XN000022-1979-07-12 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 1979

1.

VALIDITY PERIOD OF MULTIPLE RE-ENTRY PERMITS TO BE EXTENDED

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THE VALIDITY PERIOD OF MULTIPLE RE-ENTRY PERMITS IS TO BE EXTENDED FROM FIVE TO 10 YEARS UNDER NEW REGULATIONS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL WHICH WILL COME INTO EFFECT TOMORROW (FRIDAY).

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THE MEASURE WAS INTRODUCED IN ORDER TO MAKE IT MORE CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE TRAVELLING TO CHINA AND MACAU IN FUTURE.

HE EXPLAINED THAT IN RECENT MONTHS ALL IMMIGRATION BRANCH OFFICES HAD BEEN UNDER PRESSURE BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS APPLYING FOR RE-ENTRY PERMITS FOR TRAVEL TO CHINA AND MACAU. +THE PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE,+ HE SAID.

TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE ON THE BRANCH OFFICES, THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION HAS ALREADY RESTRICTED THE ISSUE OF SINGLE RE-ENTRY PERMITS TO CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF SEVEN.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE SITUATION ON A LONG TERM BASIS AND TO BRING THE MULTIPLE RE-ENTRY PERMIT INTO LINE WITH HONG KONG'S OTHER TWO MAJOR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, THE HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT AND THE CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY, IT WAS DECIDED TO EXTEND. THE VALIDITY PERIOD OF MULTIPLE PERMITS.

UNDER THE IMMIGRATION (AMENDMENT) (NO.2) REGULATIONS TO BE PUBLISHED IN TOMORROW'S GAZETTE, THE FEE FOR MULTIPLE PERMITS WILL BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT $15 TO $30 IN PROPORTION TO THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF VALIDITY. THE NEW MULTIPLE PERMITS ARE NOT RENEWABLE. THE FEE FOR SINGLE RE-ENTRY PERMIT WILL ALSO BE INCREASED FROM $3 TO $6.

UNDER THE REGULATIONS, CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGE OF SEVEN AND 16 WILL BE ISSUED WITH MULTIPLE RE-ENTRY PERMITS AND CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY VALID FOR FIVE YEARS BUT EXTENDABLE UP TO 10 YEARS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE NEW ARRANGEMENT WAS INTRODUCED BECAUSE APPEARANCES OF CHILDREN CHANGE AS THEY GROW UP.

THE FULL FEE WILL BE PAID ON FIRST ISSUE BUT EXTENSION WILL BE FREE. A NEW PHOTOGRAPH WILL BE ADDED IF THE HOLDER'S APPEARANCE HAS CHANGED SUFFICIENTLY TO WARRANT THIS. THIS IS IN LINE WITH EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR BRITISH PASSPORTS, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

SED

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