Moves to boost mainland business, skilled staff travel

The central government on Sunday announced measures to facilitate visits by mainland business representatives and skilled workers to Hong Kong. According to the National Immigration Administration, mainland residents holding Business Visit Endorsements will be permitted to stay in Hong Kong for up to 14 days, starting from May 6. Mainlanders who wish to travel to Hong Kong for business purposes are required to obtain an exit endorsement for business visit from the mainland authorities, and at the moment they're allowed to stay here for up to one week. The authorities also announced that mainland residents can apply for the travel document at any relevant offices across the country, regardless of the applicant's place of household registration or place of residence. Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Wang Ling from the National Immigration Administration said the change can benefit more than 100 million business entities across the country. "This change aims to better meet the needs of long-term business activity and to support business professionals in seeking opportunities and conducting in-depth business negotiations. According to our preliminary estimates, the new policy is expected to benefit over 100 million businesses and more than 30,000 enterprises and institutions that have registered and applied for multiple Business Visit Endorsements," she added. Officials also said they will extend the multiple-entry visas for skilled workers to visit Hong Kong and Macau, which previously applied only to Greater Bay Area residents. From May 6, eligible talent from Beijing and Shanghai will too be able to apply for the visa to visit the two SARs, with each stay limited to 30 days. Secretary for Labour and Welfare Chris Sun thanked the central government for the new measures, saying they would help the SAR to attract talent. "The two new measures will facilitate Hong Kong's further integration into the national development and achieve concrete results on the solid policy foundation of facilitating the 'southbound and northbound' two-way flow of talents," a government spokesperson added in a statement. The spokesperson also said the SAR government will continue to promote talent exchange with the mainland authorities, to create a stronger drive for growth in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.