Chitosan (CS), the only linear cationic semi-synthetic polysaccharide, is well established as an excellent natural adsorbent due to its properties like biodegradability, biocompatibility and good adhesion. CS is an excellent chelating sorbent, intensively used in wastewater treatment due to its high content of amino groups which may serve as coordination sites to form complexes with various heavy metal ions [1-5]. However its poor acidic resistance and mechanical strength made the scientists to find new ways to improve CS chemical resistance, without losing the sorption capacity [4-6]. For this study, novel composite beads based on CS and synthetic polycation, poly(vinyl amine) (PVAm) were prepared and the relation between the preparation strategy and binding capacity for heavy metal ions was investigated. The presence of PVAm in the structure of the composite should increase the mechanical properties and enhance the sorbent reusability. The composites were prepared, as beads, using two cross-linking strategies: (1) “in-situ crosslinking” where the chemical cross-linking with epichlorohydrin (ECH) was performed in tandem with the ionic gelation in sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP), and (2) “post cross-linking” when the ionic cross-linked beads were put in contact with ECH after their formation. Sorption of Cu2+ ions from aqueous solutions onto CS/PVAm composites and cross-linked CS was investigated as a function of the cross-linking strategy. The influence of the sorbent dosage, pH, concentration of metal ion, contact time, and temperature on the sorption capacity of the composite beads was compared with that of the CS beads cross-linked in the same conditions. It was noticed an enhancement of the sorption capacity of the CS/PVA composite compared to that of the crosslinked CS. Also, the “in-situ cross-linked” beads present a higher sorption capacity compared to the capacity of the “post cross-linked” ones.