Guangdong has taken the lead nationally by introducing a new accumulated points system to grant urban hukou, or household registration, to migrant workers.
The province plans to attract 1.8 million migrant workers to become urban residents via the system before the end of 2012, according to Lin Wangping, vice Director General of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Human Resources and Social Security.
"In addition to helping speed up the province's urban construction, the accumulated points system aims to let more migrant workers share the province's economic growth together with urban residents and help build a harmonious society," Lin told a press conference Monday.
"Guangdong encourages more farmer-workers to settle in cities and become urban residents in the coming years," she said.
Guangdong aims to achieve an urbanization target of 67.5 percent by the end of 2012.
Mass incidents and social conflict would be avoided or reduced in the years ahead when the group of former farmers can enjoy the same social benefits as their urban counterparts, she said.
Farmers and migrant workers now do not enjoy the same treatment as their urban counterparts in employment, education, health care and social security.
Under the new system, which will come into effect later this month, migrant workers who have more education and higher technical skills will have an advantage in being granted urban household registration.
Farmers who graduated from junior high school will receive only five points while university graduates will receive 80 points. Sixty points will earn a migrant worker urban hukou.
Those who violate the country's family planning policy or who have criminal records will have points deducted.
The point system is expected to attract more migrant workers to settle in small and medium cities and towns in the province, Lin said.