The administration is responsible for coordinating and formulating immigration policies and their implementation, border control, administering foreigners’ stay, management on refugees and nationality, taking the lead in coordinating the administering of foreigners who illegally enter, stay or are employed in China, and the repatriation of illegal immigrants.

It was subordinate to the Border Defense Administration of the Ministry of Public Security and implemented an active-duty armed police system.

In July 1998, 9 cities including Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Xiamen, Haikou, and Shantou established the entry-exit border checkpoints, which were vertically led by the Ministry of Public Security.

On January 1, 2019, the public security frontier guards held a collective renewal ceremony and were officially transferred to the people's police.

In this institutional reform, the former public security frontier guards’ provincial corps were transferred and collectively retired from active service, and the provinces (regions) entry-exit border inspection stations were adjusted and established.

Among them, Inner Mongolia, Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, Guangxi, Yunnan, Tibet and nine border provinces (regions) including Gansu, Xinjiang, etc.

After the reform, the National Immigration Administration led the management of 33 entry-exit border inspection stations and 2 standing force teams.

Also, exit and entry permits to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan can be applied to, received, and delivered within a few minutes on automatic machines.