How much salary should a WFOE declare when applying for a foreign employees work permit?

An Operator’s Guide for the Work Permit Salary Based on the 2025 Rules and Real-Case Outcomes

The Question That Never Dies

“Will RMB 8,000 per month be enough for our new legal representative?”

Ask ten consultants in China, and you will hear ten different figures. They range from “at least the local minimum wage” to “six times the social-average salary or forget it.” The truth is that both answers are correct. They describe two different gates that a foreigner must pass.

Gate 1 is the national labor law. The wage must be no less than the local minimum salary, which is RMB 2,420–2,790 in tier-1 cities in 2025.

Gate 2 is the immigration filter. The Foreigner’s Work Permit (FWP) system decides whether the person is A, B, or C class.

Gate 3 is the Public Security Bureau. It will refuse a work-type residence permit if it believes the salary is not “market-oriented” or not sufficient to support the foreigner.

This article explains how the three gates are policed in 2025 and what numbers have been approved or rejected in recent cases.

What the Written Rules Really Say

Legal Floor – Ministry of Human Resources & Social Security

Every labor contract must meet the local minimum-wage standard. A figure below that line is automatically illegal and will be rejected by the FWP online system. Therefore, RMB 2,800 is a starter salary in Shanghai, and RMB 2,600 is a starter in Beijing.

Classification Standard – Ministry of Science & Technology (MOST)

The 2017 “Classification Standard for Foreigners Working in China” remains valid in 2025. It categorizes applicants into three groups:

• A – High-end talent (points ≥ 85 or meets one of the 50+ named “national talent” criteria)

• B – Professional talent (bachelor + 2 years relevant experience or points 60–84)

• C – Unskilled/other (intern, seasonal worker, etc.)

  
  

The standard lists “annual salary ≥ 6 × local average social salary” as one way to collect points, but it is optional. The English version circulated by MOST explicitly states: “Meeting any one of the following conditions may be recognized as A-class … (x) salary reaches six times …” The word “may” is crucial.

Local Guidance – Provincial Bureaus of Science & Technology

Each province has an internal “operation manual” that guides case officers on how many points to award. In Shanghai, the 2025 manual states:

“Salary factor: 1 × local average = 0 points; 2 × = 10 points; 3 × = 15 points; 4 × = 20 points; 6 × = 30 points.”

Nothing in the manual states, “you must score 20 points from salary.” A bachelor’s degree (10 points) plus 5 years of experience (10 points) plus Chinese HSK-4 (10 points) plus age 29 (15 points) plus a company in an encouraged industry (10 points) already gives 55 points, i.e., mid-B class, without mentioning salary at all.

Real Approvals in 2024–2025

Below are cases I personally tracked in three different cities (names anonymized). All of them obtained the Z visa, the Work Permit, and the two-year Residence Permit.

Case 1 – Shanghai, Trading WFOE

• Position: General Manager (legal representative)

• Nationality: German

• Age: 38

• Education: Bachelor (business)

• Experience: 6 years in import-export in Germany

• Shareholding: 35 %

• Declared Gross Salary: RMB 9,000 / month

• Points Scored: 68 (B class) – approved in 6 working days.

  
  

Case 2 – Shenzhen, Software Start-up

• Position: CTO

• Nationality: Indian

• Age: 31

• Education: Master (computer science)

• Experience: 4 years

• Shareholding: 15 %

• Declared Gross Salary: RMB 12,000 / month

• Points Scored: 74 (B class) – approved.

  
  

Case 3 – Chengdu, Catering Franchise

• Position: Marketing Director

• Nationality: Canadian

• Age: 27

• Education: Bachelor (communications)

• Experience: 3 years

• Shareholding: 0 % (pure employee)

• Declared Gross Salary: RMB 8,500 / month

• Points Scored: 61 (B class) – approved.

  
  

Case 4 – Beijing, Biotech WFOE

• Position: Deputy GM

• Nationality: French

• Age: 45

• Education: PhD (biology)

• Experience: 18 years

• Shareholding: 20 %

• Declared Gross Salary: RMB 25,000 / month

• Points Scored: 97 (A class) – approved.

  
  

Notice that only the last case used the “high salary” channel. The first three cleared the bar with education, experience, and age points.

Real Rejections in 2024–2025

Rejection 1 – Suzhou, Logistics Consulting

• Position: Business Development Manager

• Nationality: British

• Age: 55

• Education: College diploma (non-degree)

• Experience: 30 years but only 1 year in China

• Declared Salary: RMB 35,000 / month

• Reason Given: “Education does not meet B-class, and position–salary mismatch.”

  
  

(The officer commented: “A diploma holder paid more than our bureau chief needs additional justification.”)

Rejection 2 – Guangzhou, E-commerce WFOE

• Position: Sales Representative

• Nationality: Russian

• Age: 24

• Education: Bachelor (linguistics)

• Experience: 0 years (fresh graduate)

• Declared Salary: RMB 6,000 / month

• Reason Given: “Position does not require foreign expertise; salary below market level for foreigners.”

  
  

Takeaway: A low salary is rarely the single cause of refusal. It becomes fatal only when the applicant is already weak on education or relevance.

How Labor Bureau and Immigration Officers Think

The officers use a three-step mental checklist:

1. Does the paperwork show at least 60 points (or 85 for A)?

2. Is the declared salary internally consistent with the labor contract, the IIT (individual-income-tax) withholding form, and the company’s social-insurance contribution base?

3. Does the number look “reasonable” for the industry, city, and company size?

   
   

If the answer to (1) is yes and the company can show bank statements proving the wage is actually paid, most officers will not force the applicant into the 4×/6× bracket.

Tax Reality – How Low Is Reasonable for Owner-Managers?

• Below RMB 5,000, the employee pays zero IIT. However, the bureau suspects the foreigner will not be able to live in a tier-1 city.

• Between RMB 5,000 and RMB 10,000, the marginal tax rate is 3%–10%, low enough that the owner does not mind declaring it.

• Above RMB 20,000, the combined employer + employee social-insurance and IIT burden approaches 40%. Many small WFOEs prefer to keep the salary modest and distribute profit as dividends. Dividends are not part of the Work-Permit salary test.

  
  

Because immigration officers understand this tax logic, they seldom challenge a modest wage that is accompanied by a plausible business plan and paid-in capital.

City-by-City Rules in 2025

For cities like Shanghai, Beijing, and Shenzhen:

• Start-up or small-scale WFOE, foreigner owns ≥ 25% equity: RMB 8k–20k is routinely approved if education + experience ≥ B-class based on different industries.

• No equity, pure employee: RMB 12k–25k recommended to avoid extra questions.

• A-class by salary alone: ≥ RMB 50k.

  
  

Step-by-Step: How to Pick the “Right” Number

Step 1 – Run the points table with true data (age, degree, years, HSK, etc.).

Step 2 – If you already exceed 60 points (or 85 for A) without salary points, declare a wage that is:

• ≥ local minimum wage × 2 (to satisfy the “reasonableness” test), and

• high enough to cover the foreigner’s living cost in your city (RMB 5k in Chengdu, RMB 8k in Shanghai is defensible).

  
  

Step 3 – Ensure the same gross figure appears in:

• Labor contract

• FWP online form

• Company social-insurance enrollment base

• Monthly IIT withholding declaration

  
  

Step 4 – Pay it for at least three months before renewal; keep the bank slips.

Red Flags That Will Invite a Salary Challenge

• Declared salary jumps from RMB 8k to RMB 50k the month before renewal.

• Salary is high, but social-insurance base is kept at the legal minimum.

• Company shows zero revenue but pays the foreigner RMB 40k/month.

• Position is “English teacher,” but wage is RMB 25k with only 12 teaching hours per week.

  
  

Bottom Line for WFOE Operators

There is no nationwide statutory minimum salary for foreign employees beyond the local minimum wage.

The famous “4×/6× social-average salary” is only one optional path to collect points. If the applicant already qualifies as B or A through education, experience, age, or official talent programs, a reasonable market salary can be approved.

What will kill an application is not a low salary, but a low salary combined with weak credentials, inconsistent paperwork, or an implausible business context.

According to my practice, for a foreign founder who holds equity and serves as legal representative, the safest band in tier-1 cities in 2025 is from RMB 8,000. In tier-2 or tier-3 cities, RMB 6,000 is still acceptable. Go below RMB 5,000 only if you can show cost-of-living evidence for a small city and you have no intention of applying for A-class. However, I suggest you consult with our expert for a proper salary range based on your personal background and city standard.

Our payroll service will distribute your monthly salary, create salary slips for record, and withhold the tax, ensuring your employment compliance. Consistency beats absolute size every time.

Contact ExpertinChina today! Declare a wage that is defensible, document it honestly, and assure you obtain the Work Permit, the Z visa, and the one-year Residence Permit smoothly.