The high number of requests and applications for the renewal of residency permits currently pending processing at the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) came to the fore of the Legislative Assembly (AL), headed by lawmaker Wong Kit Cheng.
In an inquiry to the government, the lawmaker recalled that there remains a very large number of requests that are pending, causing chaos in the lives of those involved. This is the case despite the recent processing of a few applications under the residency application scheme for investors, managerial personnel, and professionals with special qualifications.
“According to the information [I received], some professionals have served in different economic sectors, but due to the cases [of illegalities reported in 2018], the process of their applications for residence establishment is slow or has been stopped and, in some cases, the permit to stay was even canceled,” Wong noted.
The lawmaker referenced professionals working in higher education and research, along with highly qualified professionals in the fields of science and technology, medicine, and finance. Wong said that these people, “who have been working in Macau for many years and have professional qualifications and knowledge,” were facing the prospect of “their non-permanent resident identity cards not [being] renewed without a clear justification for this, or they have been pending for a long time, therefore, with expired documents.”
“Life for the whole family became difficult, as they can only stay in Macau through the use of a ‘permit to stay’, like people waiting for repatriation and stranded domestic workers,” Wong added. “They cannot work, their children cannot go to school or go to the doctor, and [they] even have difficulties of getting in and out of Macau. With no alternatives, they [have] ended up suing the authorities. The activities of the companies or entities they work for were severely affected.”
The lawmaker argued that this situation is not only taking a lot of time and resources from the government, applicants, and the companies or entities – it has also shaken the confidence of highly qualified professionals that want to come to Macau. This problem is particularly important, as the government is launching a new talent program calling on these professionals to apply.
According to Wong, the government must solve the problem of the IPIM cases as soon as possible to avoid losing talent for their program.
