Hiring through us follows the same path every time. Here is exactly what happens, who does what, and how long each stage takes.
You share the role, salary, city of work and whether the candidate is a Chinese national or relocating expat. We confirm cost, structure and a realistic timeline.
We issue a compliant offer and a bilingual labour contract with the correct contract type, probation and benefit clauses, signed within 30 days.
Payroll, social insurance and housing-fund registration for locals; the work permit, Z visa and residence permit for expats, all processed by us.
Salary, contributions and tax run monthly. We manage leave, renewals, severance and any contract changes for as long as the person is employed.
Everything starts with the basics: the job title, the gross monthly salary, the intended start date, and the candidate's status. Are they a Chinese national, or an expat relocating from abroad who needs a work permit? And which city will they work in? The answer changes the timeline materially, because a local hire can start in one to two weeks, while a work permit adds two to three months.
We come back with a clear quote, the recommended salary structure, the city-specific employer cost, and a stage-by-stage timeline so there are no surprises.
Once you approve, we issue a compliant offer. After the candidate accepts, we prepare a bilingual labour contract and have it signed within the 30-day legal window, since a late contract can expose the employer to double-wage penalties. China contracts are usually fixed-term to start, so we set the term, the probation period allowed for that length, the notice period and benefits in line with the Labour Contract Law and your instructions.
The contract is what the authorities, banks and the work-permit system all reference. Getting the contract type, probation and salary structure right at this stage is what keeps social insurance, tax and any future severance clean and dispute-free.
For a Chinese national, this stage is payroll setup plus registration for the five insurances and one fund in the employee's city. For an expat, it is the heaviest stage and the one we own completely: the foreigner work-permit notification, the Z visa applied for at a consulate, entry and police registration, the work-permit card, and conversion to a residence permit within 30 days of arrival.
A local hire can be live in around one to two weeks. A work-permit case typically takes eight to twelve weeks once documents are in hand.
With the contract in place, the employee goes onto monthly payroll. Each month we pay salary in RMB, remit social insurance and the housing fund, withhold income tax and issue payslips. Beyond payroll we track leave balances, manage public holidays and make-up working weekends, handle work-permit renewals before they lapse, and process any salary or role changes you request. If the person eventually leaves, we run a compliant offboarding, calculate statutory severance and issue the release letter.
Fill out the form with your role and we will walk you through the exact timeline and cost for your situation.