The approval time for applying for a Chinese work visa (Z visa) usually ranges from 1 to 4 weeks, but the specific duration may be affected by various factors, such as the processing efficiency of the applicant’s country, embassy or consulate.
The general process for applying for a Z visa is as follows:
Invitation letter: employers or recruiters need to provide foreigners with an invitation letter to prove the purpose, job position, working hours and other relevant information of their work in China. The invitation letter usually needs to be certified by the local Foreign Affairs Bureau or the Human Resources and Social Security Bureau;
Material preparation: foreigners need to prepare a series of application materials, including passports, completed application forms, recent bareheaded photos, work experience certificates, education certificates, medical certificates, etc. Some materials may need to be translated into Chinese and notarized;
Application submission: foreigners will submit the prepared application materials to the Chinese embassy or consulate in their country for application and pay the corresponding visa application fee;
Visa approval: The embassy or consulate will review the application materials;
Visa receiving: Once the visa is approved, foreigners can go to the embassy or consulate to receive a visa, and then enter China.
For R visas (which require high-level foreign talents and urgently needed specialized talents in China), due to the relatively complex processing procedures and stricter application requirements, more supporting documents such as honor certificates, scientific research achievements, etc. are generally required, and the approval time may be relatively long, which may take several months to complete.
It is recommended to plan the time in advance and prepare the corresponding materials according to the requirements.
