Hong Kong's High Court has granted a maid from the Philippines the right to apply for permanent residency, in a landmark decision for foreign domestic helpers in China's special administrative region.

The High Court ruled immigration laws barring foreign maids from applying for permanent residency violate Hong Kong's mini-constitution, called the Basic Law. All other people can apply for permanent residency after living in Hong Kong for seven years.

Hong Kong employs about 290,000 foreign domestic helpers, most of them from Indonesia and the Philippines.