 It is not known which year Qiao Lin was born, but it is known that his family was from Taiyuan.He was poor in his youth and lost his father early, but was studious and became known for his literary abilities.Early in Emperor Xuanzong's "Tianbao" era (742-756), he passed the imperial examinations and was made the sheriff of Chengwu County (成武, in modern Heze, Shandong) and later the sheriff of Xingping County (興平, in modern Xianyang, Shaanxi).