A job offer does not by itself establish permission to work or a right to remain in China. Build your timeline with the employer and the authorities handling the work permit and residence permit for your case.
Confirm the route before travel
The State Council guide to working and living in China describes the work-permit and Z-visa route and says the employer files through the foreigner work-permit service system. Ask the employer which route applies to you, who will file, and what visa or entry document you should use. Do not assume a short-stay or visa-free entry authorizes employment.
Put the dated steps on one page
- Ask HR for the work-permit application status, the responsible local work-permit authority and its current document checklist.
- Ask HR to identify the visa or entry route and the earliest lawful work date for your case.
- If your visa requires a residence-permit application after entry, confirm the filing deadline with the local exit-entry authority. The NIA residence-permit guide says that such an application must be filed within 30 days after entry.
- For a work-type residence permit following entry with a Z visa, the NIA guide lists the work permit and an employer certification letter among supporting materials. Ask the local exit-entry office which additional documents apply and when the work permit must be ready.
- Record the visa, work-permit and residence-permit expiry dates separately. Ask HR and the two responsible authorities when extension applications should begin; do not wait until the last day.
When a step is delayed
Ask HR which application is pending and which authority has it. For a work-permit issue, contact the local work-permit authority through HR; for a residence-permit issue, contact local public security exit-entry administration. If any current permission is approaching expiry, get case-specific instructions from that authority before changing travel or work plans.
The order is not a discretionary choice by an employer. It depends on the legal entry and work route, and the NIA explicitly requires work-permit evidence for the Z-visa work-residence application. Confirm your exact sequence rather than applying a generic timeline.