Online Portal for Work Permit Applications Updated

The situation

The Expert Bureau in China has updated its online system and will use a new online portal under the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) Service Platform to integrate foreign nationals’ Work Permit applications with other government services. Companies must register and submit Work Permit applications for foreign nationals using the new portal.

A closer look

• New online portal. The previous Expert Bureau online portal is no longer available, and employers must use the MOST Service Platform to submit Work Permit applications for foreign nationals, effective immediately.
• Work permit interface unchanged. The interface for work permit applications is currently the same on the new portal as the previous system, though there may be changes in functionality in the future.

 

Impact

Companies must register and verify their accounts to use the portal by providing additional information such as the contact information of the company’s legal representative and a contact person. This must be completed before the company can proceed with ongoing or new work permit applications.

Temporary system interruptions may cause delays in the registration and verification process during the rollout of the new system.

Background

The Chinese government is seeking to integrate all government services and applications into a uniform and streamlined online platform. In line with this, the Expert Bureau is using the MOST online portal to process work permit applications.

Looking ahead

It is likely that the Chinese government will continue integrating registration and application portals using existing government websites.

Fragomen is monitoring the situation and will provide updates as they become available.

Fragomen in China is Fragomen (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., operating exclusively as an immigration consultancy and not as a law firm in China. This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].