Fresh graduates obtaining a master's or doctoral degree from Shanghai universities and who are employed in the municipality's five new towns and the new area of the free trade zone can now apply for permanent household registration in Shanghai, according to a new policy released by the Shanghai Student Affairs Center on Tuesday.

The center announced that qualified applicants can begin applying for the permanent household registrations in December.

The policy is aimed at attracting more talents to the city, especially to its five new towns – Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui.

Shanghai had in January unveiled the plan to build the new towns as part of its efforts to optimize the development layout and create new engines for future growth.

Official data showed that fresh graduates from institutions of higher education in Shanghai numbered 207,000 in 2021, a rise of 20,000 from last year. Graduates with a master's or doctoral degree accounted for around 30 percent.

The city's existing policies also grant permanent household registration to bachelor degree holders from Peking University, Tsinghua University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Fudan University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University.

PhD graduates from Shanghai universities can also apply for permanent household registration in the city.