Mainland ends work permit requirement for HK residents

Hong Kong residents holding a valid Home Return Permit will no longer have to obtain a separate permit to be employed on the mainland, the State Council said on Friday. The change also applies to Macao and Taiwan residents.

The State Council also ordered the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security to formulate and improve detailed oversight rules in employment services, social security, unemployment registration and labor rights protection for eligible groups after the change, according to a statement released on the council’s website.

The Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, the city’s largest political party, welcomed the State Council’s move, saying it shows the central government’s care for Hong Kong people. The DAB said it would encourage more Hong Kong people to have careers on the mainland.

The measure would also make mainland employers less likely to reject Hong Kong applicants due to complicated administrative procedures, the DAB added.

The work permit requirement for Chinese nationals living in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao, and Taiwan, had been in use since 1994.

The old work permit process required employees from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to prepare documents including the mainland company’s business license, a health certificate issued by recognized institutions and a residential proof. It sometimes took them more than a month to collect all the documents, and the final document had to be renewed every two years. Re-application was also required when a worker changed employers.

Lo Wai-kwok, a lawmaker and chairman of the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong, said the move will make it more convenient for Hong Kong people to work on the mainland. This will facilitate the development of the GuangdongHong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Witman Hung Wai-man, a Hong Kong deputy to the National People’s Congress, the country’s top legislative body, agreed with Lo.

The latest national policy will benefit more Hong Kong people, especially young people studying at mainland universities. It will also help them compete with local graduates in the job market, Hung said.

Stanley Ng Chau-pei, a Hong Kong deputy to the NPC and president of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, the city’s largest labor group, echoed Hung’s views. Ng said the measure was necessary for Hong Kong workers to enjoy the same benefits as their compatriots on the mainland.

It will also simplify procedures when there are labor disputes between Hong Kong employees and mainland employers, Ng said.