I work for a US company and am a US citizen. My company is sending me over to China to set up an office in Beijing. I'm planning to move my family over to Beijing, but have questions around how I can move my household and personal effects to China without so much of a Chinese work visa yet. I have the following questions: 1. Do I need a Chinese work visa in order to move my personal belongings and household effects to China without getting in trouble with the Chinese customs? I was told by an international moving company that without a valid Chinese work visa I would not be able to clear my personal effects from the Chinese customs. 2. How can I get a work visa? Is it necessary for my company to set up a presence in China first before it can sponsor me for a Chinese work visa? 3. Does it matter what type of China presence my company sets up, as far as sponsoring me for a work visa is concerned? Can a representative office sponsor me for a visa, or does our Beijing office have to be a wholly owned foreign enterprise? 4. We are looking for a small office space in the premium financial district in Beijing. What are our options other than the business center offices Regus operates? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I'll take a stab
I'll do my best to answer all of these questions:
1. You should not have a problem shipping your stuff to China without a work visa. There is no real way for them to know if it's for you or someone else anyway. There is a chance they may try to get you to pay VAT, but you shouldn't have to (on the other hand you never know in China). It is best if you can have your stuff shipped directly to an address. If your company has a contact here it might help if you send the stuff to that person's name/address.
2. Not 100% sure, but I believe your company needs either a rep office or a WOFE before that can sponsor your work visa.
3. see #2
4. Not sure where you mean when you say the "premium financial center." Most foreign companies are on the east side of the city but the financial street where lots of investment firms have offices is on the less flashy western side of town. I suspect in a few years that will be a prime location.
Here are a few resources that might help you:
http://www.china-briefing.com/ (magazine that helps with this type of work. They also have specific guides like 'setting up a business in China etc)
If you want a firm to help you with that stuff Dezan Shira and Associates is a good bet. They're been in China a long time. www.dezshira.com
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