Beijing detailed rules on its new point-based household registration system on April 11. The system establishes a point system for people seeking a residence status in Beijing to determine their qualifications.
The much-coveted Beijing residence status, or hukou, entitles holders of the registration document to social welfare in the capital. By the end of 2017, the number of registered Beijing residents reached 13.59 million, while the city's permanent population totaled 21.7 million in the same period, according to the municipal bureau of statistics. The point-based hukou registration system has been piloted in other major Chinese cities, and Beijing's authorities have deemed the pilots to be fair and effective in balancing quality and quantity in the newly registered permanent residents.
Under the new policy, those non-natives who are eligible to accumulate points for obtaining the document should meet four requirements: They are under the legal retirement age; they have a temporary Beijing residence permit; they have made social insurance payments for seven consecutive years; and they have no criminal record. This year's hukou quota will be decided based on the city's population capacity, which will be announced after Sept. 5.
This year's registration, based on the new point system, will be open to applications between April 16 and June 14. The Beijing Municipal Human Resources and Social Security Bureau has launched a section on its official website (www.bjrbj.gov.cn/jflh/) to explain the policies and handle applications. Applicants should submit their applications through their employers on this portal, fill out forms and undergo eight procedures to check their points and review their qualifications.
Applicants are graded based on nine grading categories. Those with stable employment, stable homes in Beijing, strong educational background, achievements in innovation and entrepreneurship, good tax records, awards and few administrative detentions are likely to obtain high scores in the grading system. Those under the age of 45 and have moved their workplaces or homes from Beijing's six major districts to other districts also score additional points. After application closes on June 14, the applicants' files are audited. The names, occupations and scores of newly registered Beijing residents will be announced for public review in the fourth quarter of the year.
Plans to introduce a points-based hukou registration system in Beijing were first announced in August 2016, which authorities hope was enough time to guarantee people's rights and establish a stable living situation for skilled non-native residents. According to local authorities, other existing channels for obtaining a Beijing hukou, such as for new college graduates in Beijing, will not be affected by the new system.
The new point system is part of the nationwide reform of the household registration process in China. The Chinese government has been issuing new policies on urbanization planning and reforming the household registration system since 2014. Various household registration regulations have been introduced based on the size of the cities in order to promote orderly flow and reasonable distribution of the population and social integration.
