The Work Permit is a legal document from the foreign expert supervision department of the employer. This document means the holder has the legal right to work in China as a foreign expert.

It also allows the holder to apply for a ‘Z’ visa, Foreign Expert Certificate, and residence permit.

The Foreign Expert Certificate offers proof that the holder is working in China as a foreign expert. It is required in order to obtain a residence permit.

Applications for a Foreign Expert Work Permit and Foreign Expert Certificate can be handled by:

The State Foreign Expert Affairs Administration

Foreign expert affairs bureaus at the provincial level, autonomous region, municipalities directly under central government administration, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Foreign Expert Affairs Office

And - by certain ministries and commissions, and corporations under the administration of the State Council