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British citizenship and
nationality law
Introduction
Nationality classes
See also
Law relating to former territories
Relevant legislation

British National (Overseas), commonly known as BN(O), is one of the major classes of British nationality under British nationality law. Holders of this nationality are Commonwealth citizens, but not British citizens. They are not granted right of abode of anywhere, including the United Kingdom and Hong Kong,[1] through their British National (Overseas) status.

The creation of the class of British National (Overseas) was a response to the question of the future prospect of Hong Kong back in 1980s, and therefore the nationality was specially "tailor-made" for the Hong Kong residents with British Dependent Territories citizen status by virtue of their connection with Hong Kong, and to let them retain an appropriate relationship with the United Kingdom after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China in 1997.[2] From 1 July 1987 to 1997, around 3.4 million of British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong, who were mainly ethnic Chinese, successfully gained British National (Overseas) status by registration. Hong Kong's British Dependent Territories citizenship then ceased to exist after 30 June 1997.

Upon registration, British National (Overseas) status is for life and will not be lost in case of dual nationality. However, this status cannot be passed on to children or gained after 1997 as the registration procedure ended then. All British Nationals (Overseas) are entitled to enjoy a variety of rights in the United Kingdom and to use British National (Overseas) passport as a travel document. They can apply for or renew their passport if they wish. As at 2007, 3.44 million of Hong Kong residents still retained the status as British National (Overseas), yet the number of valid British National (Overseas) passport had sharply declined so that only 800,000 of them still held a valid British National (Overseas) passport.

Although British Nationals (Overseas) are basically regarded as British nationals under British nationality law, in light of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China and the decision made in the 19th session of the 8th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the People's Republic of China unilaterally regards British National (Overseas) passport as purely a travel document and all British Nationals (Overseas) who are of Chinese descent are automatically and solely regarded as Chinese citizens. As a result, they are not entitled to consular protection in Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland China even if they have never applied for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport.[3]

History

Background

See also: British nationality law and Hong Kong, Sino-British Joint Declaration, and History of Hong Kong

By the late 1970s, it had become a public concern in colonial Hong Kong that the 99-year land lease of the New Territories, a major region of Hong Kong, to Britain was about to expire in around 20 years time. The public concern immediately resulted in a series of negotiations between the Chinese and British government in the early 1980s regarding the future prospect of Hong Kong. The issue was eventually settled down by the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on 9 December 1984. Since then, the future of Hong Kong was destined to be that its sovereignty would be transferred to the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997.

However, the decision reached by the two governments in the Joint Declaration brought uncertainty to the general public of Hong Kong. Many of them were deeply worried about the prospect of being ruled by the mainland Chinese regime and started to have doubts about the future prospect of Hong Kong. In order to avoid Hong Kong people migrating to Britain and other places, and to reinforce people's confidence in the future of Hong Kong, the British government introduced a new class of British nationality according to the provisions of the United Kingdom Memorandum to the Joint Declaration which would allow Hong Kong's British Dependent Territories citizens, who were mostly ethnic Chinese, to retain an appropriate relationship with its former sovereign state, the United Kingdom, after 1997.

Hong Kong Act 1985

After the signing of the Joint Declaration, a new class of British nationality, known as British National (Overseas), was created by the Hong Kong Act 1985 and was passed by the British Parliament. The new nationality was for life, non-inheritable and was specially created for British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong.

File:BNO advertisement.jpg
British National (Overseas) passport advertisement by the British Consulate-General Hong Kong in 2004.

The 1985 Act was brought into effect by the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986. Under Article 4(1) of the Order, it provided that on and after 1 July 1987, there would be a new form of British nationality, the holders of which would be known as British Nationals (Overseas). Article 4(2) of the Order provided that adults and minors who had a connection to Hong Kong were entitled to apply for becoming British Nationals (Overseas) by registration.[4]

Becoming a British National (Overseas) was therefore neither an automatic nor an involuntary process and indeed many eligible people who had the requisite connection with Hong Kong never applied to become British Nationals (Overseas). Acquisition of the new status had to be voluntary and therefore a conscious act. To make it involuntary or automatic would have been contrary to the assurances given to the PRC government which led to the words "eligible to" being used in paragraph (a) of the United Kingdom Memorandum to the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Any person, who failed to register as a British Nationals (Overseas) by 1 July 1997 and would thereby be rendered stateless, automatically became a British Overseas citizen under article 6(1) of the Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986.

No person could become a British National (Overseas) automatically by being born in Hong Kong, by descent or by any involuntary means. A person was required to make an application on the prescribed form to the British authorities, and applicants only became a British National (Overseas) when their application was approved and duly registered under the authority of the Home Secretary. The deadline for applications passed in 1997.

Registration procedure

The registration procedure of the British National (Overseas) status started on 1 July 1987. Any one who held British Dependent Territories citizen status by connection with Hong Kong could register for applying the new nationality in Hong Kong's Immigration Department, passport offices in Britain or any passport offices of the British Embassies, Consulates or Missions abroad. The applicant would automatically gain the new status once his or her application was duly approved. Like the British Dependent Territories citizen passport, the cover of British National (Overseas) passport was originally black in colour. When machine-readable British National (Overseas) passports and British Dependent Territories citizen passports were introduced on 1 June 1990, their cover colour was changed to burgundy. The new machine-readable passport had built-in optical codes which could enable holders to pass through international immigration control points equipped with optical code readers more quickly.

Although the colonial government had continually reaffirmed that the British government adopted the same immigration policy to both British Dependent Territories citizen passport holders and British National (Overseas) passport holders, and the legitimacy of British National (Overseas) passport had not been denied by any country, most Hong Kong residents lost confidence in the new passport in the early years. From 1 July 1987 to 31 December 1989, the Hong Kong government had issued a total of 731,600 passports, in which 85% or 630,700 of them were British Dependent Territories citizen passports. In contrast, only 100,916 of British National (Overseas) passports were issued, which constituted merely 15% of the total number. The figures showed that most people chose to retain their British Dependent Territories citizen status and not to gain the new and additional status when renewing their passports.

In order to facilitate the registration procedure more effectively, the government started to divide Hong Kong's British Dependent Territories citizens into groups by year of birth in 1993, and a deadline for applying British National (Overseas) status and passport was set for each group. The deadlines are shown as follows:

Groups by year of birth of BDTC Deadline for applying BN(O) status
Born from 1967 to 1971 30 October 1993
Born from 1962 to 1966 31 March 1994
Born from 1957 to 1961 31 August 1994
Born from 1947 to 1956 28 February 1995
Born before 1947 30 June 1995
Born from 1972 to 1976 31 October 1995
Born from 1977 to 1981 30 March 1996
Born from 1982 to 1986 29 June 1996
Born from 1987 to 1991 30 September 1996
Born from 1992 to 1995 31 December 1996
Born in 1996 31 March 1997
Born from 1 January to 30 June 1997 30 September 1997

Starting from the mid-year of 1993, applicants were strongly advised to register before the deadline of the group which they belonged to. All late applicants without a legitimate written-explanation would be deprived of their right to register. Most applications were made on or before 30 June 1997, and British Dependent Territories citizenship of Hong Kong officially ceased to exist after that day. However, for the people who acquired Hong Kong's British Dependent Territories citizenship from 1 January to 30 June 1997, in order to let them have ample time for application they were allowed to register by 30 September, which was by then nearly three months after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong. In light of the United Kingdom Memorandum to the Joint Declaration, 31 December 1997 was the final expiry date to register for British National (Overseas) status. After that date, no more new registration could be made, ever.

The measures adopted by the government attracted a large number of Hong Kong residents to the Immigration Department for registration in the final years before the transfer of sovereignty. For instance, from 1 January to 30 March 1996, there were a total number of 200,000 applicants registered to be British Nationals (Overseas). On 30 March 1996, the deadline for people who were born from 1977 to 1981, 54,000 applicants rushed to the Immigration Department Headquarters on Gloucester Road, Wan Chai for registration. The queue was long enough to extend all the way to the nearby Wan Chai Sports Ground and the scene there was so chaotic that a few applicants wrangled and fought with each other on the sports ground.

After the transfer of sovereignty

As of 31 December 1997, around 3.4 million of Hong Kong's British Dependent Territories citizens had successfully gained British National (Overseas) status and there were around 2.7 million valid British National (Overseas) passports in use. In addition, around 2 million Hong Kong residents did not obtain British National (Overseas) status. For those who did not obtain the status, some of them chose not to register because of private reasons, but most of them were not British Dependent Territories citizens and held only Hong Kong Certificates of Identity, and therefore they were not entitled to registration. Besides, some British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong acquired British citizenship before 1997 so they did not need to register to be British Nationals (Overseas).

In the early years after the transfer of sovereignty of Hong Kong, the British National (Overseas) passport was the most popular travel document among Hong Kong people. From April 1997 to the end of 2006, including the number of applications for renewal, the British government had issued a total of 794,457 British National (Overseas) passports. The number of issues reached to a peak in 2001, when 170,000 passports were issued in a single year. However, the number issued since then has declined sharply, so that only 30,000 British National (Overseas) passports were issued in 2006. As of May 2007, around 2.6 million out of 3.4 million of British Nationals (Overseas) did not hold a valid British National (Overseas) passport.[5]

Prior to the transfer of sovereignty, the data of British Nationals (Overseas) were collected and managed by the Immigration Department. Following the transfer of sovereignty, the British Consulate-General Hong Kong has taken over the responsibility for administering the British National (Overseas) database.[5]

From 2006, biometric British National (Overseas) passports have been introduced by the British authority. To largely reduce the opportunity for forgery, each biometric passport bears an "electronic travel document symbol" on its cover and a contactless chip storing digital data including holder's personal data is inserted in a page of the passport.[6]

In October 2007, former Attorney General of England and Wales Lord Goldsmith was commissioned by the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown to conduct a review on the feasibility of future reform of British nationalities. As the Citizenship Review which was released later in March 2008 did not state the British government would reform the status of British National (Overseas), it is certain that such reform will not be taken place in the future. Note that in the proposal, it is suggested that statuses British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person and British Subject are to be abolished.

There was an Immigration Bill to implement the recommendations by Lord Goldsmith in 2007/08.[7] However, the legislation progress was never finished.[8] In 2009, the UK Government expressed that it has no plans to enable more British nationals to register as full British citizens in a House of Commons meeting.[9]

Differences between BN(O) and full British citizenship

British National (Overseas) passport issued between 1990 and 2006.

The Republic of China only fully recognizes British citizens but not British Nationals (Overseas) since they are mostly ethnic Chinese. Holders of British National (Overseas) passports or Hong Kong Special Administration Region passports need an Exit & Entry Permit (landing visa) specific for them to enter Taiwan, but British Citizens are eligible for the full visa-free access programme.[10]

British Nationals (Overseas) are not yet approved to participate in the Visa Waiver Program of the United States. Even the UK Government had asked the US Government to include BN(O)s in the Visa Waiver Program, the request was rejected.[11] The adjusted refusal rate of US B-visas (B1, B1/B2, B2) of BN(O) passport holders in the fiscal year 2008 was 3.3%.[12] That in the fiscal year 2007 was 2.4%,[13][14] which was lower than the 3% or less requirement for the programme. The refusal rate of HKSAR passport was 3.4% in that year, which was above the 3% requirement. Currently, the United States confers "Hong Kong reciprocity" for British National (Overseas) passport holders (as for HKSAR passport holders). The "United Kingdom reciprocity" is not applicable for British Nationals (Overseas). However, for statistical reasons, British National (Overseas) has a different country code HOKO in US visas, while HKSAR passport and HKSAR Document of Identity have the country code HNK. Until November 27, 2009, British Nationals (Overseas) could enter Guam without a US visa while HKSAR passport holders required one.[15][16][17] It is interesting to note that, for student visa applications (F, M and J) (SEVIS), British National (Overseas) passport holders must fill in the nationality field as "Hong Kong" or "China", while British citizens must fill in the nationality field as "United Kingdom".[18]

British National (Overseas) passport holders are eligible for the Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 976) of Australia around the globe, with the restriction that they cannot apply online through the Internet.[19][20] However, only British citizens are eligible for the Australian eVisitor (Subclass 651) [21].

From early 2007, British Nationals (Overseas) have been eligible for full visa-free visit to the European Union. When Jack Straw was Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, he wrote to the European Commission and the European Union arguing that British Nationals (Overseas) passport holders should be granted visa-free access to the Schengen area. The European Union refuses to grant visa-free access to British Overseas Territories citizens without right of abode in the United Kingdom, British Overseas citizens, British protected persons and British subjects based on the ground that these people only have a "tenuous" link with the United Kingdom, as they have no right of abode in the United Kingdom and are subjected to the United Kingdom immigration controls. Nevertheless, although British Nationals (Overseas) currently have no right of abode in the United Kingdom, they are now eligible for visa-free access to the Schengen area. The EU granted visa-free access to BN(O)s because they are re-admissible to Hong Kong and passports issued exclusively to them are highly secure. Moreover, most BN(O)s also hold HKSAR passports.[22][23][24][25][26] Yet, HKSAR passport holders have started to enjoy this privilege in 2001,[27] which contributed to the decline of renewals of British National (Overseas) passports.

Other privileges

Although the status of British National (Overseas) is not granted right of abode of anywhere, British Nationals (Overseas) are themselves Hong Kong permanent residents and thus the following statement is printed in each British National (Overseas) passport:

The holder of this passport has Hong Kong permanent identity card number XXXXXXX(X) which states that the holder has the right of abode in Hong Kong.

British Nationals (Overseas) enjoy visa-free access for up to six months to enter the United Kingdom and the following statement is also printed in each British National (Overseas) passport:

In accordance with UK immigration rules the holder of this passport does not require an entry certificate or visa to visit the UK.

British Nationals (Overseas) are Commonwealth citizens and therefore they can enjoy many rights in the United Kingdom. For example, they are eligible to join Her Majesty's Civil Service and become civil servants, and are eligible to vote if they have lived in the United Kingdom for more than six months.[28] British Nationals (Overseas) can receive peerages and become peers of the House of Lords.[citation needed] They can also be conferred British honours, enjoy working holidays in the United Kingdom and can apply for indefinite leave to remain if they have lawfully resided continuously in the United Kingdom for five years.[citation needed]

If British Nationals (Overseas) intend to study in the United Kingdom, UK Residence Permits (UKRPs) are issued in Hong Kong without charge to them (while a nominal fee is charged if applied for at all other consulates), and they are not required to register with the local police of the place where they study.[29] Different from other British nationalities without right of abode, such as British subject and British protected person, British National (Overseas) status is for life and will not be lost in case of dual nationality or even multiple nationality.

British Nationals (Overseas) are also eligible for the Tier 5 Youth Mobility Scheme of the UK. BN(O) holders who hold funds of £1600 or more and aged 18–30 are eligible for the YMS. YMS entry clearance holders can do whatever they like (with certain restrictions) in the UK for at most two years. Note that BOCs, BOTCs and BN(O)s granted entry clearance under the YMS will not need to be sponsored for the YMS, and will not be included in any allocation of places on the YMS.[30][31]

Restrictions

The class of British National (Overseas) was specially created for British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong, and the British government does not provide them with right of abode in the United Kingdom. Different from most of the nationalities all over the world, the status of British National (Overseas) is neither inheritable nor transferable. It means that the children of British Nationals (Overseas) who are not British Nationals (Overseas) themselves cannot gain this nationality from their parents. In other words, the British National (Overseas) parents have no right to pass this nationality to their non-British National (Overseas) children.

File:Bnocover 001.jpg
British National (Overseas) passport issued from 2006. An "electronic travel document symbol" can be seen at the bottom of the cover.

Apart from that, since no more registration can take place after 1997, the number of living British Nationals (Overseas) actually reached its peak in that year, and therefore this number will continue to drop in future, and will slowly vanish eventually, owing to the aging and decease of them in the long term.

When the nationality law of the People's Republic of China became applicable to Hong Kong on 1 July 1997, all British Dependent Territories citizenships of Hong Kong effectively ceased to exist permanently and cannot be revived. In addition, early in the 19th session of the 8th Standing Committee of the National People's Congress held on 15 May 1996, the Chinese authority explained in detail the adoption of the nationality law of the People's Republic of China in Hong Kong after the transfer of sovereignty, in which the Chinese authority stated that all British Nationls (Overseas) who are of Chinese descent are deemed to be citizens of the People's Republic of China.[3] The decision made by the Standing Committee resulted in the inapplicability of Chapter 9 of Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China towards British Nationals (Overseas) with Chinese descent, which states that "Any Chinese national who has settled abroad and who has been naturalized as a foreign national or has acquired foreign nationality of his own free will shall automatically lose Chinese nationality."

For those British Nationals (Overseas) who are regarded as Chinese citizens by the Chinese authority, starting from 1997, they can hold a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, which is a type of the People's Republic of China passport.

It should be noted the British government has made it clear that British Nationals (Overseas) with Chinese descent cannot enjoy consular protection in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China.[32] In practice, when a senior journalist and British National (Overseas), Ching Cheong, of The Straits Times from Singapore was detained, accused and imprisoned from April 2005 to February 2008 by the government of People's Republic of China for alleged espionage by providing state secrets to Taiwan, the British government refused to provide consular protection to him despite civil rights groups urging the Foreign Office to do so. The British Foreign Office explained that they could provide assistance to Ching Cheong, but they simply could not intervene in the judicial proceedings of other countries.[33]

However, in fact, many Hong Kong residents with foreign passports can enter mainland China as foreigners without hindrance even though they are regarded as Chinese citizens by the Chinese government. The reason is that it is difficult for the Chinese authority to know which Hong Kong residents have dual citizenship. Regarding the United Kingdom, there is no restriction on its nationals to acquire dual nationality.

For British Nationals (Overseas) who have successfully abandoned their Chinese citizenship, or never had Chinese citizenship, such as those ethnic minorities with Indian, Pakistani or Nepalese descent, their British Nationals (Overseas) status may be recognized by the Chinese government and so they may enjoy consular protection in China [citation needed].

Criticisms

The idea of British National (Overseas) is generally criticized by the British nationals of Hong Kong as a nationality of absurdity which shows the lack of commitment and the irresponsibility of the British government, which owes a moral debt to British Nationals (Overseas), by refusing to grant full British citizenship to them. Many of them have suggested that the creation of the category of British National (Overseas) by the British government is to prevent British nationals of Hong Kong, who are mostly ethnic Chinese, migrating to the United Kingdom, and to intentionally weaken its relationship with them.

Comparing with Macau, a former colony of Portugal, many of the Macau residents with Chinese descent were granted right of abode in Portugal when Macau was still under colonial rule. They were not deprived of their right of abode even after the transfer of sovereignty of Macau in 1999, their Portuguese passports and citizenship are valid and inheritable, and it turned out that many of them still choose to stay in Macau.

The discontent towards the concept of British National (Overseas) was especially aroused in the final years under British rule. Many British nationals of Hong Kong were highly disappointed that their sovereign state, the United Kingdom, failed to secure the confidence of Hong Kong residents. In 1995 a legislative councillor, Emily Lau even mocked that the abbreviation "BNO" should be read as "Britain says NO" instead of "British National (Overseas)" since the British government did not assume the obligation to effectively protect the interests of British nationals of Hong Kong.

Furthermore, after the outbreak of the June Fourth Incident in 1989, another legislative councillor, Dr Henrietta Ip criticized heavily the idea of British National (Overseas) and again urged the UK Parliament, to grant full British citizenship to Hong Kong's British nationals in the council meeting held on 5 July 1989, saying that:

...we were born and live under British rule on British land...It is therefore...our right to ask that you should give us back a place of abode so that we can continue to live under British rule on British land if we so wish...I represent most of all those who live here to firmly request and demand you to grant us the right to full British citizenship so that we can, if we so wish, live in the United Kingdom, our Motherland...In fact, your resistance to granting us full citizenship and the right of abode in the United Kingdom reflects your doubt about the Joint Declaration. Yet the more you lack confidence in it, the stronger is the reason why you should grant us full citizenship to protect us from communist rule...I say to you that the right of abode in the United Kingdom is the best and the only definitive guarantee...With your failure to give us such a guarantee, reluctant as I may, I must advise the people of Hong Kong, and urgently now, each to seek for themselves a home of last resort even if they have to leave to do so. I do so because, as a legislator, my duty is with the people first and the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong second, although the two are so interdependent on each other...

Besides, then Shadow Home Secretary, Jack Straw, said in a letter to the then Home Secretary Michael Howard dated 30 January 1997 that a claim that British National (Overseas) status amounts to British nationality "is pure sophistry".[34] The Economist also wrote critically in an article published on 3 July 1997 that "the failure to offer citizenship to most of Hong Kong’s residents was shameful", and "it was the height of cynicism to hand 6m people over to a regime of proven brutality without allowing them any means to move elsewhere." The article commented that the real reason that the new Labour government still refused to give full British citizenship to other British Dependent Territories citizens in around 1997 - because the United Kingdom was waiting until Hong Kong had been disposed of - “would be seen as highly cynical”, as Baroness Symons, a Foreign Office minister, has conceded.[35]

The British Nationality Law 1981 has been criticised that different classes of British statuses are in fact closely related to the ethnic origin of the holder. Ann Dummett, an expert in this area, criticised that "There is no indication at all in our nationality law of ethnic origin being a criterion. But the purpose of the law since 1981, and the manner in which it is implemented, make sure that ethnic origin is in fact and in practice a deciding factor." [36] Ms Dummett also said that the 1981 Nationality Act in effect gave full British citizenship to a group of whom at least 96% are white people, and the other, less favourable forms of British nationality to groups who are at least 98% non-white.[37]

In March 1996, there was a submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination of United Nations. The Government's statement that South Asian residents of Hong Kong are granted some form of British nationality, whether that of a British National Overseas (BNO) or a British Overseas Citizen (BOC), so that no resident of Hong Kong would be left stateless following the transfer of sovereignty is noted with interest. It is, however, a matter of concern that such status does not grant the bearer the right of abode in the United Kingdom and contrasts with the full citizenship status conferred upon a predominantly white population living in another dependent territory. It is noted that most of the persons holding BNO or BOC status are Asians and that judgements on applications for citizenship appear to vary according to the country of origin, which leads to the assumption that this practice reveals elements of racial discrimination. [38]

In recent years, the British National (Overseas) passport has been criticized for being too expensive compared to the much less expensive Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport, which has also gained visa-free access in a large number of countries. As a result, the popularity of British National (Overseas) passport has sharply declined and the number of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport holders has substantially surpassed the number of British National (Overseas) passport holders.[citation needed]

Notice for renewing or applying passport

File:Bno passport opage.jpg
A contactless chip is inserted in every British National (Overseas) passport.

From 1 July 1997, all applications for renewal of British National (Overseas) passports should be dealt with by the British Consulate-General Hong Kong or the nearby British Embassy and British High Commission, or by the Identity and Passport Service if the applicant is in the United Kingdom. The applicant should bring along the following documents when submitting an application:[4]

  • the completed application form,
  • the required documentation,
  • the applicant's Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card,
  • two identical passport photographs taken within the last three months,
  • the appropriate fee.

The adjustment of the application fee is subject to the change of the consular exchange rate between the pound sterling and the Hong Kong dollar. As at 14 March 2010, the passport fees are:[5]

32-page adult (16 and over) passport:[39] HK$1,494
48-page adult 'jumbo' passport: HK$1,806
32-page 5-year passport for a child under 16: HK$954
Emergency Passport: HK$828

In order to honour the contributions made by British nationals during the Second World War, the Home Secretary announced on 19 May 2004 that all British nationals including British Nationals (Overseas) who were born on or before 2 September 1929 can renew their passport for free from 18 October 2004.[40]

See also

Foot notes

  1. ^ [1], Written Answers, House of Lords (4 November 2008)
  2. ^ "United Kingdom Memorandum", Sino-British Joint Declaration, 1984.
  3. ^ a b Explanations of some questions by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress concerning the implementation of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The Nineteenth Session of the Standing Committee of the Eighth National People's Congress, 15 May 1996.
  4. ^ "Connection to Hong Kong" refers to Hong Kong people who gained British Dependent Territories citizen status by birth, by naturalization, by adoption or by descent.
  5. ^ a b Lords Hansard, British House of Lords, 22 March 2007
  6. ^ Biometric-Passports, British Consulate-General Hong Kong, retrieved in 2008.
  7. ^ Immigration Bill
  8. ^ Legislation Progress
  9. ^ Daily Hansard - Written Answers, UK Parliament
  10. ^ "Entry requirements" Taiwan, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, retrieved in 2008.
  11. ^ BNOforUSVWP - epetition response
  12. ^ ADJUSTED REFUSAL RATE - B-VISAS ONLY BY NATIONALITY FISCAL YEAR 2008, the US Government, retrieved in January 2009.
  13. ^ Calculation of the Adjusted Visa Refusal Rate for Tourist and Business travelers under the Guidelines of the Visa Waiver Program, the US Government, retrieved in 2008.
  14. ^ ADJUSTED REFUSAL RATE - B-VISAS ONLY BY NATIONALITY FISCAL YEAR 2007, the US Government, retrieved in 2008.
  15. ^ United Kingdom Reciprocity Schedule, US Department of State, retrieved in 2008.
  16. ^ Hong Kong Reciprocity Schedule, US Department of State, retrieved in 2008.
  17. ^ Traveling to Guam, Consulate-General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau, retrieved in 2008.
  18. ^ SEVIS Nationality and Country of Birth Codes, Consulate-General of the United States, Hong Kong and Macau, retrieved in 2008.
  19. ^ Eligibility, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, retrieved in 2008.
  20. ^ Electronic Travel Authority, retrieved in 2008.
  21. ^ Department of Immigration and Citizenship, retrieved in 2008.
  22. ^ Richard Cooke, Written Evidence, Select Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Commons, 4 December 2006.
  23. ^ Thirty-Seventh Report, Select Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Commons, 2006.
  24. ^ Chris Stanton, Letter to the Clerk of the Committee from the Parliamentary Relations and Devolution Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 4 October 2006.
  25. ^ [2], Written Ministerial Statements (Monday, 4 December 2006), EU: Justice and Home Affairs Council, House of Lords
  26. ^ Letter to the Clerk of the Committee from the Parliamentary Relations and Devolution Team, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, 13 February 2007
  27. ^ "Visa-free access for HKSAR passport holders to Norway and Iceland confirmed", Press Release, Hong Kong Government, 6 April 2001.
  28. ^ Eligibility to Vote, Hart District Council, retrieved in 2008.
  29. ^ Visa & Entry Clearances, Home Office, retrieved in 2008.
  30. ^ TEMPORARY WORKERS AND YOUTH MOBILITY UNDER THE POINTS BASED SYSTEM - (TIER 5) STATEMENT OF INTENT
  31. ^ Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) of the Points Based System Policy Guidance
  32. ^ "SUPPORTING BRITISH NATIONALS ABROAD: A GUIDE TO CONSULAR ASSISTANCE", National News, News Distribution Service, 20 October 2005.
  33. ^ "Ching Cheong Under House-Arrest in China and Allowed to Contact Family", The Sun, 6 June 2005. (in Chinese)
  34. ^ "LABOUR CALL FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP FOR HONG KONG ETHNIC ASIANS", PR Newswire Europe Ltd., 1997.
  35. ^ "Britain’s colonial obligations", The Economist, 3 July 1997.
  36. ^ [3], Letter to Franco FRATTINI, Standing committee of experts on international immigration, refugee and criminal law. Date: 25 September 2006
  37. ^ Lack of basic human rights in the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Bill, BritishHongKong
  38. ^ Concluding observations of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination : United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 28/03/96.
  39. ^ The period of validity for adult passport and child passport are ten years and five years respectively.
  40. ^ "Renewing your passport", UK in France, retrieved 2008.

References

Legal documents

Other materials

External links

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