China classifies foreign workers into three categories — A, B, and C — based on a points system that evaluates the worker’s qualifications, experience, and contribution to China’s economic and social development. Category A is high-end talent, Category B is professional talent, and Category C is other workers. The category determines the priority of the work permit application, the documentation requirements, and in some cases the maximum duration of the permit.
A foreign company that wants to hire a foreign worker in Category B — the category for most professionals — should understand how the points system works and how to maximize the candidate’s score. A higher score means a stronger application, faster processing, and fewer questions from the work permit authorities.
The Points System
The points system evaluates the candidate on nine factors: annual salary, education level, Chinese language proficiency, relevant work experience, age, time spent in China, graduation from a top university, employment by a Fortune 500 company or equivalent, and additional factors including provincial and municipal government encouragement policies.
The maximum theoretical score exceeds 100 points, but the passing threshold for Category B is 60 points. A candidate who scores fewer than 60 points falls into Category C, or the application may be rejected if the local government’s quota for Category C workers is exhausted.
The points system is not the only way to qualify for Category B. A candidate who doesn’t reach 60 points can still qualify for Category B if they meet the alternative criteria — a bachelor’s degree plus two years of relevant post-graduation work experience, or a master’s degree from a Chinese or foreign university. The alternative criteria are a safety net for candidates who are academically qualified but don’t score highly on the points system.
Salary Points
The salary factor awards points based on the candidate’s annual salary. The salary thresholds are set annually by the government, and they vary by region — a higher salary is required for the same number of points in Beijing and Shanghai than in less developed regions.
The salary is the candidate’s contractual annual salary — the gross salary, before tax and before social insurance deductions — converted into RMB at the prevailing exchange rate. A candidate whose salary is 300,000 RMB per year scores more points than a candidate whose salary is 200,000 RMB, and a candidate whose salary is 500,000 RMB scores more than both.
The salary points are straightforward — the higher the salary, the more points — and they reflect the government’s policy of attracting high-earning foreign workers who contribute to the tax base. A foreign company that can afford to pay a higher salary can improve the candidate’s points score by doing so. But the salary must be real — the salary reported on the work permit application must be the salary that’s actually paid and reported for individual income tax. A salary that’s inflated for the purpose of the points system and underpaid in reality is a compliance violation.
Education Points
The education factor awards points for the candidate’s highest academic degree or equivalent qualification. A doctorate scores the maximum points. A master’s degree scores less. A bachelor’s degree scores the minimum for the education category. A candidate with an associate degree or a high school diploma scores no points for education.
The degree must be accredited by the candidate’s home country’s education authority. A degree from a diploma mill — an unaccredited institution that sells degrees — doesn’t count. The degree must be authenticated — the authentication process involves the Chinese embassy or consulate in the country where the degree was issued, or a designated authentication service — and the authentication certificate must be submitted with the work permit application.
A professional qualification that’s equivalent to a degree — a chartered accountant qualification from a recognized professional body, an engineering license from a recognized engineering institution — may be recognized as equivalent to a degree for points purposes. The candidate should ask the local work permit authority whether a specific professional qualification is recognized before relying on it for points.
Chinese Language Proficiency
The Chinese language factor awards points for the candidate’s proficiency in Chinese, measured by the HSK — the Hànyǔ Shuǐpíng Kǎoshì, or Chinese Proficiency Test. HSK Level 1 is the most basic, and HSK Level 6 is the most advanced. The points increase with the HSK level — a higher level scores more points.
An HSK Level 5 or 6 candidate receives a meaningful number of points. An HSK Level 3 or 4 candidate receives a small number of points. A candidate with no HSK score receives no points for Chinese language proficiency.
The Chinese language proficiency points reward candidates who have invested in learning Chinese, and they’re a significant differentiating factor between candidates who are otherwise similarly qualified. A candidate with an HSK Level 5 and a bachelor’s degree scores more points than a candidate with a master’s degree and no Chinese — the language points plus the lower degree may exceed the higher degree alone.
A foreign company that’s recruiting candidates for a China-based position should consider Chinese language proficiency as a positive factor, both for the work permit application and for the candidate’s effectiveness in the role. A candidate who can communicate in Chinese is more effective in the Chinese business environment, and the points system rewards that capability.
Relevant Work Experience
The work experience factor awards points for the number of years of relevant work experience — experience in the field in which the candidate will work in China. The points increase with the years of experience — more years, more points. A candidate with ten years of relevant experience scores more than a candidate with five years, who scores more than a candidate with two years.
The work experience must be documented. The candidate must provide employment certificates from previous employers that state the position held, the period of employment, and the duties performed. An employment certificate that doesn’t state the duties — “John Smith worked at ABC Company from 2015 to 2020” — doesn’t demonstrate that the experience is relevant to the position. An employment certificate that states the duties — “John Smith was employed as a senior mechanical engineer responsible for the design and testing of automotive transmission systems” — demonstrates relevance.
The work experience documentation is the most time-consuming part of the work permit application. The candidate must contact previous employers — some of whom may have merged, been acquired, or ceased operations — and request the employment certificates. The certificates must be in English or Chinese, or accompanied by a certified translation. The candidate should start collecting the documentation before the work permit application process begins.
Age Points
The age factor awards points for candidates between specified age ranges. The highest points are awarded to candidates in the 26 to 45 age range — the prime working age range that the government wants to attract. Candidates younger than 26 or older than 45 receive fewer points. Candidates aged 60 or older receive no age points and may not qualify for the work permit at all — the age limit for work permits is generally 60.
The age factor is unchangeable, obviously, but it’s useful to know for planning purposes. A foreign company that has a choice between two similarly qualified candidates — one aged 35 and one aged 55 — will have a stronger work permit application for the younger candidate under the points system.
Time Spent in China
The time-in-China factor awards points for the candidate’s prior experience of living and working in China. A candidate who has previously held a work permit in China and has a record of compliance — no violations, no overstays, no illegal employment — scores points for the China experience. The points reflect the government’s recognition that a foreign worker who has successfully lived and worked in China is a lower-risk candidate than a first-time arrival.
The time-in-China factor also awards points for the duration of the candidate’s previous China employment. A candidate with five years of previous China work experience scores more than a candidate with two years, who scores more than a candidate with no previous China experience.
Graduation from a Top University
The university factor awards additional points for candidates who graduated from a university that’s recognized as a top university — a university in the top 500 of one of the recognized global university rankings, or a Chinese Double First-Class university. The top university points are supplementary to the education points — a candidate receives education points for the degree level and top university points for the ranking of the university.
A candidate with a bachelor’s degree from a top-100 global university may score more total points than a candidate with a master’s degree from an unranked university, because the education points plus the top university points exceed the master’s points alone. The university advantage is significant — the work permit system rewards academic pedigree.
Employment by a Fortune 500 Company
The employment factor awards additional points for candidates who have worked for a Fortune 500 company — or a company that’s recognized as equivalent to a Fortune 500 company — within the previous specified period. The employment points recognize that experience at a leading global company is valuable and that the candidate who has worked for such a company is likely to be a high-quality professional.
The employment must be documented by the employment certificates that are already required for the work experience factor. The certificate must show the name of the employer, and the employer must be on the Fortune 500 list or the equivalent recognized list for the relevant year.
Additional Factors
The additional factors include provincial and municipal government policies that encourage the employment of foreign workers in specific industries or specific locations. A candidate who will work in a encouraged industry — technology, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, education, or other industries designated by the local government — may receive additional points.
The additional factors also include the candidate’s contributions to China’s economic and social development — patents held, awards received, publications authored, or other recognized achievements. A candidate with a portfolio of patents in the field of employment, or with scholarly publications in recognized journals, receives additional points for those achievements.
Maximizing the Score
The candidate and the employer should review the points system before submitting the application and identify the factors that can be improved. The factors that are fixed — education level (unless the candidate has a higher degree that hasn’t been authenticated), age, top university status — can’t be changed. The factors that can be influenced — Chinese language proficiency, the salary offered, the documentation of work experience — should be addressed before the application.
A candidate who doesn’t have an HSK score should consider taking the HSK before the application if the candidate has some Chinese language ability. Even a low HSK level — Level 3 or Level 4 — contributes some points and demonstrates Chinese language effort to the work permit authority.
A candidate whose work experience documentation is incomplete should take the time to collect the employment certificates from previous employers before the application. The documentation effort takes time — the candidate should contact the previous employers weeks or months before the application, not days before.
A candidate who has previously worked in China and has a record of compliance should ensure that the previous work permit information is included in the application and that the time-in-China points are claimed. The previous China work experience is valuable for points and also for the work permit authority’s risk assessment.
