A "smart immigration accreditation system" that was developed by the public security bureau of Ma'anshan city, Anhui province, formally launched recently, shortening the visa application processing time from five minutes per case to five seconds, 60 times faster than in the past.

After a month of practice, visa applicants now can provide a two-dimensional code containing their ID number, photo number, mailing address and visa information when applying for a visa. Immigration officers can then quickly read the code from their end and process the application.

Currently, the system is broadly promoted inside the province. It is networked with travel agencies and self-service immigration equipment. What’s more, personal data is now connected and shared between Anhui and 10 other provinces.

By Huang Pei

Edited by Michael Thai