China · Talent schemes
China K visa (young STEM talent)
K Visa (young science and technology talent)
First checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
K visa (young STEM talent) is a talent schemes route for China. Checked 2026-10-10 against the official source.
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The authorities handle extension, replacement and reissue of K visas from inside China, so holders can ask to extend their stay.
Where to applyFrom abroad
Apply at a Chinese embassy or consulate, which publishes the detailed conditions and documents on its website; no employer or inviting entity in China is needed.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Applications are made from outside China, not after arriving
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant holds a bachelor's degree or above in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a well-known university or research institution in China or abroad.
- Alternatively the applicant is engaged in education or research in those fields at such an institution.
- Age and education or work-experience conditions are published on Chinese embassy and consulate websites.
- No domestic employer or inviting entity is required.
After you arrive2
- Holders can engage in education, science and technology, and cultural exchanges.
- Holders can also engage in entrepreneurial and business activities.
When you become tax resident
How China decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Tax residence
- At least 183 days in a calendar tax year (and each of the six preceding years)Non-domiciled individual is resident for a year with 183 days or more of residence; foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt unless each of the six preceding years had 183 days or more with no single departure above 30 days.
- More than 30 days in a single departure in any of the six preceding yearsA single departure from China longer than 30 days breaks the six-year chain.
- Foreign-source income
Non-dom (six-year rule)
A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days.
- Special regime
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption · Tax relief
All tax rules for China Tax records checked
Full official text
Ordinary visa category added by State Council Order No. 814, in force from 1 October 2025, for young foreign science and technology professionals; no inviting employer or entity required. 1 2
Requirements
- The applicant holds a bachelor's degree or above in science, technology, engineering or mathematics from a well-known university or research institution in China or abroad. 1
- Alternatively the applicant is engaged in education or research in those fields at such an institution. 1
- Age and education or work-experience conditions are published on Chinese embassy and consulate websites. 1
- No domestic employer or inviting entity is required. 1 2
- Holders can engage in education, science and technology, and cultural exchanges. 1 2
- Holders can also engage in entrepreneurial and business activities. 1 2
Stay
- More entries, longer validity and longer stay than the 12 existing ordinary visa types; figures are set in the implementing rules.
Work
Exchanges in education, culture, science and technology and related entrepreneurial and business activities.
Official sources
- Official Q&A on State Council Order No. 814 introducing the K visa · Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-08-14
- China to launch new type of visa for young science, technology professionals · State Council of the People's Republic of China · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-08-14
K visa (young STEM talent) and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| K visa (young STEM talent) | – | – | – |
| J-Find Japan | – | 2 yr | – |
| Golden Visa · Talent Indonesia | – | 5 yr, renewable | – |
| Blue Residence United Arab Emirates | – | 10 yr, renewable | – |
| ONE Pass Singapore | Needs income of SGD 30k+ a month ≈ $23k | 5 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the K visa (young STEM talent)?
More entries, longer validity and longer stay than the 12 existing ordinary visa types; figures are set in the implementing rules.
Can I work on the K visa (young STEM talent)?
Exchanges in education, culture, science and technology and related entrepreneurial and business activities.
Is there a tax break for K visa (young STEM talent) holders in China?
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption for non-domiciled residents before six consecutive 183-day years: A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days. It's separate from the visa and has its own conditions.
Tax
Special regime
Foreign-source income paid by overseas payers: exemption for non-domiciled residents before six consecutive 183-day years
Tax relief
Details
- Who: Tax year is the calendar year
A non-domiciled individual who is a Chinese tax resident (183 days or more in the tax year) is taxed on foreign-source income paid by overseas payers only if each of the six preceding years had 183 or more residence days with no single departure of more than 30 days.
Taxed on
Foreign-source income paid by overseas entities or individuals to a non-domiciled resident, at the progressive rates of 3% to 45% when taxable; China-source income is always taxable.
Who it applies to
- Tax year is the calendar year. A person domiciled in China is a resident individual; a non-domiciled person is resident after 183 or more days of residence in the tax year.
- For a non-domiciled resident, foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt on filing if any of the six preceding years has fewer than 183 residence days, or there was a single departure of more than 30 days in any of those years.
- If the current year is resident (183 or more days) and each of the six preceding years had 183 or more days with no single departure above 30 days, domestic- and foreign-source income are both taxable in China. The six-year count began no earlier than 2019.
Exclusions
- The exemption covers only income from outside China paid by an overseas unit or person, and requires filing with the tax authority.
- China-source income stays taxable when the payer or client is abroad; services physically performed in China are China-source.
- Individuals domiciled in China are outside this rule.
Days in the country
- At least 183 days in calendar tax year (and each of the six preceding years) · Non-domiciled individual is resident for a year with 183 days or more of residence; foreign-source income paid by overseas payers is exempt unless each of the six preceding years had 183 days or more with no single departure above 30 days.
- More than 30 days in single departure in any of the six preceding years · A single departure from China longer than 30 days breaks the six-year chain.
Tax residence
Domicile covers habitual residence through household registration, family or economic interests. For non-domiciled individuals the 183-day test uses full days of residence in the calendar tax year. A day counts as a day of residence only if the person is in China for the full 24 hours of that day.
Visas
Immigration visa or residence permit does not automatically make a person tax-resident or confer tax exemption; these are tax-statute tests.
Other taxes
Individual income tax scope only. VAT, social insurance contributions, employer withholding and treaty relief apply separately; resident individuals credit foreign tax paid up to the Chinese tax payable on that income and declare foreign-source income between 1 March and 30 June of the following year.
Checked against official sources on Change log
More in China
Special talent visas elsewhere
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-10 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Official Q&A on State Council Order No. 814 introducing the K visa · Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security and National Immigration Administration of the People’s Republic of China · checked 2026-10-10
- China to launch new type of visa for young science, technology professionals · State Council of the People's Republic of China · checked 2026-10-10
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.