In the past, migrant workers in China have had to rush back and forth between cities to collect dozens of signatures before they could give birth, but an announcement from the nation's family planning authority Monday indicates this will change.
The National Population and Family Planning Commission announcement stated that the procedures required to receive a birth permit would be simplified, a move analysts said herald huge changes for the floating population.
Migrant workers will be able to get birth permits from their workplaces without traveling to their hometowns to seek government proof of their marital and maternity status, according to the announcement.
The move is aimed at saving time and money for couples who do not have a local hukou, (household registration), when they have their first child.
The family planning service permit, known as the birth permit, is a must for residents on the Chinese mainland before giving birth to babies. Without the permit, a new baby will risk becoming a "black member" of a family, as the baby will not be allowed to register with the household, and won't receive a hukou, which is necessary for an education and many kinds of benefits.