What’s new: China unveiled a new visa program for professional talent in the Greater Bay Area Thursday that will allow multiple entries to Hong Kong and Macao from the mainland starting Feb. 20.
The new permits will allow eligible holders stay as long as 30 days, the National Immigration Administration said. Currently, travel permits for individual tourists and business visitors from the Chinese mainland allow a maximum stay of seven days in Hong Kong or Macao.
High-end professionals in six categories working in the Greater Bay Area are eligible to apply for the new visas. These are individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the development of the region; scientific researchers; professionals in the education, health and legal sectors; and those with other management and technical skills as recognized by local authorities.
Eligible candidates will be able to apply for visas lasting one to five years, depending on the category. Holders can travel to and from Hong Kong or Macao an unlimited number of times during the validity of the visa.
The administration said the new visa program is expected to make it more convenient for professionals to engage in scientific research and academic exchanges and to inject new momentum into the socio-economic development of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao.
The background: The new professional visa is part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area project, an ambitious plan announced in 2017 to transform the Pearl River Delta into a world-class city cluster to rival famous bay areas centered on Tokyo, New York and San Francisco.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the flow of people between Chinese mainland cities and Hong Kong has declined sharply due to border controls and quarantine requirements.
The Chinese mainland reopened its borders with Hong Kong and Macao Feb. 6, dropping existing quotas and scrapping Covid test requirements for inbound travelers from the cities. Beijing also started issuing tourist and business visas again Jan. 8 for mainland residents visiting Hong Kong.
Contact reporter Denise Jia (huijuanjia@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
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