¡@¡@HONG KONG, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- New immigration policy on the entry of dependants
for residence in Hong Kong will take effect on Tuesday, the Hong Kong
government announced Monday.
¡@¡@"The existing dependant policy has been thoroughly reviewed to ensure that
it continues to meet Hong Kong's needs and help attract people with the right
talent and skills to come to Hong Kong whilst minimizing the associated
immigration and security risks," a Hong Kong Security Bureau spokesman was
quoted as sayingin a government press release on Monday.
¡@¡@"In conducting the review, we have taken into account the evolving policies
on the importation of talents and professionals,especially those from the
(Chinese) mainland, as well as the new scheme to attract capital investment
entrants to Hong Kong," he said.
¡@¡@The following policy changes will take effect from July 1, 2003,according
to the press release.
¡@¡@(a) the age limit for unmarried dependent children applying to enter Hong
Kong for residence as dependants would be lowered from under the age of 21 to
under the age of 18;
¡@¡@(b) the age requirement for dependent parents would be raised from aged 50
or above to aged 60 or above;
¡@¡@(c) for persons admitted into Hong Kong to take up employment or study in
full-time undergraduate or post-graduate programs in local degree-awarding
institutions, or as capital investment entrants, their spouses and unmarried
dependent children, but not their parents, would be eligible to apply for entry
to take up residence in Hong Kong as their dependants;
¡@¡@(d) whilst the policy excluding Chinese mainland residents fromentering
Hong Kong as dependants should be continued, such an exclusion should not apply
where the sponsors have been admitted into Hong Kong to take up employment or
full-time tertiary study under schemes or arrangements catering for Chinese
mainland residents. Furthermore, the present prohibition precluding such
sponsors to bring in their overseas dependants, where any, should be
discontinued;
¡@¡@(e) dependants of persons granted entry into Hong Kong to take up
employment or study or as capital investment entrants would be required to apply
for permission from the Director of Immigration to take up employment in Hong
Kong. Such applications would be considered on the basis of criteria similar to
those under the General Employment Policy;
¡@¡@(f) the previous restriction on the entry of nationals or residents from
certain countries or regions has been removed. Nationals of Bulgaria, Romania,
Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and ex- (Chinese) mainland residents in Macao
may apply for entry for residence under the new dependant policy; and
¡@¡@(g) under existing policy, for humanitarian and compassionate reasons,
widows of any age or widowers over the age of 50 may apply to enter Hong Kong as
dependants to join their nearest or only surviving relatives who are residents
in Hong Kong. Under thenew policy, both widows and widowers would be subject to
the same age requirement i.e. they must be aged 60 or above before being
eligible for exceptional treatment as dependants.Enditem
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