AustCham Event | Handling China Employment and Visa Issues Throughout and Beyond COVID-19

Overview

概览

As China’s economy slowly picks up from the impact of COVID-19, many companies are still facing challenging human resourcing (HR) issues, including those related to employment and visas for foreign nationals.

中国经济从新冠疫情的影响下缓慢复苏，众多企业仍面临着挑战性的人力资源（HR）问题，包括就业及外籍人士签证相关的问题。

In these difficult and uncertain times, some companies are forced to lower their costs to survive before the general economic situation recovers, which often means salary reductions and/or employee layoffs.  However, complying with the relevant laws and regulations and following the proper legal procedures can be complicated.

在这艰难且不确定的时刻，部分企业被迫降低成本以在总体经济状况复苏前求生，这通常意味着减薪和裁员，或两者之一。然而要遵守的相关法律法规及正当程序却可以相当繁复。

Other companies, on the other hand, are desperate for their foreign employees to return to China for work since the ban on the entry of foreign nationals into China after March 28. Key developments since the ban include a fast-track channel allowing select foreign nationals (e.g., senior executives of large companies) to apply for special entry, and most recently an announcement on 10 August by the Chinese Embassy in Denmark that China will allow eligible foreign nationals from 36 countries to apply directly for a Chinese visa from the Chinese Embassy or Consulate in those countries. However, in either case, applicants must still meet certain eligibility criteria and go through specific procedures to apply for and successfully obtain a visa.

另一方面，自3月28日禁止外籍人士入境以来，其他企业就对他们的外籍员工回中国工作翘首以盼。 禁令颁布以来的重要进展包括允许特定外籍人士（如大公司高管）通过一种快速通道申请特殊入境，以及最近中国驻丹麦大使馆在8月10日宣布，中国将允许36个国家符合资格的外籍人士直接从各当地中国大使馆或领事馆申请中国签证。然而无论是以上哪种情形，申请人都应该符合一定的资格标准并且通过特定程序申请并成功获得签证。

Join Zhong Lun Law Firm and Valueplus Consulting, in collaboration with the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) South China and the British Chamber of Commerce (BritCham) Guangdong, for our upcoming seminar as we address employment and visa issues throughout and beyond COVID-19.

与中伦律师事务所及柏诚睿智咨询公司一起，联合澳大利亚商会华南分会（AustCham）及英国广东商会（BritCham），参加我们即将举办的研讨会，探讨新冠疫情前后的中国就业和签证问题。

 

Content

内容

Zhong Lun Law Firm’s and Valueplus Consulting’s presentations will include, but are not limited to, the following content:

中伦律师事务所及柏诚睿智咨询公司的展示内容将包括但不限于以下内容：

Zhong Lun Law Firm:

中伦律师事务所

• Labour laws and regulations related to terminations, lay-offs, and salary reductions amid COVID-19 在新冠疫情期间终止劳动关系、裁员以及减薪相关的劳动法律法规

• How to legally terminate or lay-off employees due to the economic impact of COVID-19 and other reasons? 如何在新冠疫情的经济影响等原因下合法终止劳动关系以及裁员？

• What procedures need to be followed during and after terminating employees? 解雇员工时及之后需要依照什么程序？

• What is the difference between a lay-off and a normal termination? What are the pros and cons of each? 裁员与普通终止劳动关系有何区别？各自优劣为何？

• Can I reduce my employees’ salary or working hours due to the economic impact caused by COVID-19? If so, what are the processes I should follow to do this legally? 我可以因新冠疫情造成的经济影响减少劳动者的薪酬或工作时间吗？如果可以，我都要遵守什么合法程序？

• Under what conditions must an employer pay an employee severance pay upon the employee’s termination of employment? 在什么情况下用人单位必须在终止员工劳动关系时支付劳动者遣散费？

• For what reasons can an employer terminate an employee without paying the employee any severance pay? 出于什么原因用人单位在终止与劳动者的劳动关系是可以不用支付遣散费？

• Case studies. 案例分析。

Valueplus Consulting:

柏诚睿智咨询：

• Who is eligible to apply for a new visa to return to China without an Invitation Letter from China Foreign Affairs Office? 谁有资格在不具有中国外交部邀请函的情况下申请入境新签证？

• Who must obtain an Invitation Letter to be eligible for a new visa to enter China? 谁必须具有邀请函才有资格申请新签证入境？

• How to apply for an Invitation Letter and how long will it take? 如何申请邀请函，这会耗时多久？

• What to do if the work permit and residence permit is about to expire when I’m still outside China? 若在我位于境外期间工作证和居留证都即将过期该怎么办？

• What are the 14-day quarantine procedures after I come back to China? 在我回中国后14天隔离程序是怎样的？

• Tips on dealing with typical visa cases. 处理典型签证案例的技巧。

Following the presentations there will be time for Q&A and networking.

展示后将有提问及交流环节。

 

Event Details

活动细节

Date: Tuesday 22 September

Time: 2:00pm – 4:30pm

Venue: Zhong Lun Law Firm, Shenzhen Office

Address: 8-10/F, Tower A, Rongchao Tower, 6003 Yitian Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518026, P. R. China

Price: Members 50 RMB, Non-members 150 RMB

日期：9月22日星期二

时间：下午2:00-4:30

地点：中伦律师事务所深圳办公室

地址：广东省深圳市福田区益田路6003号荣超中心A栋8-10层

价格：会员50元，非会员150元

Scan the QR code below to register now

扫描下方二维码立刻注册

 

 

Speakers

主讲人

 

Kent Woo吴清发

Partner合伙人

Zhong Lun Law Firm中伦律师事务所

Kent Woo is a Partner at Zhong Lun Law Firm Guangzhou Office, where he heads its premier international trade and investment team. Fluent in English and Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Kent and has over 20 years of experience providing legal advice and services to international companies doing business in or with China. Kent’s expertise includes corporate and commercial law, foreign direct investment, mergers & acquisitions, labour & employment, intellectual property, compliance & investigations, criminal defense, and litigation & arbitration. His clients are mainly multinational corporations and small and medium enterprises from various countries and regions around the world, including from Europe, the United States, India, Israel, Australia, and Hong Kong.

吴清发律师（Kent Woo）是中伦律师事务所广州办公室合伙人，带领着优秀的国际贸易及投资团队。Kent英文及中文流利（普通话及粤语），拥有超过20年为在中国经营或与中国开展贸易的跨国企业提供法律意见及服务的经验，Kent的专业领域包括公司法及商法、外商直接投资、企业并购、劳动就业、知识产权、合规调查、刑事辩护，以及诉讼仲裁。他的客户主要是跨国企业以及来自世界各个国家及地区的小中型企业，包括欧洲、美国、印度、以色列、澳大利亚和香港。

 

Matthew Warr马啸

Legal Consultant法务顾问

Zhong Lun Law Firm中伦律师事务所

Matthew Warr is a Legal Consultant at Zhong Lun Guangzhou Office. Matthew has a wealth of experience providing legal advice and services to international companies investing in or trading with China, and like Kent his expertise lies in the abovementioned areas. His clients mainly comprise companies from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Europe and South East Asia. Matthew is also a Board Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) South China, is fluent in English and Chinese (Mandarin), and has lived in China for more than a decade.

马啸（Matthew Warr）是中伦律师事务所广州办公室的法务助理。Matthew具有为在中国经营或与中国开展贸易的跨国企业提供法律意见及服务的丰富经验，他与Kent一样专长于上述领域。他的客户主要来自澳大利亚、美国、英国、加拿大、欧洲以及东南亚。Matthew同时也是澳大利亚商会华南分会（AusCham）的董事之一，英文及中文（普通话）流利，已在中国生活十年以上。

 

Betty Zhang张璠

Founder and General Manager创始人及总经理

Valueplus Consulting柏诚睿智咨询公司

Betty Zhang is the Founder and General Manager of Valueplus Consulting. Betty has 10 years of HR experience in Fortune 500 companies such as Samsung and PwC, and is an expert on Chinese visa policies, labour law, and talent attraction, development and retention. She established Valueplus Consulting to assist foreign companies in every stage of their growth including but not limited to their entry into China as well as their sustainable development and expansion throughout China.

Betty Zhang是柏诚睿智咨询公司的创始人及总经理。Betty在世界500强企业如三星和普华永道拥有10年的人力资源经验，同时也是中国签证政策、劳动法以及人才招揽、发展和保持方面的专家。她创立柏诚睿智咨询公司为外国企业的每个成长阶段提供帮助，包括但不限于进入中国市场以及其在中国的可持续发展及扩张。

About Zhong Lun Law Firm

关于中伦律师事务所

 

Zhong Lun Law Firm is a market leading, full service Chinese law firm. Since its founding in 1993, Zhong Lun has become one of the largest law firms in China, with 340+ partners and 2,100+ lawyers and professionals, including both recognized leaders in the Chinese legal profession and experienced senior lawyers from top international law firms.

中伦律师事务所是一家业界领先，服务全面的中国律所。自1933年创立以来，中伦已经成为中国最大的律所之一，拥有340多名合伙人以及2100多名律师及法律专业人士，其中既有中国法律职业的领军人物也有来自顶级国际律所的资深律师。

Zhong Lun offers legal services across 28 core practice areas, and has a network of 11 domestic offices in mainland China in the leading centres of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan, Chongqing, Qingdao, Hangzhou, Nanjing and Haikou as well as an office in the international gateway city of Hong Kong. Zhong Lun also has international offices in Tokyo, London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Almaty, and maintains cooperative relationships with leading law firms in numerous countries and territories around the world for both inbound and outbound China-related matters. Zhong Lun is therefore well-positioned to provide clients with high quality legal services across a wide range of industries and sectors not only in China, but also in more than 90 jurisdictions around the world.

中伦提供跨28个核心实践领域的法律服务，具有由11个国内办公室组成的工作网络，分布在中国大陆主要中心地区如北京、上海、深圳、广州、成都、武汉、重庆、青岛、杭州、南京和海口，以及国际门户城市香港。中伦也拥有位于东京、伦敦、纽约、洛杉矶、三藩市以及阿拉木图的国际办公室，同时与世界各地大量国家与地区的顶尖律所在中国出入境相关事务上保持合作关系。因此不仅是中国境内，同时在全球90多个地区，中伦在为大范围行业及领域的客户的提供不局限于中国境内的高质量法律服务上都具有极大优势。

You can scan the QR below to follow Zhong Lun’s WeChat account:

您可扫描下方二维码关注中伦微信账号：

 

About Valueplus Consulting

关于柏诚睿智咨询公司

Valueplus Consulting is a leading corporate services company in South China. Valueplus Consulting provides foreign and local Chinese companies with a full range of corporate and human resources consultancy services. If you are a company wanting to enter the Chinese market, or in need professional corporate services, or looking to streamline existing operations, Valueplus Consulting can help. Our services include work visas, HR adv

isory, accounting and tax advisory, tailor-made training, talent development and retention etc.

柏诚睿智咨询公司是华南地区领先的公司咨询机构。柏诚睿智咨询公司为外国及中国本地企业提供一系列全面的企业及人力咨询服务。如果您是一家有意进入中国市场的公司，并需要专业的企业服务，或想要精简现有的运营体制， 柏诚睿智能够为您提供帮助。我们的服务包括工作签证、人力资源咨询、会计及税务咨询、定制培训、人才发展及保持等等。

You can scan the QR below to follow Valueplus Consulting’s WeChat account:

您可扫描下方二维码关注柏诚睿智咨询公司微信账号：

 

About AustCham South China 

关于中国-澳大利亚华南商会-华南

The China – Australia Chamber of Commerce – South China (AustCham South China) was established in 1994 to develop, promote and expand business relations between Australia and China through the representation of its membership.

As a registered NGO office in the People’s Republic of China, AustCham South China serves as Australia’s peak industry advocacy body in South China and supports its members by providing information, connections, business services and government relations assistance.