Working in China: permits, jobs and the honest version

The old site ran a jobs board — employer listings, job alerts, the lot. The board is gone, but the questions in its inbox never changed: how do I work legally, what jobs actually exist for foreigners, and how do I avoid the scams? Here are those answers.

The work-permit system in one section

China scores foreign workers into tiers: A (high-end talent — senior researchers, executives, special skills: easiest approvals), B (professionals — the typical degree-holder with two years' experience, or teachers with a degree plus certification), C (temporary/seasonal). The realistic path for most people is B, and it runs:

1. Employer obtains the work-permit notification (they apply, not you — a job offer comes first, always).
2. You gather the documents: apostilled degree and criminal-record check (see the notarization guide), medical form, CV, photos.
3. Z visa from the Chinese embassy with the notification letter.
4. Within 30 days of arrival: work permit card, then residence permit.

Where the jobs actually are

• Teaching English — still the volume market. Legal requirements: bachelor's degree, clean record, usually a TEFL/CELTA certificate, and the school must be licensed to hire foreigners — ask to see another foreign teacher's permit.
• Universities — lecturer posts in English-taught programs; lighter pay, generous housing and holidays.
• Trade and sourcing — bilingual traders, QC inspectors and sourcing agents around Guangzhou, Yiwu and the manufacturing belts; the natural progression for people who started as buyers (see the sourcing guide).
• Tech and engineering — real but concentrated in Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, and increasingly hired through formal A/B-tier channels.

The scams, so you recognize them

• "Work on a business/tourist visa while we sort the permit" — the classic. The fines and deportation land on you, not the school. A legitimate employer completes the permit before you start.
• Agencies charging you for the job — employers pay recruiters in China; a "placement fee" charged to the worker is a flag.
• Passport held "for processing" — permits never require anyone to keep your passport overnight beyond official processing windows.

Day-to-day life questions — registration, housing, money — live in the Living in China guide.