The Push and Shove for Residency Rights in Beijing

In 2018, many cities in China launched a “New Policy for Household Registration” in order to attract talented workers and to grow local economies. In Xi’an, for example, college graduates with a diploma and ID card can directly obtain a hukou – a permanent residency registration. Beijing’s administration, however, continues to guard its gates tightly for purposes of population control. In 2017, Beijing unveiled a points system for hukou applicants. You can apply if you hold a residence permit, haven’t reached retirement age, have contributed to Beijing’s social security system for seven years or more, and have no criminal record. Applicants can add up their scores across nine criteria to see if they are eligible for a hukou. The cutoff score is different each year depending on Beijing’s population numbers. 

The hukou system has affected the career choices of many Beijing graduates. Not many companies can offer hukou to their employees, and those that do have a limited quota per year. For this reason, graduates from China’s top universities will usually pass on attractive career opportunities if, instead, ...