FAQ
The questions people actually ask us — answered the way we'd answer a friend. If your question isn't here, just email us. The assessment is free, and so is the honesty.
For a clean, complete file: typically 4–8 weeks from document readiness to the Work Permit Notice, plus 1–2 weeks for the Z-visa and the residence permit after arrival. The real variable is document readiness — degree authentication alone can take 3–6 weeks if you start from zero. Anyone quoting a fixed number of days before seeing your file is guessing.
Category B (the standard route) requires 60+ points from salary, degree, experience, age, and Mandarin level — or a direct qualification like a bachelor's degree plus 2 years of relevant experience. Many people who assume they don't qualify actually do, and vice versa. This is exactly what the free assessment is for: send us your profile and we'll score it honestly.
Yes. Once your work-type residence permit is issued, your spouse and children under 18 can apply for S1/S2 dependent visas and then dependent residence permits. You'll need legalized marriage and birth certificates — start those early, they're a common bottleneck. Note: a dependent permit does not allow your spouse to work; they'd need their own work permit for that.
Your work permit is tied to your employer. Changing jobs means cancelling the old permit and applying for a new one — it's a transfer process, not starting from zero, but it must be sequenced correctly or you can fall out of status. Plan the timing before you resign, not after.
This is a grey zone, and we'll tell you the grey truth: there is no visa category designed for it. Tourist visas don't permit it, and enforcement is inconsistent but real. If you plan to live in China long-term, the compliant paths are a China-registered employer, your own WFOE, or dispatched employment structures. We'll lay out the honest trade-offs of each.
Not legally for most work permits — though HSK levels add points under the scoring system. Practically, it matters for daily life far more than for paperwork. Some roles (teaching, certain licensed professions) have their own language or credential requirements.
Typically your highest degree and your criminal record check, plus marriage/birth certificates if family joins you. Since China joined the Apostille Convention in 2023, documents from member countries need an apostille instead of consular legalization — faster and cheaper. Requirements vary by issuing country and by the local bureau reviewing your file; we confirm the current standard before you spend money on the wrong process.
If you work in China, China IIT applies — with a six-year rule on worldwide income that matters for long-term residents. Social insurance enrollment is mandatory in most cities, though some nationalities are exempt under bilateral agreements. We're not a tax firm, but we'll flag the issues and point you to a proper tax adviser when your case needs one.
No — and distrust anyone who does. Decisions belong to government authorities, and policies shift without notice. What we guarantee is different: accurate information, a correctly prepared file, honest timelines, and a refund structure that reflects the work actually done. That's the only honest deal on the table.
We're registered in Shanghai and know its bureaus best — that's our home turf. For other cities we can still run your diagnostic and strategy, and we'll tell you plainly when local handling matters enough that you need someone on the ground there instead.