people from hong kong, macao and taiwan are entitled to the rights of employment in the place of residence, being covered by the social security program and the housing provident fund program after they have obtained a residence permit on the chinese mainland.

under a policy introduced by the state council in 2018, they are also eligible for other public services such as attending public schools, using public cultural and sport facilities, and opening securities accounts.

the policy was introduced to offer more conveniences to people from hong kong, macao and taiwan living on the chinese mainland.

they can apply for a residence permit if they have lived on the chinese mainland for more than six months, and have a legal and stable job, or have been enrolled by a local school.

the shenzhen authority has taken measures to better implement the policy. for example, the city’s public security bureau has streamlined the application procedure to cut the processing period by half to 10 working days.

more than 20 public service halls have been designated citywide to handle the applications. text messages will be sent out to the applicants when a permit is ready for collection.

the exit-and-entry authority extends the business travel permits from one year to five years for employees of qianhai-based enterprises.

the efforts to facilitate border crossing and to enhance business exchanges have been well-received.