With little fanfare late on 30 June, China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) released Notice No. 3 of 2026, revamping the criteria that allow mainland residents to obtain permanent settlement (“dingju”) status in the Hong Kong or Macao Special Administrative Regions. The new rules—effective 1 July—replace a patchwork of local pilot schemes with a single, nationwide standard. Under the revision, applications are divided into four family-reunion categories.
![China Tightens Approval Rules for Mainland Residents Settling in Hong Kong and Macao]()
For applicants navigating these revised settlement rules, VisaHQ can serve as an invaluable partner. Through its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), VisaHQ offers step-by-step support on document preparation, notarisation, translation and appointment scheduling, helping families and employers streamline filings and avoid costly delays.
Spouses who have lived apart for at least three years may now reunite; minor children under 18 can accompany parents already settled in the two SARs; adult children aged 18-59 may relocate to care for both parents who permanently reside in Hong Kong or Macao and are over 60 with no other children there; and parents aged over 60 with no children on the mainland may join adult children settled in the SARs. Quotas will continue to apply and approvals will be handled by local Public Security exit-entry bureaus. For corporates that assign mainland staff to Hong Kong or Macao long-term, the change offers clearer pathways for family accompaniment and eventual right-of-abode. Immigration counsel note, however, that case numbers are capped and wait-times could stretch past 12 months; early application is advised. Companies should budget for physical-presence requirements—spouses must still prove three years of separation, and adult caregivers must produce notarised proof of parents’ age and dependency. The harmonised criteria arrive as Beijing pushes deeper economic integration within the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Stronger family-reunion channels are expected to support talent mobility for cross-border financial services, life-sciences and advanced-manufacturing clusters anchoring in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Employers should watch for further guidance on supporting documents and online appointment slots, which the NIA says will be published “in due course” via the 12367 hotline and provincial portals.
For applicants navigating these revised settlement rules, VisaHQ can serve as an invaluable partner. Through its dedicated China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/), VisaHQ offers step-by-step support on document preparation, notarisation, translation and appointment scheduling, helping families and employers streamline filings and avoid costly delays.
Spouses who have lived apart for at least three years may now reunite; minor children under 18 can accompany parents already settled in the two SARs; adult children aged 18-59 may relocate to care for both parents who permanently reside in Hong Kong or Macao and are over 60 with no other children there; and parents aged over 60 with no children on the mainland may join adult children settled in the SARs. Quotas will continue to apply and approvals will be handled by local Public Security exit-entry bureaus. For corporates that assign mainland staff to Hong Kong or Macao long-term, the change offers clearer pathways for family accompaniment and eventual right-of-abode. Immigration counsel note, however, that case numbers are capped and wait-times could stretch past 12 months; early application is advised. Companies should budget for physical-presence requirements—spouses must still prove three years of separation, and adult caregivers must produce notarised proof of parents’ age and dependency. The harmonised criteria arrive as Beijing pushes deeper economic integration within the Greater Bay Area (GBA). Stronger family-reunion channels are expected to support talent mobility for cross-border financial services, life-sciences and advanced-manufacturing clusters anchoring in Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Zhuhai. Employers should watch for further guidance on supporting documents and online appointment slots, which the NIA says will be published “in due course” via the 12367 hotline and provincial portals.
