The government has replaced the old points-based system with a criteria-based regime, making the assessment process more standardised and streamlined
Rules for mainland Chinese settling in Hong Kong and Macao have been updated
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The central government has introduced a new criteria-based system for assessing the eligibility of mainland Chinese settling in Hong Kong and Macao. The new mechanism is expected to allow for a more standardized and streamlined application process, replacing the previous points-based regime, which made calculations based on requirements such as the age of the applicants and their parents, as well as the applicant’s period of separation from a partner residing in Hong Kong or Macao.
In a statement yesterday, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced that the new approval system would be implemented from 1 July, with four categories applying to mainland Chinese settling in Hong Kong and Macao.
The first group targets reuniting couples and accompanying children, and requires the applicant to have been separated from their spouse who is living in one of the SARs for at least 3 years.
Category two covers children under the age of 18 whose parents have settled in Hong Kong or Macao. The third category relates to applicants aged between 18 to 59 whose parents are settled in the SARs, have reached the age of 60 or above and have no children in the SARs.
Group four covers applicants aged 60 or above who have no children on the mainland, but have children residing in the SARs who are at least 18 years of age.
The NIA noted that approval quotas would still apply for settlement in Hong Kong and Macao. When an application has been approved, the mainland applicant is given a one-way permit that allows them to reside in their selected SAR.
How does the new system benefit mainland Chinese settling in Macao and Hong Kong?
Introduction of the new criteria-based standards is expected to give applicants greater certainty. In an interview with local media, Sze Lai-shan, the deputy director of the Society for Community Organisation in Hong Kong, said that in past years, it was difficult to determine the exact number of years for an application to be processed, as the various Chinese provinces and cities adopted different approaches.
When it comes to applications for reuniting couples, she noted that some provinces would begin assigning points so long as the applicant lodged their application after marriage to their spouse living in the SAR. Sze added that in such cases, the mainland resident would wait until their points reached the required total.
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“It [the system] seems to be standardised now, so no one needs to think about it anymore – it’ll take at least three years to receive approval to come to Hong Kong.”
According to Hong Kong’s Immigration Department, the authorities issue no more than 150 one-way permits per day. Data cited by local media indicates that 24,983 one-way permits were issued to individuals wishing to settle in Hong Kong last year, averaging at 68 persons per day.
