Stricter visa requirements in Macau

Macau has decided to tighten visa renewal regulations for non-resident casino executives.

Macau.- The city state government announced that  the visa renewal process for non-resident casino executives applying for working visas in Macau will become stricter, in an effort to appoint more local employees in management positions.

The Human Resources Office of Macau commented that after assessing the requests of the six casino operators, which have been in operation for several years in the city state, “we consider these firms already present enough conditions to promote local workers.”

In compliance with the new policy, the office is allowed to deny requests for renewals of non-resident casino executives’ working visas if “there are local workers that can fulfil the necessary conditions to perform managerial roles.”

According to brokerage Sanford Bernstein, Macau locals occupy over 80 percent of manager-and-above positions. A work permit, also known as blue card, is issued to a non-resident who wants to work in Macau. However, Sanford Bernstein said the “renewal applications for management level” such as managers, senior managers, directors and executive directors, among others, “are becoming more difficult.”