SHANGHAI, June 23, 2009 -- With the release of the new household registration policy, also known as Hukou, in Shanghai, many migrants are hoping their lives will become easier as they are granted certain rights and better social welfare. However, people found that getting the paperwork together to prove where one belongs is not such an easy matter.

Qin Weiping has been working in Shanghai for four years..but when her temporary residence card expired two years ago, she was unable to renew it. Not a problem at first--she just maintained her home Hukou in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. But then, she decided to have a baby.

Qin Weiping, a migrant, said, "Neither my husband nor I have a Shanghai hukou. Before delivering a baby in Shanghai, I had to return to Guangxi to get documents to proof that I had never had a child before. And even before I could get the proof, my husband also had to return to his hometown to get a same verification. But officials in my husband's hometown said they couldn't do that. They said we had to provide more documentation about my husband's status since he has been living in Shanghai for too long time."

Qin's baby was born nearly a year and a half ago, but without a local hukou in the family, the baby's regular health care in local hospitals is even more expensive!

Shanghai's newly announced reforms to Hukou policy could help, but only after migrants hold a temporary residence card for a total of 7 years.

Qin Weiping now has a chance to avoid all the inconveniences and enjoy better social security thanks to Shanghai's latest policy to ease hukou application for migrants. But indeed, it will take quite some time. The number of migrants to get a Shanghai hukou is not likely to surge in a short time.

This afternoon At the government office in downtown Luwan District dealing there were no migrants applying for the new hukou--and clearly although the new reforms offer some hope,the application process is not easy.

Chen Minhua, Director of Luwan District Talent Center, said, "There is one important detail. It must be the migrants' employers instead of individuals who can apply for a local hukou for migrants. So to some extent, the efficiency of hukou application will depend on the employers. These days, all of our enquiries are from individuals not their companies."

Nevertheless, Many migrants say they are cautiously optimistic , even if the process is complicated. For example, Qin Weiping knows she'll have to wait at least 5 more years to get a Shanghai hukou, but then her daughter will gain the financial and social advantages of legal residency in the city--and grow up to enjoy a better life.