Work permit requirement halted for Taiwan, HK, Macao employees

Residents of Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao will no longer need work permits when they are hired by enterprises on the Chinese mainland, meaning they will be treated the same as local residents.

That was one of the 11 items for approval late last week by the State Council, China's Cabinet. Previously, enterprises on the mainland had to apply to city-level authorities for approval to hire employees from the three places. Work permits for residents of Taiwan and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macao had been required for more than two decades.

To get one, residents of the three regions had to submit several documents, including the would-be employer's business license, the employee's health certificate and a valid travel document. The permit had to be renewed every two years, and a change of employers meant reapplication for the permit.