Problem-solving guide · policy checked September 29, 2026
Do not apply for a Z visa until the China-side work document is ready
What this page solves
Z visa · Work
This page is the working path. Prepare the real files, request missing documents, clear the readiness conditions, jump to the problem you are facing, and use the official owner only for the final authoritative step.
Resolved here: what route to use, what to get, who to ask, what to say, what “done” looks like, and what to do when something goes wrong. Still external: a school/employer/inviter issuing their document and the authority accepting the final application.
Start from the difficulty you are facing
Which problem is stopping you?
A contract alone is not the published Z supporting document. Ask the employer which official work authorisation route they are using.
Open the full solution →Problem 02My work is 90 days or lessCheck the start date and permitted work period on the short-term work document.
Open the full solution →Problem 03I am entering first and planning to convert laterDo not assume a tourist/business entry can substitute for the work route.
Open the full solution →Problem 04After entry, what next?Check whether your Z visa requires a residence permit within 30 days after entry.
Open the full solution →Not listedMy situation is differentDescribe the blocker and generate a precise bilingual clarification request instead of guessing.
Describe my problem →Interactive resolution tool
Generate the China-side work-document request
This is not an airport problem. The useful form is a pre-application request that forces the employer to name the actual work-authorisation document and dates.
Ready to use
Your message
01 · Solve the difficulty first
Pick the exact problem and follow it until the blocker is cleared
The image is only a quick scene cue. The main content is the resolution path: immediate action, wording in the current interface language, escalation, and a clear finish condition. Staff-language wording is available only when you ask for it.
01Problem 01
My employer only sent an employment contract
First move: A contract alone is not the published Z supporting document. Ask the employer which official work authorisation route they are using.
A contract alone is not the published Z supporting document. Ask the employer which official work authorisation route they are using.
China-side employer HR or the person handling the foreign work-authorisation process; responsible Chinese mission only after the work-support document is ready.
Your passport identity, employer name, role, employment dates, employment contract, and every China-side work document already issued.
“I have the employment contract, but I still need the China-side document used for the Z application. Please send the Work Permit Notice or tell me which published Z supporting document applies.”
我已经有劳动合同，但Z签证申请还需要中国境内用于工作许可/工作签证的正式文件。请发送《外国人工作许可通知》或明确告诉我这个岗位适用哪一种官方Z签证支持文件。
If the employer cannot provide the named China-side work document, stop the visa submission. Ask employer HR / the work-authorisation handler which published Z supporting route is being used; only continue when that document is issued or the route is explicitly changed.
Resolved when the correct China-side work-supporting document is issued, its dates match the job, and the Z application can be submitted under that route.
02Problem 02
My work is 90 days or less
First move: Check the start date and permitted work period on the short-term work document.
Check the start date and permitted work period on the short-term work document.
China-side employer HR or the person handling the foreign work-authorisation process; responsible Chinese mission only after the work-support document is ready.
Your passport identity, employer name, role, employment dates, employment contract, and every China-side work document already issued.
“My work period is under 90 days. Please confirm the permit/certificate start date and the exact period I am authorised to work before I submit the visa.”
我的工作期不超过90天。请确认短期工作许可/证明上的起始日期、结束日期以及我被批准工作的准确期间，再让我提交签证。
If the employer cannot provide the named China-side work document, stop the visa submission. Ask employer HR / the work-authorisation handler which published Z supporting route is being used; only continue when that document is issued or the route is explicitly changed.
Resolved when the correct China-side work-supporting document is issued, its dates match the job, and the Z application can be submitted under that route.
03Problem 03
I am entering first and planning to convert later
First move: Do not assume a tourist/business entry can substitute for the work route.
Do not assume a tourist/business entry can substitute for the work route.
China-side employer HR or the person handling the foreign work-authorisation process; responsible Chinese mission only after the work-support document is ready.
Your passport identity, employer name, role, employment dates, employment contract, and every China-side work document already issued.
“This trip includes employment duties. I need to enter under the correct work route rather than rely on a tourist or business entry and change status later.”
这次行程包含实际受雇工作。我需要从一开始就使用正确的工作和Z签证路线，不能先用旅游/商务身份入境后再假设可以转换。
If the employer cannot provide the named China-side work document, stop the visa submission. Ask employer HR / the work-authorisation handler which published Z supporting route is being used; only continue when that document is issued or the route is explicitly changed.
Resolved when the correct China-side work-supporting document is issued, its dates match the job, and the Z application can be submitted under that route.
04Problem 04
After entry, what next?
First move: Check whether your Z visa requires a residence permit within 30 days after entry.
Check whether your Z visa requires a residence permit within 30 days after entry.
China-side employer HR or the person handling the foreign work-authorisation process; responsible Chinese mission only after the work-support document is ready.
Your passport identity, employer name, role, employment dates, employment contract, and every China-side work document already issued.
“My Z visa has been issued. Does my visa require me to apply for a residence permit within 30 days, and which local exit-entry office handles my address?”
我的Z签证已经签发。请确认我入境后是否需要在30天内办理居留许可，以及应由哪个当地出入境窗口和雇主流程办理。
If the employer cannot provide the named China-side work document, stop the visa submission. Ask employer HR / the work-authorisation handler which published Z supporting route is being used; only continue when that document is issued or the route is explicitly changed.
Resolved when the correct China-side work-supporting document is issued, its dates match the job, and the Z application can be submitted under that route.
Problem not listed?
Describe the blocker and turn it into a precise clarification request
Use this when your case does not match the scenarios above. The goal is not to guess the answer — it is to ask the responsible owner for the exact missing condition, document or route.
02 · Prepare the files
Get the actual documents ready
The real-world photo above shows the task context. The cards below tell you what each file is for and what to check. Example PDFs are secondary references only — not official templates.
Your current travel documentBasic identity / travel document.
Match employer and permit notice records.
Use the same passport or travel document you will actually present for the trip. Check the expiry, document type and identity details before using any booking or invitation made from it.
Chinese employer / work-authorisation processOne of the official Z supporting routes is required.
Confirm applicant, employer, work period and issuing authority.
Ask the China-side employer which published Z-visa supporting route they are using and obtain the actual work-authorisation document before you submit the visa application.
I have the employment contract, but I still need the China-side document used for the Z visa application. Please send me the Notice for the Work Permit for Foreigners, or tell me which published Z-visa supporting document applies to my role and the exact work period shown on it.
03 · Ready-to-proceed gate
Do not continue until these conditions are actually true
This is not a generic task list. It is the final readiness gate: each checkbox means one real blocker has been removed. If a box is still unchecked, that tells you exactly what is still missing before you submit, travel, or rely on this route.
Stops you from moving forward with a route that still has an unresolved document, date, category or owner confirmation.
Only tick a row after the named result exists in your hands or has been confirmed by the responsible party.
When every row is ready, the page has reduced the problem to the one external step it cannot perform for you: the authoritative application or admission decision.
Readiness result
You still have unresolved conditions
Unchecked rows are not reading reminders. They are the exact document, date, category or owner confirmations that still block you from safely moving on.
04 · Final authoritative step
Now open the official owner with a specific job to do
You should already know the visa route, files and problem you are resolving. These links are for the authoritative rule / application step — not for restarting your research from scratch.
Use the Z Visa section and its residence-permit note.
Submit after the China-side work document is ready.