Being a foreign worker in China is not always smooth and easy

China is changing so fast – doesn’t every piece written about China begin that way these days? Unfortunately, this also applies to employment regulations for foreign workers in China. When I arrived in Beijing more than a decade ago, it seemed easier to get a job and secure the correct paperwork. However, maybe this is rose-tinted thinking.

Most executives working in China were sent by their company’s head office. Very few management level people found jobs here by other means. Every day we receive many applications from either professionals overseas wanting to come to China, or from those based here whose contracts are finishing and who want to extend their stay. However, we see few openings from our clients for foreign executives.

If you have been sent by a multinational to work in a local office, there should be little or no difficulty getting the correct paperwork from the Chinese authorities.

What about the majority who don’t fall into that senior level category? There are several groups of people that either can’t get (or potentially don’t want) a work visa. People without two years of working experience or a bachelor’s degree, for example, will find it very difficult to gain approval from the Chinese authorities.

I recently met a scientist with a doctorate degree, working for a world-leading research organisation. When her company applied for a work visa for her, she was rejected. The local bureau felt that China has plenty of scientists and therefore didn’t need any from overseas.

In the scientist’s case, the rejection may have been political as her organisation was conducting some sensitive research, but, on the other hand, the organisation hadn’t proved that they couldn’t find a local person who could do that job.