Beijing and Shanghai Significantly Increase Foreign Category A and B Work Permit Salary Thresholds

The salary thresholds for foreign employees seeking a Category A or Category B work permit in China have increased significantly and are being strictly enforced as of February 2026.

Effective January 1, 2026, Beijing and Shanghai introduced substantial increases to the salary thresholds for Category A (high-end talent) and Category B (professional talent) foreign work permits. This adjustment, approximately a 50% rise, ends a multi-year freeze on salary thresholds that had remained unchanged since 2017. The updated thresholds now align with the latest local social average wages.

Although the changes took effect in January, they were not publicly disclosed until February 2026, when the online work permit system was updated.

Details of the increased salary thresholds in Beijing and Shanghai are as follows:

Beijing

Shanghai

The updated salary thresholds apply to both new work permit applications and renewals. The online portal enforces these new thresholds by blocking salary figures that fall short. Critically, applicants for both Category A and Category B visas must provide proof of their declared salary through their employment contracts as well as income tax statements that reflect the requisite salary level.

Applicants who must shift from Category A to Category B due to not meeting the revised salary requirements (or the requisite points on the talent classification system) will need to submit additional documents—including a criminal record clearance certificate and apostilled academic credentials—which will extend the overall processing time. To help mitigate potential challenges arising from the new salary thresholds, the authorities have also expanded the renewal window, allowing applications to be submitted up to 120 days before expiry instead of the previous 90 days.

Employers should review the current salaries of their foreign employees working in China in connection with these changes and determine whether they need to make salary adjustments or potentially downgrade the employees’ work permit to a lower category of visa.