China Work Permit for a Chef Without a Degree: A, B, C Explained

China sorts every foreign worker into Category A, B or C through its national work permit system. A chef with a bachelor's degree and two years of relevant experience clears Category B directly. Without a degree, the route is 60 points on the official scale, built mainly from salary, experience, age and months worked in China, or a salary of at least four times the local average wage. Category C covers stays of 90 days or less. Plan on six to eight weeks from a complete file to the chef's first shift, plus whatever it takes to gather documents from Japan.

1. Categories A, B and C

China's unified foreigner work permit system went nationwide on 1 April 2017. The classification standard sorting every applicant into Category A, B or C dates from that year and is still published as the operative standard on the national foreigner work service platform run by the Ministry of Science and Technology (checked 27 September 2026). Anyone working in China needs a Z visa, issued on the strength of a work permit notification.

Most Japanese chefs are assessed as B or C. A head chef with a culinary degree and two years in a relevant role meets the first B test directly, without the points table. A chef without a degree needs either an internationally recognised vocational certificate or 60 points. We found no official statement on whether Japan's MAFF cooking skill certification (see the MAFF certification guide) counts as such a certificate; ask the local foreign experts service in writing before relying on it.

2. Where a chef scores: three profiles

The points table awards points for salary, education, experience, months worked in China each year, Chinese language, age, work location and a local bonus of up to 10 points that each province sets for itself.

These are illustrations, not assessments. The authorities do the actual scoring and local practice varies, so use the three profiles below only to see which levers move the outcome.

Salary, experience, age, months worked and Chinese language are the only levers you and the candidate can move. Set the offer with the points test in view before you commit to it, not after a refusal.

3. The process and a 14 week schedule

1. Work permit notification. The employer applies online through the national Service System for Foreigners Working in China, usually about 15 working days. Documents typically include the application form, proof of work history, highest degree and vocational certificates, a criminal record certificate, medical certificate, employment contract, passport and photo. For the Japanese police certificate, see police certificates from Japan.
2. Z visa. The chef applies at a Chinese embassy or consulate in Japan with the notification and passport. Book as soon as the notification is issued; the consulate, not a national schedule, sets processing time.
3. Work permit card after arrival. Collected within a locally set deadline, commonly 15 working days after entry in cities such as Shanghai; check your city.
4. Residence permit. Applied for at the local public security bureau within 30 days of entry, with fingerprints taken. Renewals take about 15 working days.

4. What a hire costs

Build the first year cost around an illustrative Category B salary of CNY 300,000 (about CNY 25,000 a month), the level used in the points example above.

The combined social insurance and housing fund rate is the one figure we could not pin to a single national number, because cities set their own. Get that quote before signing an offer.

5. Provincial variation

The national categories and points table are the floor everywhere, but three things vary by province or city: the local bonus of up to 10 points, the deadline to collect the physical work permit after entry (15 working days is common but not universal), and which local authority reviews the file. Shanghai's own steps and deadline are on our Shanghai guide. We found no published Beijing deadline shorter than the national 30 day residence permit rule; confirm directly with Beijing's foreign experts service if hiring there.

6. The market you are hiring into

Mainland China has more Japanese restaurants than any other country, and also the sharpest fall: about 63,500 in 2025, 15,260 fewer than 2023, the first worldwide fall since the survey began in 2013, which MAFF attributes mainly to China's economic slowdown. MOFA counted 92,928 Japanese nationals in China on 1 October 2025, down 4.7%; Shanghai alone had 31,733, down 8.5% (see our Shanghai page). For hiring, this cuts both ways: more experienced cooks looking for work, and fewer Japanese resident customers for the highest priced concepts. Recruit inside China first where you can, and score the candidate against the points table before you offer.

General information based on official Chinese and Japanese sources checked in September 2026, not legal or immigration advice. The classification standard dates from 2017 and is applied by provincial and city authorities, which can add local rules and fees. Confirm current requirements with the local foreign experts or human resources authority before applying.