City changes residency rules for mainland professionals

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The Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall in downtown Shanghai is packed with shoppers and sightseers yesterday. The city’s public security bureau said the local population had exceeded 25 million by the end of October, including more than 10 million from outside the city. — Xinhua

From next year, Shanghai is to stop allowing professionals from other provinces on the mainland to be included in the collective residency at city and district-based talent service centers, student affairs centers and employment agencies.

The system was established in the 1990s to help professionals outside Shanghai to settle in the city and enjoy the same welfare benefits as residents though they did not have hukou, or registered residency.

After the scheme ends, those needing hukou for, for instance, going abroad or enrolling children in schools can obtain a residency certificate from the police.

The surging number of people registered in the tailored collective residency has overwhelmed public services at these centers, the Shanghai Public Security Bureau said.

The latest move aims to relieve the burden and divert holders of collective residency to community services.

People involved are now encouraged to buy homes or move their residency to that of their spouse, direct relatives or employer’s collective residency and the rest to move to the public residency at their communities.

Those unwilling to move their residency documents or with whom contact has been lost will be included in a controlled list of people who will be refused all residency-related issues and applications for going abroad from June 30 next year.

Once gaining approval from Shanghai’s personnel and education authorities to move to the city, professionals can register at the public residency of the community where they live if they have no spouse, direct relative, real estate or if their employer has no collective residency in Shanghai.

The qualifications of those included in the public residency at their community must be monitored by the police and talent management departments, the bureau said, in a bid to improve administration of professionals from other parts of China.

From now to the end of the year, all talent service facilities must carry out checks of each residency holder’s marriage, real estate, employment and tax status.

The bureau said that by last month, Shanghai’s population had exceeded 25 million, including some 10 million people from other provinces.

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