First, identify the stage
A China work visa file can stop at three points, and each has a different remedy:
| Stage | Who decides | Typical document | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work permit notification | Local science and technology / foreign expert bureau | Notice of non-acceptance or non-approval | Fix the qualification defect and refile |
| Z visa | Chinese embassy or visa center abroad | Visa refusal notice | Address the consular concern; refile or request review |
| Work-type residence permit | Local exit-entry administration | Decision notice | Correct the permit or status issue; refile |
A refusal at one stage does not automatically doom the others, but the stages are linked. If the notification is refused for a salary defect, the Z visa cannot be issued. If the Z visa is refused for a passport or security issue, the notification may still be valid but unusable.
The ten causes that explain most refusals
1. Salary below the 2026 threshold
Since early February 2026, the national system has strictly enforced the salary channel: six times the local average monthly wage for Class A and four times for Class B. In Beijing, that was RMB 71,622 and RMB 47,748 per month; in Shanghai, RMB 74,604 and RMB 49,736.
Applications below the threshold are blocked automatically, with little local discretion. If the offer was built on the old, lower threshold, the file cannot be filed as planned. The fix is to use a non-salary route (points, degree plus experience, or an achievement route) or to adjust the salary to the current benchmark.
2. The wrong class
Claiming Class A without an achievement, position, salary, or points basis is a common refusal. The bureau assesses the evidence, not the label. If the file fails Class A, test it against Class B before refiling; a strong B file is better than a weak A file.
3. Degree not authenticated
A scan is not authentication. Foreign degrees normally need an apostille or consular legalization plus a Chinese translation. Chinese degrees need verification through the national education credential system. A degree certificate that cannot be verified is treated as missing.
4. Experience not proven
The two-year requirement is about relevant experience, not any employment. Reference letters should state the employer, dates, position, duties, and reporting line. A letter that says “employed from 2022 to 2024” without describing the work is weak evidence.
5. Age
Class A has no age ceiling. Class B generally caps at 60, and in 2026 B/C renewals for applicants aged 60 or over face systematic rejection. A first-time applicant near the line should be assessed for Class A before the file is built.
6. Criminal record
A criminal record certificate is required for Class B and C, usually issued within the last six months. An expired certificate, an unauthenticated certificate, or a certificate from the wrong jurisdiction will stop the file. Some countries issue federal and state certificates; the bureau expects the national one unless local practice says otherwise.
7. Medical examination
A health certificate is required for residence permits valid for more than one year, confirming the absence of serious mental illness, tuberculosis, and other dangerous infectious diseases. An exam from a non-designated hospital, or one that is too old, may be rejected.
8. Employer not qualified
The employer must be legally established, registered in the work-permit system, and compliant on tax and social insurance. A newly formed company, a company with a serious violation record, or a company whose business scope does not cover the role can fail the file even when the candidate is strong.
9. Position mismatch
The job title, the degree, and the experience must tell one story. A candidate with a marketing degree filed as a “chief technology officer” invites a request for more evidence; a teacher filed as a “business manager” invites a category challenge. Align the contract, the job description, and the permit.
10. Filing defects introduced in 2026
The system now requires a continuous education and employment timeline without unexplained gaps, PDF uploads for most documents, and names in English letters with approved separators. A permit that expires during a pending extension or change can be automatically terminated. These are administrative defects, but they stop the file just as effectively as a substantive one.
Read the decision letter before doing anything
Chinese administrative refusals usually distinguish between non-acceptance (不予受理) and non-approval (不予许可). The distinction matters:
- Non-acceptance means the file did not enter the review, usually because a required document was missing, the jurisdiction was wrong, or the employer’s account was not in order. It is often the easier defect to fix.
- Non-approval means the bureau reviewed the substance and found the applicant did not meet a rule. The letter should identify the rule: the category, the salary channel, the degree requirement, or the age limit.
Look for four things in the letter: the legal basis cited, the specific fact found lacking, the date of the decision, and the stated remedy or review route. If the letter is only a system status change with no reasoning, ask the filing employer to request the written decision. A refile without knowing the cited defect is a guess.
What to do after a refusal
- Get the decision in writing. The verbal explanation is not the record. The written decision identifies the rule that was not met.
- Separate substance from format. A missing translation or an image instead of a PDF is a format fix. A salary below the threshold or an unverifiable degree is a substantive fix.
- Test a second route. If Class A failed, test Class B. If the salary channel failed, test points or qualifications. If the employer is the problem, test a different employer.
- Do not refile the same package. Identical refiling usually produces an identical result and burns time.
- Consider a challenge only with counsel. Administrative reconsideration or litigation may be available, but it is slower than a corrected refile in most documentary cases. A Chinese lawyer should assess the specific decision.
- Protect the record. A refusal for a false document is far more serious than a refusal for a missing one. Never submit an altered certificate or an inflated salary record.
Prevention is cheaper than appeal
The refusal reasons above are predictable. Before filing:
- Confirm the current local salary threshold, not last year’s figure.
- Authenticate the degree and police certificate first.
- Write reference letters that state dates, duties, and relevance.
- Check the employer’s registration and compliance record.
- Match the job title to the candidate’s evidence.
- Confirm the class with a points or route assessment, not a guess.
A pre-filing review costs a fraction of a refusal, and it is the only step that reliably improves the outcome. If the file has already been refused once, treat the second filing as a new case: rebuild the evidence around the cited defect instead of adding a cover letter to the old package.
For refusal review and refiling, see Foreign Work Permit and China Z Work Visa. For the class assessment that prevents most category refusals, read China Work Permit Classes.