TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 1992
STEADY PROGRESS IN BRITISH NATIONALITY SELECTION SCHEME
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IN
STEADY PROGRESS IS BEING MADE
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SELECTION SCHEME, WITH 22,251 APPLICANTS AND THEIR DEPENDANTS HAVING BEEN REGISTERED AS BRITISH CITIZENS, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (TUESDAY).
"THESE COMPRISE 7,797 PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES AND THEIR 14,454 DEPENDANTS," HE SAID.
"AS AT THE END OF JUNE, A FURTHER 13,000 CANDIDATES WHO MAY BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR APPLICATIONS HAVE ALREADY ATTENDED VERIFICATION INTERVIEWS.
"ON SATISFACTORY COMPLETION OF THE INTERVIEW AND CHECKS, THEIR APPLICATIONS WILL BE PUT FORWARD BY THE STEERING COMMITTEE ON THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME TO THE GOVERNOR WHO, IF SATISFIED, WILL RECOMMEND THEM TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR REGISTRATION AS BRITISH CITIZENS.
"PRACTICALLY ALL THE REMAINDER OF THE POTENTIALLY SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF A TENTATIVE DATE OF INTERVIEW. THESE INTERVIEWS WILL TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS, HE SAID.
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IN ADDITION, APPLICANTS IN THE GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL CLASS AND THE DISCIPLINED SERVICES CLASS WHOSE PROVISIONAL SCORES WERE VERY CLOSE TO THE QUOTA LINE HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THEIR APPLICATIONS WERE STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION.
QUOTA
"THESE APPLICANTS MIGHT EVENTUALLY MOVE ABOVE OR BELOW THE LINE, DEPENDING ON WHETHER APPLICANTS AHEAD OF THEM CAN SUBSTANTIATE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THEIR APPLICATION FORMS AT THE INTERVIEW STAGE," HE EXPLAINED.
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED THAT SO FAR 24,550 APPLICANTS HAD BEEN INFORMED THAT THEIR APPLICATIONS WERE NOT SUCCESSFUL.
APPLICANTS ARE ALSO REMINDED TO KEEP THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT POSTED OF CHANGES IN THEIR ADDRESS.
UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) ACT 1990, UP TO 50,000 PRINCIPAL APPLICANTS AND THEIR DEPENDANTS MAY BE REGISTERED BRITISH CITIZENS. ABOUT 39.500 PLACES ARE BEING ALLOCATED SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS UNDER THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SCHEME.
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