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On-campus jobs for international students in China: the posts and the pay rules

Unofficial summary · Sources checked

On-campus work-study posts for international students should mainly be teaching assistant, research assistant, administrative assistant and school public service posts, and the pay for on-campus work-study is arranged by the school as a whole (Article 7 of the Measures for the Administration of Work-Study by International Students at Higher Education Institutions, notice 教外厅〔2021〕2号). Fixed posts are paid by the month, temporary posts by the hour (Article 8). The measures set no amount of money anywhere, so this article gives none.

The measures were issued as notice 教外厅〔2021〕2号 by the General Office of the Ministry of Education together with the general offices of the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the general department of the National Immigration Administration. The notice is dated 29 December 2021, was published on the Ministry of Education website on 12 January 2022, and applies from the date of issue (Article 17). It applies to higher education institutions providing degree education (Article 2). The Chinese text is the official text; the English wording on this page is this site's translation.

What the posts are

Article 7 sets one rule about the kinds of posts and one rule about how they are set up:

  • Posts should mainly be teaching assistant, research assistant, administrative assistant and school public service posts.
  • Posts should both meet student needs and avoid taking up normal study time.
  • The pay expenditure for on-campus work-study is arranged by the school overall.

How pay is set

Post How the measures set the pay Article
Fixed on-campus post Paid monthly; the pay for 40 work hours in a month is, in principle, not lower than the local minimum living guarantee standard, and may be adjusted up or down as appropriate Article 8
Temporary on-campus post Paid by the hour; the hourly pay may reasonably be set with reference to the minimum hourly wage standard set by the people's government of the place where the school is located Article 8
Off-campus post Not lower than the minimum wage standard set by the local people's government or the relevant department; agreed between the employer and the student, with the amount written into the employment agreement Article 8

The two standards named for on-campus posts are different: the monthly one is the local minimum living guarantee standard, the hourly one is the local minimum hourly wage standard. The measures do not state what either standard is in any city.

How many hours

Article 5 sets the limits for both on-campus and off-campus work-study, in principle:

  • Not more than 8 hours a week and not more than 40 hours a month.
  • During winter and summer vacations, not more than 16 hours a week and not more than 80 hours a month.

The 40 hours a month that Article 8 uses as the pay basis for a fixed post is the same figure as the monthly hour limit in Article 5.

Who decides, and what the measures do not say

Article 4 places work-study under the unified leadership and overall arrangement of the school, on the principles of having spare capacity after study, applying voluntarily, giving priority to students with financial difficulty, and observing the law. It requires each school to formulate its own implementing rules, setting out its specific arrangements for international student work-study and the powers and responsibilities of the internal departments concerned. Your school's rules therefore decide the details: which posts exist, how you apply, and how you are paid.

The measures do not say that an on-campus post requires an endorsement on your residence permit. Article 11, which sets the endorsement procedure, is written for off-campus work-study: the student applies within ten days, with the agreement, the school's letter and related materials, to the exit-entry administration of the public security organ at the school's location to have the work-study information endorsed on the residence permit, and a residence permit without that endorsement may not be used for off-campus work-study. Ask your school and the exit-entry office handling your case what paperwork they require.

Questions people ask

Does the school have to give me a post?

The measures do not say. Article 7 says posts should meet student needs, and Article 4 puts work-study under the school's unified leadership and requires the school to make its own implementing rules.

Can I work more than 40 hours a month?

In principle, no. Article 5 caps work-study at 8 hours a week and 40 hours a month, and at 16 hours a week and 80 hours a month during winter and summer vacations. Both limits are stated in principle.

Can I negotiate my pay?

For off-campus work-study, Article 8 says the pay standard is agreed between the employer and the student and the amount is written into the employment agreement, and must not be lower than the local minimum wage standard. For on-campus posts the measures describe how the rate is fixed but set out no negotiation step; the school's rules apply.

Sources

Checked 10 October 2026

This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, and is not published by the bodies named above; where the official text or the instructions of the visa office or exit-entry office handling your case differ, those prevail.

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