Foreign non-resident workers in the Macau SAR who have been inoculated with the BioNtech vaccine are now eligible to apply for a visa for the mainland.
To apply, all foreigners in the region must have been inoculated with vaccines against Covid-19 recognized by Macao Health Bureau and carrying valid certificates of vaccination issued by Macao Health Bureau. They can apply for all categories of visas to the mainland of China, as cited in a FAQ list of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China in the SAR.
In March, China eased visa rules for foreigners who had gotten Sinopharm jabs.
Following the suspension of visas for about a year, Macau residents without Chinese nationality were only able to apply for Chinese visas from March 15.
Foreigners visiting the mainland for work will face less paperwork in the visa application process if they are able to prove they received vaccines produced in China, as cited in a Bloomberg report.
The change comes as China promotes its home-grown shots globally, amid competition from Western vaccines.
Following this mandate, many non-resident workers – particularly those who wish to change jobs – have taken the Chinese jab to fulfill one of the requirements so that they can change employers.
Since the implementation of the new labor law for migrant workers late last year, non-resident workers who wish to change employers should leave Macau and only return with a working permit issued by the immigration department. This permit is similar to a working visa.
In Macau, the current vaccination rate is about 70% of the population. Almost 800,000 doses of the vaccines had been distributed, and almost 350,000 people had been fully vaccinated.
No Comments