An Anhui-based university student has launched a lawsuit against the Nanjing Human Resources Social Security Bureau, accusing it of discrimination based on her hukou, or household registration, when refusing her application for a position as telephone consultant, Jiangsu-based Xinhua Daily reported Monday.

A local court in Nanjing on Thursday accepted the case of Su Min, identified under a pseudonym, who has an Anhui province hukou. Her application was refused by the bureau, which said it only considers those with a Nanjing household registration, the report said.

Legal experts told the newspaper that Chinese labor laws and regulations do not have a clear rule stating whether it is legal for employers to reject applicants because of their hukou. However, they added that it is common for public institutions not to accept non-local job applicants based on their hukou.

Su seeks 5024 yuan($819) in compensation and an apology from the bureau.

The bureau says that it only accepts applications from residents with a local hukou because it is unable to offer a competitive salary, which will make living expenses in Nanjing very costly for out-of-towners.

Still, some lawyers said in the same report that despite the absence of a legal framework in place in China to deal with the situation, Su should be able to win her case, given that central government documents have previously mentioned that employers are not permitted to reject job applicants based on their hukou. They added that the bureau's decision is a form of discrimination.