Work-study as a language student: what is allowed

A language student in mainland China may take part in work-study during the studies, but may not take up employment, run a business or do other profit-making activities. Article 30 of Order No. 42, the Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students, issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Public Security, sets out both points. Off-campus work-study also needs the school's approval and a residence permit annotation under Article 22 of the Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners (State Council Decree No. 637).

This page covers work-study and the work rules that apply to it. Routes, visa types and the length of study are on the X1 or X2 page.

Order No. 42 is published in Chinese. The English wording here is this site's translation of the Chinese text. The English texts of the Regulations and of the Exit and Entry Administration Law are the versions published by the National Immigration Administration.

What counts as work-study

Article 3 of the Ministry of Education's work-study measures (Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions, notice 教外厅〔2021〕2号; "the Measures" below) defines work-study as practice carried out under the school's organisation and management. A student uses spare time and earns lawful pay to improve study and living conditions. The definition excludes teaching internships and social practice that the school organises under its teaching plan.

Article 2 of the Measures applies to higher education institutions that implement degree higher education. Article 2 names no language-only programme.

Article 30 of Order No. 42 also says that the specific rules for international students' work-study are to be formulated separately by the education administration under the State Council together with relevant departments. The Measures are a separate document.

Hours

Article 5 of the Measures sets the following limits for on-campus and off-campus work-study. Each limit is stated "in principle" (原则上).

Conditions for off-campus work-study

Article 9 of the Measures lists the basic conditions for off-campus work-study. A student must:

1. be at least 18 years old and fit for the physical demands of the post;
2. hold a valid study residence permit in China with more than six months of validity remaining;
3. obey Chinese laws, regulations and school rules, and have good conduct with no record of crime or violation;
4. have studied continuously for more than one year at the current school as an undergraduate or junior-college student, a postgraduate student, an advanced student (进修生, this site's translation) or a research scholar;
5. meet the school's requirements for academic progress and attendance;
6. meet any other conditions the school sets.

Article 9 sets no Chinese-language level.

Article 6 of the Measures says the school shall not arrange or authorise students to take part in toxic, hazardous or dangerous production work. The school shall also ensure that an international student doing work-study has insurance that covers the work-study activity.

Filing and the residence permit

The steps below follow Articles 10 and 11 of the Measures and Article 22 of the Regulations.

1. Sign the work-study agreement with the employer. Article 8 of the Measures says the agreement must state the amount of pay.
2. Submit a copy of the agreement to the school for filing, together with a unilateral commitment letter covering risk and other matters (Article 10).
3. Hold the agreement, the school's certificate letter and the other related materials (Article 11).
4. Apply within ten days to the public security exit-entry administration authority where the school is located, to have the residence permit annotated with the employer and the period of work (Article 11).

Article 11 says a student who holds a residence permit without the work-study annotation may not do off-campus work-study. Article 22 of the Regulations says a student holding a study residence permit shall not engage in off-campus work-study or an internship unless the location and duration are specified in the residence permit.

Article 11 of the Measures also requires the following. If the employer or period changes, the student applies for a change of annotation within ten days, with the new agreement and a school certificate letter. If the agreement ends, the student submits a written report to the school within ten days and makes the change of annotation with the exit-entry authority.

Under Article 12 of the Measures, off-campus work-study is limited to the area of the prefecture-level city in which the school is located. Each application may cover a period no longer than the validity of the study residence permit, and no longer than one year.

When the school must cancel eligibility

Article 13 of the Measures says the school shall cancel a student's work-study eligibility and report to the public security exit-entry authority in these cases:

• the student completes studies, leaves before completion, suspends studies or withdraws;
• the student violates national laws, regulations or school management rules;
• the student has poor moral character or violates public order and good customs, causing a bad effect;
• the school finds that work-study is affecting studies, or that another situation makes continued work-study unsuitable.

Article 14 of the Measures says that when work-study goes beyond the scope of the post or the time limit, the public security exit-entry authority investigates and deals with it according to law.

Employment and unlawful employment

Article 41 of the Exit and Entry Administration Law says foreigners working in China shall obtain work permits and work-type residence permits, and no entity or individual shall employ foreigners who have neither.

Article 42 of the Law says the education department under the State Council, together with relevant departments, shall establish an administrative system for foreign students working to support their studies in China. It also sets the scope of jobs and the limit of work time for such students.

Article 43 of the Law lists the acts deemed unlawful employment. These are: (1) working in China without the required work permits or work-type residence permits; (2) working in China beyond the scope in the work permit; and (3) foreign students working in violation of the regulations on foreign students' work-study and beyond the prescribed scope of jobs or time limit.

Article 30 of Order No. 42 says international students may take part in work-study but may not take employment, run a business or do other profit-making activities.

Questions

Can a language student take a paid part-time job in China?

Article 30 of Order No. 42 allows work-study and does not allow employment, business or other profit-making activity. Article 3 of the Measures defines work-study as school-organised practice carried out in spare time for pay. An off-campus post also needs the agreement filing and residence permit annotation described above under Articles 10 and 11 of the Measures and Article 22 of the Regulations.

Sources

• Measures for the Administration of Schools Recruiting and Educating International Students (Order No. 42). Ministry of Education of the PRC.
• Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Administration of the Entry and Exit of Foreigners. National Immigration Administration.
• Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions. Ministry of Education of the PRC.
• Exit and Entry Administration Law of the People's Republic of China. National Immigration Administration.

Checked 11 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by the bodies named. If it differs from the official text or from the instructions of the body handling your case, the official text and those instructions prevail.