The General Office of the State Council has recently issued the Measures for Applying for and Issuing Residence Permits for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents (the "Measures"), with effect from September 1, 2018.
The Measures provide that, a Hong Kong, Macao or Taiwan resident who has lived in the mainland for more than half a year, may apply, on a voluntary basis, for a residence permit in accordance with these Measures, provided that he or she has a legitimate and stable job, a legitimate and stable residential address, or continuous school attendance in the mainland. Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents who are under the age of 16 may apply for mainland residence permits via their guardians. According to the Measures, the residence permits for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents, valid for five years each, will be issued by public security organs of people's governments at the county level. Furthermore, the Measures explicitly state that, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents holding such residence permits will have rights to seek employment, to join the social insurance scheme, and to contribute, withdraw and use the housing provident funds, at their respective places of residence. They will also enjoy convenience in nine aspects in the mainland, such as "handling financial business concerning banking, insurance, securities and futures".