I was contacted by Tatiana, a Russian client introduced to me by an old friend, Marian. Tatiana was facing a common yet pressing issue: she required a release letter and guidance through the process of securing a new work permit in China.

Originally, Tatiana arrived in China on a short 90-day work permit for her modeling engagements, which did not include the issuance of a physical card. By the time she reached out for my help, her work permit had already expired, and her residence permit was dangerously close to doing the same—expiring in just a week—making the situation extremely time-sensitive.

She had recently acquired a Shanghai-based company, previously owned by another Russian expatriate, with the intention of issuing herself a work permit through this new business venture. Since her work permit had lapsed, we only needed a release letter, not a cancellation letter. However, her previous employer was reluctant to assist, anticipating that she would simply leave China after her initial employment ended.

I addressed the release letter complication by lodging a complaint with the labor supervision brigade in Shenzhen, who proved to be exceedingly cooperative. My interactions with the Shenzhen brigades have generally been positive; they tend to be efficient and proactive in their duties. Nevertheless, dealing with labor supervision can be unpredictable—some are eager to assist, while others may shirk their responsibilities, leading to the necessity of labor arbitration.

Having resolved the issue of the release letter, the next step was to tackle the Shanghai work permit system. Although Tatiana’s application was initially rejected, we managed to address the issues following the system’s directives. Moreover, she successfully obtained a stay permit in Shanghai, which conveniently eliminated the need to travel to Shenzhen for the application.