"It is high time for the hukou system to be relaxed since China's social and economic structures have changed greatly during the last 50 years," said Du.

Experts see reforms happening as the central government has indicated it is cognizant of the issues and has recently been paying a great deal of attention to the plight of migrant worker. They believed that the new document would encourage local governments to overhaul the system.

Agricultural Minister Han Changfu said in a published article last week, there was some discontent among young migrant workers who wanted equal access to jobs and social services enjoyed by city dwellers.

He saw small and medium-sized cities as a good choice for migrant workers to settle in, where great potential still existed for urban expansion and living costs did not dwarf migrant workers' income levels.

Despite support for changes to the Hukou system, experts also called for prudence in carrying out the reform.

The reform involved a wide range of issues and would not bear fruits in absence of enough jobs and improved social security net, Zheng said.