Working Visa for China for a recent graduate moving to Shanghai

Expert Info

Posted by

on 7 Dec 2012

hi, i am a fresh graduate from college. my father is working in shanghai and he is processing my mother's dependent visa so she could stay there for long. i would like to work there, too. is it necessary for an expat to have a working experience before coming to china? i mean, are there gonna be some problem if i apply for working visa here in my country if i don't have working experience. my father said to me that he will help me find employment there and maybe he can recommend me to the company he's working in. is it illegal for relatives to work there in the same organization? i hope someone will answer my question. thanks!

Anonymous (not verified) on 7 Dec 2012 - 10:08

Hi I was living in Shanghai. You need to have a company to hire you and all the documents will be done by company. It will be very easy to have work permit after.

Anonymous (not verified) on 7 Dec 2012 - 12:44

Hi mynameis,

The best thing for you do to is to secure a job offer before making the move to Shanghai. It is not illegal for you and your father to work at the same company, and ultimatley whether the two of you could work together would be at the discretion of the employer. It would certainly be beneficial to use your fathers contacts to try and secure a job.

To legally work in China expats need to apply for a work visa (Z visa) to enter the country. After you are in China you'll need to apply for an emplyment permit and a residence visa. For this you'll need to have the minimum of a valid passport, and an offer of employment.

While there are bureaucratic backlogs in obtaining work permits, usually the burden is on the employer to get the documents processed.

For more information I recommend you take a read of the Expat Arrival's pages on Work Permits for China and Visas for China.

Best of luck securing a job and the move to Shanghai.

Anonymous (not verified) on 8 Dec 2012 - 07:13

Thank you Shantalie for taking time answering my queries. as i am researching about this issue, i also found a forum/blog in which i got the information that a person who wants to work to china must have 2 years working experience. is it true? because im only a fresh graduate and im not sure if i can really secure a working visa in case. thank you again.

Anonymous (not verified) on 10 Dec 2012 - 06:49

Hi again mynameis,

The job market in Shanghai is very dynamic and fast moving so it is possible to find start-ups that are willing to hire bright young professionals are offer them positions with big responsibilities at entry level.

The Expat Arrivals page on Working in Shanghai will give you a good overview of the city's job market.

However, in most cases it would the jobs that are given to expats tend to be senior management positions for those with lots of experience. So you don't necessarily need two years experience. Ultimately, it will depend on the requirements set by the employer.

You are lucky in that you have a university education. College degrees are required for most jobs in Shanghai.

As I said before, much of your success in Shanghai will depend on who you know. So start networking as soon as possible.

Good luck.

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