Beijing releases points system for migrants

[Photo: agencies]

The municipal government of Beijing has released the draft of a points-based residence registration system for migrants in the Chinese capital.

According to the residency permit system, applicants should 1) not exceed the retiring age, 2) have a Beijing residence permit, 3) have paid social security premiums in the city for at least seven consecutive years, and 4) not have a criminal record.

Applicants who meet these basic requirements can accrue points based on their educational background, employment and property.

The number of points needed will be determined on a yearly basis and according to the changes in the city's population.

The draft regulation will be put into effect on January 1, 2017 and will be trialed for three years.

This latest move in Beijing is one of the recent steps taken to reform China's Hukou system, which has divided the nation into rural and urban populations since the 1950s and has been blamed for preventing migrants from accessing public services in the cities they work.