Confirming market rumours, China Briefing reports that immigration authorities in Beijing and Shanghai have resumed strict verification of salary-multiplier thresholds for foreign work permits as of early February (china-briefing.com). While the legal benchmarks never changed, they were loosely applied during the pandemic; the IT upgrade now blocks submissions below 6× (Category A) or 4× (Category B) of the local average wage.
Example figures released by the publication put Beijing’s minimum at RMB 71,622 per month for Category A and RMB 47,748 for Category B, with Shanghai slightly higher (china-briefing.com). The system also tightens document rules (PDF-only uploads, no accented characters in names), requires gap-free chronological résumés, and automatically cancels permits that expire mid-process.
![China Re-Enforces Higher Salary Requirements for A/B Work Permits, Says China Briefing]()
Companies and individual professionals who find the new verification hurdles daunting can turn to VisaHQ for end-to-end assistance. The service’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) consolidates the latest regulatory updates, outlines document legalization steps, and lets users submit and track work-permit paperwork online—helping applicants avoid the common rejection triggers introduced by the upgraded system.
Why it matters: expats whose current pay falls under the bar face reclassification or rejection at renewal. Employers must therefore audit all foreign staff, budget salary top-ups, and start renewal files earlier. Over-60 staff on Category B permits—tolerated since 2020—are once again being declined unless they can switch to Category A.
Compliance tips: conduct a salary-gap analysis, align tax filings with any pay rise, and prepare alternative pathways (points-based or talent-programme) to hedge against future threshold hikes.
Example figures released by the publication put Beijing’s minimum at RMB 71,622 per month for Category A and RMB 47,748 for Category B, with Shanghai slightly higher (china-briefing.com). The system also tightens document rules (PDF-only uploads, no accented characters in names), requires gap-free chronological résumés, and automatically cancels permits that expire mid-process.
Companies and individual professionals who find the new verification hurdles daunting can turn to VisaHQ for end-to-end assistance. The service’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) consolidates the latest regulatory updates, outlines document legalization steps, and lets users submit and track work-permit paperwork online—helping applicants avoid the common rejection triggers introduced by the upgraded system.
Why it matters: expats whose current pay falls under the bar face reclassification or rejection at renewal. Employers must therefore audit all foreign staff, budget salary top-ups, and start renewal files earlier. Over-60 staff on Category B permits—tolerated since 2020—are once again being declined unless they can switch to Category A.
Compliance tips: conduct a salary-gap analysis, align tax filings with any pay rise, and prepare alternative pathways (points-based or talent-programme) to hedge against future threshold hikes.
