Move to China
China visa, stay permit, residence permit and work permit explained
Explainer
A visa, a stay permit, a residence permit and a work permit answer different questions. Do not treat them as four names for the same immigration status.
The useful way to read your situation is to separate entry, lawful stay or residence, and permission to work. You may need only some of these documents, and the sequence depends on why you are in China, your sponsor or employer, and the authority handling the case.
01
Four documents. Four different questions.
| Document | Main question it answers | Typical issuing stage | Main authority route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | On what basis may I seek entry or use this visa for the stated purpose? | Usually before entry, with some in-China visa matters handled later by exit-entry authorities | Chinese visa-issuing authority / responsible mission or visa centre; NIA/local exit-entry for certain in-China visa matters |
| Stay permit | On what basis may I remain in China for a limited stay when a stay permit is the applicable document? | In China | National Immigration Administration / local exit-entry administration |
| Residence permit | On what basis may I reside in China for the approved purpose? | In China | National Immigration Administration / local exit-entry administration |
| Work permit | Am I authorised under the foreign-worker system to take the employment covered by the permit? | Employer-led work-authorisation process | Foreigners' work-permit authority; local implementation varies |
This is a function map, not a process template. Not every foreign visitor needs all four documents. A tourist does not follow the same chain as a foreign employee, student or family member.
The dates and conditions printed on your own documents matter more than a generic example. Read them together with the current official guidance for your route.
03
Read each document for the function it actually performs
A document should be read for the function it actually performs.
A visa can support entry for the purpose stated, but the visa label does not by itself answer every post-entry question.
A stay permit is an in-China immigration document used in circumstances covered by the NIA stay framework. It is not another name for a residence permit.
A residence permit records an approved basis for residence. Residence permits can be purpose-specific, so do not infer employment rights merely from the word “residence”.
A work permit belongs to the employment-authorisation system. China's Exit and Entry Administration Law separately states that foreigners who work in China must obtain work permits and work-type residence permits in accordance with the relevant regulations.
That last distinction matters. A person can hold an immigration document that permits presence in China without that document, by itself, authorising the work they intend to perform.
If you are unsure, ask two questions instead of one: What allows me to remain? What allows me to do the activity I plan to do?
04
Use typical journeys only to understand dependencies
Examples help if they are treated as conditional.
A work journey
A foreign employee may have an overseas visa stage, an employer-led work-authorisation stage and a work-related residence stage. In Shanghai, the work-permit authority and exit-entry administration publish separate routes.
The point is not to memorise one sequence. The point is to see that the employer's work-authorisation task and the immigration residence task are not interchangeable.
A longer study journey
A student may use a study visa to enter and then, when the applicable route requires residence after entry, complete a study-related residence process with the responsible exit-entry authority.
The school may own admission or supporting documents, while the immigration authority owns the residence decision.
A family journey
A family member may enter under a family-related visa route and, for a longer residence case, later deal with a residence-permit process. The correct family route depends on who the sponsor is and that person's status in China.
These are illustrations, not promises. Your visa category, intended duration, sponsor and local handling authority determine what actually applies.
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