1. Introduction

According to Chief Executive’s Written Instructions No. 191/2020 (Approval of the Format of the Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card), starting from 14 March 2021, the Public Security Police Force will issue a new Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card (“Non-resident Worker’s Card”) to non-resident workers. The launch of the Non-resident Worker’s Card will make it more convenient and efficient for both the employers and non-resident workers. It will also facilitate our cooperation with the government in promoting the development of e-government services.

2. New Features of New Non-resident Worker’s Card

(1). It is made of polycarbonate, the same material used in making the current Macao Resident Identity Card. The new Card is more durable and nice-looking than the old Card. Besides, more security techniques (e.g. optically variable image, colour UV-printing, etc.) are employed to enhance the security of the Card.

(2). It is contactless with an embedded chip, which contains not only the information shown on the Card but also the holder’s marital status and travel document information. By reading the information on the chip with certain electronic equipment, the relevant departments and organizations can conduct government administration and procedures electronically, hence enhancing operation efficiency.

(3). According to statistics, every year, a number of employment relations (around 40 thousand workers last year) are terminated before the expiry of the Authorization to Stay as Worker (i.e. the expiry of the Non-resident Worker’s Card). There are also situations in which the Authorization to Stay as Worker becomes invalid because the employment authorization is annulled. In such cases, the expiry date shown on the old Non-resident Worker’s Card often cannot precisely reflect the real situation. Therefore, in order to know exactly the non-resident worker’s limit of stay to protect the rights and interests of the worker, the employer, and the opposite party in a legal relationship, and to ensure the effectiveness and convenience of the inspection and management of the government departments, no expiry date will be shown on the new Non-resident Worker’s Card. Instead, there will be a QR code for checking the real-time validity of the Authorization to Stay as Worker.

(4). Since no expiry date will be shown on the new Non-resident Worker’s Card, as long as there is no change in the information displayed on the Card, in principle, there is no need to *replace the Card during renewal. In this way, administrative cost is saved; administrative procedure is simplified. The environment is also protected since consumption is reduced. (*Card should be replaced in the following situations: Card damage, change in employment relation, change in post or position, etc.)

(5). In the future, we will add the function of renewal of the Authorization to Stay as Worker to the 24-hour self-service kiosks located at different places in Macao. Since Card replacement is not necessary, the non-resident workers will not have to approach any of the three application locations to replace their Card. For renewal, all they have to do is just to place their Card on our self-service kiosks, update the validity of their Authorization to Stay as Worker instantly and print the Slip of Authorization to Stay. They can do this at any time after the renewal application submitted by their employer is approved (e.g. the employer submits an online application for the domestic helper through the Common Access to Public Services of the Macao SAR and obtain the examination result instantly).

3. Validity Check by Scanning

(1). Since the new Non-resident Worker’s Card will not show the expiry date (the expiry date of the Authorization to Stay as Worker) any more, non-resident workers can easily conduct a real-time check of the expiry by using their mobile phone to scan the QR code on the Non-resident Worker’s Card, and keep a record by capturing the screen or by taking a photo. In addition, they can make use of the self-service kiosks of the Identification Bureau or the Public Security Police Force (located at the different government service points and offices in Macao and on the Islands, of which 49 belong to the Identification Bureau and 6 belong to the Public Security Police Force). After checking, they can print or take a photo to keep the access record so as to make sure that they are in the status of legal stay.

(2). Other opposite parties or entities (e.g. hotel, hospital, bank, landlord, etc.) that have a legal relationship with a non-resident worker should request the non-resident worker to provide a real-time access record of the expiry of the Authorization to Stay as Worker. With the consent of the non-resident worker, they may also scan the QR code on the Non-resident Worker’s Card with an electronic device or conduct a real-time check by other means, and keep a record to protect their own rights and interests.

4. Online Inquiry and Information Update by Non-resident Workers

To align with the launch of the new Non-resident Worker’s Card, the current Inquiry System of Archived Digital Copy of Non-resident Worker’s Identification Card will later be renamed Online Services for Non-resident Workers. Additional information and functions will be provided to facilitate the non-resident workers and protect their rights and interests. After logging in the system with a password, non-resident workers may access information such as the status of their Authorization to Stay as Worker, their registered personal information and employment agency information, employment history in the past five years, etc.. Besides, they can report or update their contact information through the system.

5. Conclusion

At present, there are about 170 thousand non-resident workers in the Macao SAR. Since the old Non-resident Worker’s Card remains valid until the Authorization to Stay as Worker expires, it is expected that it will take 2 years to replace all the Cards.

We will continue to adhere to our objectives of “putting the people’s interests first, dauntless reform and innovation” to develop more self and online services. We will also grasp the opportunity of e-government services development and continue to introduce convenient and facilitating measures so as to provide better quality services to the residents and non-resident workers.

For more information about the new Non-resident Worker’s Card, please visit our website at https://www.fsm.gov.mo/psp/. Inquiries can be made by sending email to sminfo@fsm.gov.mo, by calling our service hotline at 2872-5488, or by visiting our three service points (the Immigration Building at Pac On, Centro de Serviços da RAEM, Centro de Serviços da RAEM das Ilhas) during office hours.