Everyone has heard how difficult it is for foreigners (and even Chinese abroad) to get back into while they have such strict controls over immigration and movement within the country to try and halt the spread of Covid-19.
每个人都听说过，当外国人(甚至是海外的中国人)为了阻止新冠病毒疾病的传播而对移民和国内流动进行严格控制的时候，他们重返家园是多么的困难。
While it has been possible for us to obtain work permits for some foreigners, there are far more hurdles in place these days than back in the gold old days of 2019 or earlier, such as the requirement to get an 'invitation letter' before you can even apply for a visa. That's what we're going to look at in this post...
尽管我们已经能够为一些外国人获得工作许可，但现在的障碍比2019年或更早的黄金时代要大得多，比如在申请签证之前必须先收到“邀请函”。
What is an invitation letter?
什么是邀请函？
An invitation letter for the Chinese visa application process is a kind of pre-screening step. The government are being extra cautious about whom they let into China and how many foreigners they permit, too. The invitation letter must be applied for and, depending on the applicant's location, etc, will be required before a visa can subsequently be applied for.
中国签证申请的邀请函是一种预审步骤。政府对于允许谁进入中国以及允许多少外国人进入中国也格外谨慎。必须申请邀请函，并且根据申请人的地点等等，在随后申请签证之前必须提交邀请函。
You may hear of two types of invitation letters: PU & TE letters. Both serve the same purpose, but the PU type is granted to applicants seeking a business or work visa (M & Z) and the TE for a visit visa (F).
你可能会听到两种类型的邀请信: PU & TE 信件。两者用途相同，但 PU 类型的签证适用于申请商务或工作签证(M & Z)和旅游签证( F )的申请人。
Below you can see a sample PU letter:
下面你可以看到一个 PU 邀请函的样本:
Does everyone need an invitation letter?
每个人都需要邀请函吗？
There are a couple of cases where foreign applicants are exempt:
有几种情况外国申请者可以获得豁免:
1.Most foreign applicants will require one. However, a small percentage of foreigners who were able to obtain the SINOVAC vaccine (some parts of Eastern Europe offered it, as well as the Middle East, for example) will be exempt from the requirement and can go ahead with the visa application without it, however, you'll need to show the translated and notarized vaccination certificate from wherever you got it in your application.
1.大多数外国申请者都需要一个。然而，一小部分能够获得 SINOVAC 疫苗的外国人(例如，东欧部分地区以及中东地区)将免于这一要求，并且可以在没有该疫苗的情况下继续申请签证。然而，你需要在申请中出示从任何地方获得的经过翻译和公证的疫苗接种证明。2.Foreigners holding valid Chinese residency permits who have travelled abroad do not need an invitation letter to reapply as long as their residency is still current.2.持有有效中国居留许可证的外国人如果已经出国旅行，只要他们的居留权仍然有效，就不需要再次申请的邀请函。
What's the visa application process for foreign workers planning on emigrating to China?
计划移民中国的外国工人的签证申请程序是怎样的？
Right now it is similar to before, but with added steps (and lots of quarantine and Covid testing).
现在和以前一样，只是增加了一些步骤(以及大量的隔离和新冠病毒疾病测试)。
Prepare the documents required in your country (this will include Covid tests at a China-accredited testing lab)
准备贵国要求的文件(包括在中国认可的检测实验室进行的新冠病毒疾病检测)
Apply for the PU letter at the embassy/consulate*
在大使馆/领事馆申请 PU 邀请函
Upon receipt of the PU letter, apply for the Z visa
收到邀请函后，申请Z签证
Upon receipt of the Z visa, more testing and then apply for e-HDC (HealthDeclaration Certificate) health status QR code
在收到Z签证后，进行更多测试，然后申请 e-HDC (健康声明证书)健康状况二维码
Travel to China
去中国旅行
Register where you're staying and undergo medical examination upon entry to China
登记你的住所，并在入境时接受体检
Quarantine and observation, plus follow-up testing
隔离和观察，加上后续测试
Release, commence working and living in China
释放，开始在中国工作和生活
Apply for the foreign worker's residence permit in person at the Public Security Bureau or relevant office
亲自到公安局或有关部门申请外籍工人居留许可证
They cancel the Z visa and place the residence permit page into passport
他们取消Z签证，并将居留许可页放入护照
*Note: It may take 1-2 months to obtain the PU letter alone and the employer must apply.
* 注意: 单是申请人可能需要一至两个月的时间才能取得邀请函，雇主必须提出申请。
What does a company require to apply for an invitation letter for a foreign member of staff?
公司需要什么样的条件才能为外籍员工申请邀请函？
Employers need to apply for the invitation letter for their foreign staff member.
雇主需要为其外籍员工申请邀请函。
They'll need to submit the following to the local embassy or consulate:
他们需要向当地大使馆或领事馆递交以下材料:
Application letter
申请信
Form for inviting foreigners to their location city
邀请外国人到其所在城市的表格
Company business license
公司营业执照
Copy of business registration
商业登记复印件
Most recent tax certificate
最近的税务证明
Company epidemic prevention measure plan
公司防疫措施计划
Invitation letter signed by foreign staff member
外籍员工签署的邀请函
Foreign staff member's passport info page (6+ month validity required)
外籍员工护照信息页(需要6个月以上有效期)
Work permit notice
工作许可证通知书
Who, realistically, can obtain an invitation letter?
实际上，谁能获得邀请函？
The government can grant as many invitation letters and visas as they like, but they are purposefully limiting the number of people coming into China to slow Covid's spread. So, realistically, most people won't be granted one.
中国政府可以发放尽可能多的邀请函和签证，但他们有意限制进入中国的人数，以减缓新冠病毒疾病的传播。所以，实际上，大多数人都不会被批准。
If you're a key member of staff of a large and well-known business, a high-level manager of an SME operating in China (such as a WFOE), or you are an expert of some kind, it's unlikely you'll even be invited to apply for a visa at this point.
如果你是一家大型知名企业的关键员工，一家在中国经营的中小企业的高层管理人员(如外商独资企业) ，或者你是某方面的专家，在这个时候你甚至不太可能被邀请申请签证。
Family members of these staff will also apply for the letters and can be granted them so the family can travel together.
这些工作人员的家庭成员也将申请邀请函，并可以得到批准，以便家人可以一起旅行。
There have been some cases where foreigners with family in China have been granted invitation letters on compassionate grounds, such as to visit ill relatives or to attend funerals, but these seem few and far between.
有些情况下，有家人在中国的外国人会因为同情的理由获得邀请函，比如探望生病的亲属或参加葬礼，但这些情况似乎很少。
Additional tips for a successful application
成功申请的额外技巧
The invitation letter is addressed to the applicant's local embassy or consulate, so the subsequent visa application should be made there.
邀请函是写给申请人在当地的大使馆或领事馆的，所以随后的签证申请应该在那里进行。
The applicant's location will be taken into account. If they have travelled (or resided in) a country that Chinaes as 'high-risk' in the month before application for the invitation letter, it may be denied. This is most of the West, unfortunately. Anecdotally, some foreigners travelled to certain 'lower-risk' Asian countries and stayed there for weeks or even months before applying in order to be able to succeed.
申请人的地点将会被考虑在内。如果他们在申请邀请函前一个月曾经到过(或居住在)中国列为“高风险”的国家，可能会被拒绝。不幸的是，这是西方的大部分地区。有趣的是，一些外国人前往某些风险较低的亚洲国家，在那里停留数周甚至数月后才提出申请，以便能够获得成功。
Prepare for the entire process of obtaining an invitation letter, visa, quarantine, and getting back to normal in China to take several months. You and your employer need to be aware of the lengthy timescale and work around them.
为获得邀请信、签证、隔离和在中国恢复正常的整个过程做好准备，需要几个月的时间。你和你的雇主需要意识到这个漫长的时间跨度，并解决这个问题。
Be sure to translate all documentation required for visa applications etc into Mandarin and notarize documents where needed.
确保将签证申请所需的所有文件翻译成普通话，并在需要的时候公证文件。
