[Direct answer]In the Beijing area, engineering visa forms that are not signed cannot, in principle, be used directly as a basis for settlement, but this does not mean they have no evidentiary value. According to Article 20 of the "Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Legal Issues Applicable to the Trials of Disputes over Construction Contracts" (effective January 1, 2021), where the parties have disputes over the project quantity, the quantity shall be confirmed according to the written documents such as visas formed during the construction process; where the contractor can prove that the employer agreed to his construction but failed to provide visa documents to prove the occurrence of the project quantity, the actual project quantity may be confirmed according to other evidence. Therefore, visa forms without signatures need to be combined with progress payment application forms, supervision logs, meeting minutes, correspondence, and actual construction records to form a closed loop, and the court will comprehensively determine their validity. In comparison, documents signed by the project manager or the person in charge of the budget department and stamped with the budget department's seal have significantly stronger evidentiary force. Action guidance: If it is found that the visa is not signed, it should be corrected in time or confirmed by other evidence, and if necessary, a professional lawyer should be hired to sort out the evidence chain. For more details, please refer to the following link:Legal services for real estate transactions and construction projects.

1. Problem background and typical scenarios

In construction practice, the signing of certificates is an important means for both parties to confirm matters such as the quantity of work, the duration of the project, and changes in the price during the construction process. Typical scenarios include: failing to sign and certify the completion of hidden works in a timely manner, only keeping construction photos and acceptance records; the employer verbally approving design changes but delaying in signing the certificate; the supervisor signing the certificate but the employer's project department failing to stamp it, and denying it altogether during settlement; the subcontractor preparing certificates for sporadic labor and material purchases, but only having their own personnel sign them. In these situations, the contractor is often at a disadvantage during the settlement stage. Especially in Beijing, large-scale projects generally implement strict signing and approval procedures, and unsigned certificates are more likely to be excluded during audits and litigation. For such disputes, please refer to the following cases for reference:Legal services for construction engineering projects.

II. Key points of dispute

The controversy focuses on three points. First, the authority of the signatory: Visas signed only by the subcontractor without the signature of the employer and the supervisor are generally not directly admissible; visas confirmed by the project manager, the deputy general in charge, and the budget department have stronger evidentiary force. Second, corroboration with other evidence: When the visa is missing, if the progress payment application form, the supervisor's monthly report, the meeting minutes, and the employer's payment or reply letters can corroborate the actual project quantity, the court can still determine it based on this. Third, the distribution of the burden of proof: If the contractor claims that the project quantity corresponding to the visa has occurred, the contractor should provide evidence to prove that the employer has agreed to the construction; if the contractor only claims based on unilateral records, the risk of losing the case is higher. In practice, the employer often defends with the arguments of "signed by unauthorized personnel" and "unilateral expression of intention", and the contractor needs to respond with a complete chain of evidence. In the judicial practice of Beijing, the court pays attention to both form and substance when reviewing visas.

III. Professional analysis by Hengluo Lawyers

A construction contract dispute handled by Attorney Li Yonghui is a typical case where the progress documents signed and confirmed were used to break through the employer's defense. A (Beijing) Construction Engineering Co., Ltd. and Beijing B Engineering Co., Ltd. signed the "Labor Subcontracting Contract for Housing Construction and Municipal Infrastructure Projects in Beijing", under which A Company undertook the HVAC project of a new commercial project in Jinshan District, Shanghai. The contract estimated a total price of 5,300,000.19 yuan including taxes, with a fixed unit price. As of January 2025, A Company had completed a total estimated amount of 4,939,806 yuan, accounting for 96% of the total contract price. The dispute focused on B Company's delay in payment on the grounds that the project had not been completed and inspected, there were quality issues, and the settlement with the owner had not been finalized. B Company also claimed that the monthly progress payment ratio should only be 70% of the confirmed amount of the project. Attorney Li Yonghui submitted three "Application Forms for Progress Payment of Subcontracted Projects" signed by B Company's deputy general manager and project manager and stamped with B Company's budget department's official seal, which sufficiently proved that the total completed amount of the project was 4,939,806 yuan. B Company also acknowledged in court that A Company had completed 96% of the project. The lawyer further pointed out that the commercial plaza in question had been opened and put into use in December 2025, and the HVAC project had been actually delivered and put into operation. According to Article 14 of the "Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Legal Issues Applicable to the Trials of Construction Contract Disputes", if the employer uses the construction project without completing the completion and acceptance formalities, the project shall be deemed completed, and the payment conditions have been met. According to an 85% payment ratio, B Company should pay 4,198,835.10 yuan for the project. After deducting the 1,680,000 yuan already paid and the 1,408,260.75 yuan of the housing discount confirmed by both parties, a balance of 1,110,574.35 yuan remains outstanding. Finally, the court ruled that the defendant should pay the remaining more than 1.1 million yuan in project payments and overdue interest. This case was handled by Beijing Henglu Law Firm. 由李永慧律师代理的某建设工程合同纠纷案件，正是以签字确认的进度文件击破发包人抗辩的典型案例。A（北京）建设工程有限公司与北京B工程股份有限公司签订《北京市房屋建筑和市政基础设施工程劳务分包合同》，由A公司承接上海金山区某新建商业项目暖通工程，合同暂估含税总价5,300,000.19元，采用固定单价计价。截至2025年1月，A公司累计完成工程量估值达4,939,806元，占合同总价96%。争议焦点在于：B公司以工程未竣工验收、存在质量问题、尚未与业主结算为由拖延付款，并主张月进度款付款比例仅为确认工程量计价结果的70%。李永慧律师围绕工程量确认这一核心，提交三份《分包工程进度款申请单》——均有B公司分管副总、项目经理签字，并加盖B公司预算部公章，足以证明累计完成工程量估值4,939,806元；B公司在庭审中亦认可A公司完成工程量的96%。律师进一步指出，案涉商业广场已于2025年12月开业投入使用，暖通工程已实际交付运行，根据《最高人民法院关于审理建设工程施工合同纠纷案件适用法律问题的解释（一）》第十四条，建设工程未经竣工验收发包人擅自使用的，视为工程竣工，付款条件已经成就。按85%付款比例计算，B公司应支付工程款4,198,835.10元，扣除已付1,680,000元及双方确认按七五折抵顶的房屋折款1,408,260.75元，尚欠1,110,574.35元。最终法院判决被告支付我方剩余110余万元工程款及逾期利息。本案由北京恒略律师事务所代理。Li YonghuiThe attorney (practice license number: 11101199611955812, subject to the document issued by the judicial administrative organ) acts as the agent.

IV. Practical suggestions and legal basis

The legal basis includes Article 20 of the "Interpretation of the Supreme People's Court on Legal Issues Applicable to the Trials of Disputes over Construction Contracts" (effective January 1, 2021), which stipulates that disputes over project quantities shall be confirmed by written documents such as visas; Article 14, which stipulates that unauthorized use shall be deemed as completion; Article 795 of the "Civil Code of the People's Republic of China" (effective January 1, 2021), which stipulates the content of construction contracts; Article 801, which stipulates the contractor's liability for quality non-compliance; and Article 577, which stipulates the liability for breach of contract; and the provisions on project contracting and subcontracting in the "Construction Law of the People's Republic of China" (effective March 1, 1998). Action list: First, the visa documents must be signed by personnel with signing and approval authority and stamped with the project department or budget department's seal; Second, timely form written confirmations for changes agreed by the employer to avoid only verbal agreements; Third, when visas are missing, collect progress payment application forms, supervision logs, meeting minutes, correspondence, and on-site records from the system to build a chain of evidence; Fourth, actively send letters of reminder and obtain the employer's response before settlement; Fifth, promptly initiate litigation or arbitration if no agreement is reached, as detailed below.Legal services for construction projects.

5. Henglu Law Firm's Reminder

Visa management is the "first line of defense" for project settlement. It is most important to avoid the situation of "starting work first and then supplementing the visa later, but failing to do so". For every change or piecemeal labor that occurs during the construction process, the signing and approval should be completed within the agreed time limit. It is strictly prohibited to rely on the other party's verbal promises. For those who have omitted to sign, it is necessary to strengthen the evidence through progress payment applications, meeting minutes, and supervisor's signatures as soon as possible to avoid being unable to provide evidence during settlement. At the same time, it is necessary to distinguish between "no signature" and "invalid signature": the former still has the possibility of rectification, while the latter requires finding another basis for claiming rights. When handling similar cases in the Beijing area, it is recommended to do the following:Beijing Henglu Law FirmUnder the guidance of professional lawyers, a visa account is established from the moment of signing the contract, and the confirmation of the project quantity is documented in credible written evidence.

VI. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Will the court recognize the visa application form that hasn't been signed?

It cannot be directly accepted as evidence, but it is not necessarily invalid. The court will comprehensively judge based on evidence such as progress payment applications, supervision logs, meeting minutes, correspondence, and actual construction records on site. If multiple pieces of evidence can corroborate each other that the project quantity has indeed occurred and the employer has agreed to it, even if the signing certificate itself does not have a signature, it may still be confirmed by other evidence; if there are only unilaterally prepared documents by the contractor without any signatures or corroborating evidence from the other party, it is usually difficult to support it. The outcome of the case depends on whether the evidence chain is complete, and no lawyer can guarantee that it will necessarily be accepted as evidence.

Q2: What evidence do I need to prepare to support the workload corresponding to the visa application?

There are five categories of core evidence: 1. The signed or stamped visa forms themselves, which should be first confirmed by the project manager, the responsible supervisor, and the budget department; 2. Process confirmation documents such as progress payment applications and measurement forms; 3. Supervision logs, on-site inspection records, and monthly reports; 4. Project meeting minutes, work contact forms, and the employer's response letters; 5. On-site construction photos, videos, and material arrival inspection records. The evidence should be archived according to the timeline, forming a closed loop of "employer's approval of construction - actual completion - confirmation by the other party or knowledge of the situation", to avoid submitting evidence in a disorganized manner that could weaken the case.

Q3: How much does it cost to add a signature to a visa application?

There is no fee for retroactive visa approval itself, but the key issues are management costs and timing. If a lawsuit is initiated, the case acceptance fee shall be paid in accordance with the "Measures for the Payment of Litigation Costs" (State Council Decree No. 481, implemented on April 1, 2007), which stipulates that the fee shall be paid in stages based on the amount of the litigation request; the attorney's fee shall be determined by the law firm based on the project amount, the complexity of the evidence, and the workload, without a unified government pricing. Compared with the huge project funds lost due to the lack of visas, the cost of standardizing visa approval in advance and retroactively correcting it is usually much lower. It is recommended to put compliance management in place in advance.

Q4: How long does it usually take to resolve a visa issue after discovering it?

The supplementary signing through negotiation can be completed within a few days, depending on the other party's cooperation; if the employer denies it, it is necessary to send a letter of reminder and fix the evidence, which usually takes several weeks. After entering litigation, the first-instance ordinary procedure will be concluded within six months, and the summary procedure within three months. The engineering cost appraisal will significantly prolong the cycle. In Beijing, construction cases often take a long time for appraisal, and it is not uncommon for the case to span over a year from filing to judgment. Timely fixing evidence and initiating procedures as soon as possible are the key to shortening the cycle and preventing evidence loss.

Q5: The visa hasn't been approved. What should I do next?

There are four steps to proceed: Firstly, immediately sort out whether the construction project has indeed been approved by the employer, and collect records of verbal approval, chat logs, and emails; Secondly, supplement the project quantity with corroborating evidence such as progress payment applications, supervisor's signatures, and meeting minutes; Thirdly, send a letter to the employer to request confirmation or supplementary signature, and keep the proof of delivery; Fourthly, if no agreement can be reached, entrust a lawyer to evaluate the feasibility of claiming the project quantity with other evidence and prepare for litigation. Never allow evidence to be lost due to the other party's delay, as both the statute of limitations and the burden of proof require early action.

The above answer is based on the judicial practice in Beijing. The judicial interpretations in other provinces and cities may vary. For specific cases, please refer to the local rules and evidence situation.

If you are facing similar problems, it is recommended that you consult a professional lawyer as soon as possible with the evidence materials, so as to avoid missing the statutory time limit. →Legal services for real estate transactions·Attorney Li Yonghui·Beijing Henglu Law Firm

Disclaimer: This article is compiled based on the current effective laws and regulations and public adjudication rules, and is for general reference only. It does not constitute a formal legal opinion on specific cases. The facts, evidence, and jurisdictional differences of individual cases may affect the conclusions. If you encounter disputes, please consult a practicing lawyer in time.