Prom The Minister of State
The Hon Francis Maude MP
Patrick Thompson Esq MP House of Commons London SW1A OAA
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
19 October 1989
Sea Patrik
Thank you for your letter of 4 October on behalf of Mr and Mrs M S Hawgood of 20 Breck Road, Sprowston, Norwich. Mr and Mrs Hawgood wanted to know whether their son's Chinese wife would be able to join him to live in the United Kingdom when he subsequently returns.
I am pleased to be able to confirm that there should be no difficulty over this. Mrs Hawgood would be able to enter the UK with her husband. She would have to obtain an entry certificate in Hong Kong prior to entry but procedures for this are straightforward and information can be obtained from the Immigration Dept, Mody Road, Kowloon. If she is a British Dependent Territories Citizen (BDTC). (ie if she holds a Hong Kong British Passport), an application for full British citizenship could be made after three years residence in this country. If she has a status other than BDTC status (eg if she is a Certificate of Identity or Document of Identity holder), she could apply for citizenship after 5 years residence.'
Any children born in Hong Kong will automatically be British citizens by descent from Mr Hawgood and could of course enter the UK for settlement at any time. Once again the Hong Kong Immigration Department will be able to advise.
Francis Maude