The National Immigration Administration has published four clear categories under which Mainland residents may apply to settle permanently in Hong Kong or Macao, effective 1 July 2026. The categories cover (1) spousal reunion where the couple has lived apart for three years; (2) children under 18 joining settled parents; (3) adults aged 18–59 caring for both parents aged 60 plus with no other children in the SARs; and (4) parents aged 60 plus with no children in the Mainland joining adult offspring who have been settled in the SARs for at least two years.
![China Updates Approval Criteria for Mainland Residents Settling in Hong Kong or Macao]()
At this stage, many families will be gathering marriage certificates, hukou booklets and proof of funds; VisaHQ’s immigration specialists can streamline that paperwork. Through our China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) we provide document review, notarisation coordination and submission tracking for Hong Kong and Macao settlement cases, helping applicants avoid common errors that trigger delays.
Previously, approval standards were dispersed across internal guidelines, leading to inconsistent outcomes between provincial Public Security Bureaus. The unified rules are expected to shorten processing times from an average of 270 to 180 days and bring greater predictability for HR teams relocating staff families. Applicants must submit hukou deregistration certificates, notarised kinship proofs and proof of financial means sufficient to cover three months’ living expenses in the SAR. Cases exceeding the quota will be prioritised by length of separation and humanitarian factors. The announcement makes clear that economic migrants outside the four categories remain ineligible. For multinational employers the clarification simplifies long-term assignment planning: assignees posted to Hong Kong under intra-company transfer visas can now more easily reunite with spouses after three rather than five years, reducing attrition linked to family separation. However, employers should still budget for SAR health-care surcharges and housing eligibility waiting periods of up to seven years.
At this stage, many families will be gathering marriage certificates, hukou booklets and proof of funds; VisaHQ’s immigration specialists can streamline that paperwork. Through our China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) we provide document review, notarisation coordination and submission tracking for Hong Kong and Macao settlement cases, helping applicants avoid common errors that trigger delays.
Previously, approval standards were dispersed across internal guidelines, leading to inconsistent outcomes between provincial Public Security Bureaus. The unified rules are expected to shorten processing times from an average of 270 to 180 days and bring greater predictability for HR teams relocating staff families. Applicants must submit hukou deregistration certificates, notarised kinship proofs and proof of financial means sufficient to cover three months’ living expenses in the SAR. Cases exceeding the quota will be prioritised by length of separation and humanitarian factors. The announcement makes clear that economic migrants outside the four categories remain ineligible. For multinational employers the clarification simplifies long-term assignment planning: assignees posted to Hong Kong under intra-company transfer visas can now more easily reunite with spouses after three rather than five years, reducing attrition linked to family separation. However, employers should still budget for SAR health-care surcharges and housing eligibility waiting periods of up to seven years.
