China Z-visa requirements: documents and handoff checklist
Keep the employer's work-permit file separate from the visa file you submit in the US. Use the printable checklist and five-office comparison to check what goes where.
Content updated ·
Two files, different decision-makers
File
China work-permit notification
- Prepared with
- Employer and local work-permit authority
- What belongs in it
- The local authority's eligibility evidence. Shanghai's A/B guide lists qualifications, degree evidence, criminal-record evidence, health evidence and employment documents, among other items. Ask about certification and translation rules before ordering documents.
File
US Z-visa application
- Prepared with
- Applicant and responsible Chinese consular office
- What belongs in it
- The issued notification plus passport, application and supporting visa documents. Do not automatically mail your employer's whole work-permit file to the visa office.
The Shanghai list is a local A/B example, not a universal qualification test or a checklist for every US consulate. CEV's form review does not replace the employer's eligibility assessment.
Printable US application checklist
- Passport: more than six months remaining. The Embassy requires at least two blank visa pages; Los Angeles specifies at least one in its March 2026 checklist. Follow your responsible office’s current passport and upload instructions; the Embassy asks for the biographical page and a blank visa page.
- Work-permit notification: obtain the issued document from the employer; confirm that it is usable for your planned application and that identity details match.
- Online application and photo: complete the responsible office's current system and follow its upload and declaration instructions.
- US address: proof of residence in the responsible consular district. Non-US citizens also need the requested evidence of lawful US stay or residence.
- Previous documents where applicable: latest Chinese visa or residence permit; former Chinese passport and naturalization evidence for a first visa after naturalization; name-change evidence where required.
- After the passport-submission instruction: passport original, printed information/barcode page and the originals specifically required by your consulate, including an old passport with a still-valid Chinese visa or residence permit where applicable.
- Final packing check: respond to case-specific requests; follow your order's receiving instructions before sending originals to CEV. A courier shipment to CEV is not direct postal submission to the consulate.
Check the office responsible for your US residence
Verified October 1, 2026. These are useful differences and checkpoints from each office's published guidance, not five interchangeable checklists. All require the applicable general documents in addition to the Z-category evidence. Use the official sources below and the instructions shown in your application.
Office
Washington, DC — Embassy
- Z-category evidence
- Work-permit notification
- Local handoff checkpoint
- The Embassy requires at least two blank visa pages. After online review, submit passport, barcode information page and required originals at the visa office.
Office
New York
- Z-category evidence
- Work-permit notification
- Local handoff checkpoint
- Use proof of residence in New York's jurisdiction; the published checklist identifies which general documents require originals.
Office
Chicago
- Z-category evidence
- Valid work-permit notification
- Local handoff checkpoint
- Its online guide says to submit the passport and required originals within 30 days after preliminary approval. This US submission window is separate from a China residence deadline.
Office
San Francisco
- Z-category evidence
- Work-permit notification
- Local handoff checkpoint
- The published instructions require residence in its district and physical presence in the US; submit the printed barcode page and original passport when instructed. No mail service is provided.
Office
Los Angeles
- Z-category evidence
- Work-permit notification OR work permit
- Local handoff checkpoint
- The March 2026 table requires at least one blank visa page and lists the Z supporting document as an upload without routine physical submission. Passport and other required originals remain separate; additional requests still apply.
Read the notification before submitting
Use the actual document issued for your case. This is a review worksheet, not an official form or a replica of a permit. CEV does not create, amend or issue the notification.
| Check | Compare against | If something differs |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Passport spelling, nationality and passport number | Ask the employer to check with the issuer; do not alter an issued PDF. |
| Employment details | The approved employer, work location and assignment information shown on the document | Resolve changes with the employer before using it for a visa application. |
| Dates and conditions | The notice's own dates, validity and any instructions; your intended application and entry schedule | Ask whether correction, renewal or reissue is needed. Do not assume a universal validity period. |
| Readable complete copy | Every page and any issuer verification information on the actual document | Ask the employer for a complete readable copy, then follow the consulate's upload instructions. |
Ready for the US handoff?
Online preliminary approval is permission to proceed to the instructed submission stage, not final visa approval. The consulate can ask for more documents or an interview. Print this page for planning, then check current instructions before packing.
Official references
Follow the current instructions of the Embassy or Consulate handling your application. These references do not confirm CEV service availability or an order-specific receiving address.
- US Embassy: visa requirements, categories and processing estimates — verified on
- US Embassy: online application and passport handoff — verified on
- Shanghai government: notification application documents for categories A/B — verified on
- New York Consulate: visa requirements — verified on
- San Francisco Consulate: application and document requirements — verified on
- Chicago Consulate: visa requirements (Chinese) — verified on
- Chicago Consulate: online review and 30-day submission window — verified on
- Los Angeles Consulate: ordinary visa requirements (March 2026) — verified on