FRIDAY, MAY 13, 1988
OLD-TYPE I.D. CARDS DECLARED INVALID
ALL OLD-TYPE IDENTITY CARDS ISSUED BEFORE JULY 1 LAST YEAR TO MEN BORN IN 1963 TO 1968 WILL CEASE TO BE VALID DOCUMENTS FROM MAY 21 THIS YEAR, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY).
A NOTICE TO THIS EFFECT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE GAZETTE TODAY.
THIS IS THE FIRST BATCH OF IDENTITY CARDS DECLARED INVALID SINCE THE NEW IDENTITY CARD RE-ISSUE SCHEME STARTED ON JULY 1, 1987.
"ONCE AN OLD CARD IS DECLARED INVALID, IT WILL NO LONGER BE ACCEPTED FOR ANY PURPOSE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID.
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"FOR EXAMPLE, MEN OF THE ABOVE AGE GROUP HOLDING AN INVALID OLD-TYPE IDENTITY CARD WILL NOT BE ABLE TO USE IT FOR TRAVELLING ΤΟ CHINA OR MACAU OR TO APPLY FOR A TRAVEL DOCUMENT."
THOSE WHO HAVE MISSED THEIR SPECIFIED CARD RENEWAL PERIODS DUE ΤΟ THEIR ABSENCE FROM HONG KONG OR ANY OTHER REASONS SHOULD IMMEDIATELY APPROACH ANY ONE OF THE EIGHT NEW IDENTITY CARD ISSUR
OFFICES.
THESE CASES WILL BE LOOKED INTO THOROUGHLY AND DEALT WITH ACCORDING TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL MERITS.
"THE SIZE OF THE NEW TYPE IDENTITY CARDS IS THE SAME AS THE OLD ONES. HOWEVER THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO," THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
THE MAIN DIFFERENCES ARE:
NEW
THE IDENTITY CARD NUMBER IS PRINTED ON THE TOP RIGHT CORNER OF THE OLD CARD, BUT ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER OF THE CARD.
THE HONG KONG CREST ON THE BACK IS REPLACED BY MULTI-COLOUR BACKGROUND PRINTING.
THE SPOKESMAN REITERATED THAT THERE WOULD BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS.
NO
AMNESTY FOR
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