Matters about Foreigners' Work Permits in China

Requirements for Application
(I) Basic requirements for employers
1. Lawfully established without grave illegality or discredit record; employ foreigners for special needs by some posts which don't violate related national regulations, and domestically, lack appropriate candidates for the time being; the wage paid to the foreigners employed shall not be below the local minimum wage.
2. Obtain prior approval from competent industry authorities if stipulated by laws and regulations.
(II) Basic requirements for applicants
1. The foreigners shall be at least 18 years old and physically healthy without criminal record. Required to possess professional skills and corresponding knowledge necessary for their work, they shall have found employers in China.
2. The jobs they do shall be in line with China's needs for economic and social development. The foreigners shall be professionals urgently needed in China.
Types of and standards for foreigners' work permits in China
A Type
(I) Foreign high-end talents
Mean scientists, top high-quality and rare technological talents, international entrepreneurs and special talents who are in line with market demand and orientation and necessary for economic and social growth of China, as well as those talents who satisfy the points standards for foreign high-end talents. The foreign high-end talents may not be subject to the limits upon age, educational background and work experiences.
B Type
(II) Foreign professional talents 
Mean the foreigners who come to work in China to offer guidance in terms of catalogues and job requirements, who are talents urgently needed for economic and social development and not older than 60, with Bachelor's Degree and above and at least 2 years of related work experiences; the limits on age, educational background or work experiences may be appropriately loosened for those foreigners who conform to the standards for innovation/entrepreneurship talents, talents with special skills, excellent foreign graduates, point-based foreign professional talents, or execute inter-governmental agreements if truly necessary.
C Type
(III) Other foreigners
Mean other foreigners who satisfy the demand of the domestic labor market and comply with national policies, identified as Class C. They mainly include: foreigners who conform to the current management rules on foreigners' work in China; foreigners doing temporary and short-term jobs (for no more than 90 days); personnel subject to quota management such as young foreigners coming to China for internship based on inter-governmental agreements, foreign students studying in China and foreign graduates from overseas institutions of higher learning who satisfy the specified conditions, as well as foreigners engaged in distant-water fishing or other special fields.

Procedures for obtaining foreigners' work permits in China