China.
a) Hire employee through the PEO/employment service.
If you don’t have a legal entity in China, this is the only compliance way to have employee working for you in China.
b) Hire employee under WFOE.
If you already set up a WFOE in China, you can sign the labor contract with employees directly. You can either choose to handle their payroll land benefits yourself, or you can choose to outsource.
c) Hire employee under representative office (Ro)
Representative office in China is not allowed to hire employees directly. The only compliance way is hire employees through labor dispatch agency under PEO service
PEO refers to a professional employment organization, in China it’s also called employee outsourcing, labor dispatch. Foreign companies can hire staff in China through a PEO agency without setting up a legal entity in China.
Severance payment in China is based on the number of years employee has worked for the company.
Each full year employee worked for your company, one month salary shall be paid as severance payment.
For the working periods that are less than 6 months, half month salary shall be paid.
If employee’s monthly salary is higher than 3 times local average monthly salary, each year of the severance payment compensated shall be 3 times local average monthly salary.
If employees are in the probationary period, both employee and employer shall give 3 days as notice period for termination.
After probationary period, both employee and employer shall give 3o days as notice period for termination.
If employer need immediate termination, employer shall compensate one month salary.
No, you do not need.
No, You shall have a company registered in China to sign a written labor contract with each of your employee.
In practice, employer will sign a fixed term contract with their employee. However, when it goes to the third time renewal of the contract, then the contract becomes to a permanent contact.
Sign a two years or three years contract is more common in China.
Labor contract in China shall be at least in Chinese, and including but not limited to:
Company details including full name, address and legal representative or person in charge.
Employee details including full name, ID number, address.
Term of the employment contract; (E.g., 2 years, 3 years…).
Position (job title), location(city), working hours, holidays, leaves.
Package: gross salary, bonus, commission, social insurance, other benefits.
Occupational safety, and occupational hazard prevention.
Other terms which laws and regulations required.
You need to set up a company in China and then set up a separate Social Insurance and Housing Fund Account. After the company has been set up, you can contribute the benefits to the employees who have signed a contract with you.
The most popular job portals in China is: Zhaopin.com, Liepin.com, zhipin.com. However, these three job portals only accept a registered company in China.
If you don’t have a company in China, you can search candidates through Linkedin.com or engage a headhunting or recruitment firm to help you search the candidates.
In China, employees’ individual income tax (personal tax) shall be declared monthly by the employer, and yearly by employee themselves.
