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18. An entry certificate is normally given a validity
of six months from the date of issue, during which time
the holder may make unlimited journeys to the United
Kingdom and be admitted on a temporary basis, provided
he remains eligible for admission under section 2(2) of
the Commonwealth Immigrants Act, 1968. In the light of
representations received from various quarters, the Home
Office have recently decided that the validity of entry
certificates may be increased to twelve months in certain
specific categories, i.e. for "Visitor (B)" (business
visitors) and "official" endorsements. This concession
is incorporated in the revised "Instructions to Entry
Certificate Officers" which have been printed and circulated
to all dependent territories and overseas posts.
19.
However, new legislation concerning immigration is
at present under consideration by Ministers as envisaged in
the Queen's Speech,and the Home Secretary made a statement
in Parliament on 3 July outlining the form that it is
expected to take.
20. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is pressing for the
retention of the existing special arrangements for
immigrants from the dependent territories. (At present
600 employment vouchers are allocated annually to the
dependent territories with not more than 300 to any one
territory. Hong Kong takes up its full quota.)
21. It appears likely that in common with Commonwealth
immigrants from other dependent territories, those from
Hong Kong Lay be subjected to an initial limitation of stay
and a requirement to register with the polire.
Hong Kong Department
2 October,1970
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