XN000022-1995-04-26 — Page 40

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

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Persons who wish to work or set up business in Hong Kong should apply to British.visa posts or to the Immigration Department for visas before they come to Hong Kong. Applications from visitors for employment or investment after their arrival should be regarded as exceptions.

As explained above, application forms and guidance notes are widely available. Applicants or their sponsors are encouraged to provide all the necessary documents at the outset, so that there should be no need to make repeated trips. Staff of the Immigration Department are ready to answer any queries, through telephone enquiries if desired, by applicants or their sponsors on the documentation required.

Visa application forms are already written in plain language and are designed to be user-friendly. Immigration Department staff are ready to assist applicants who have difficulty in completing the forms.

Applicants for visas need not apply to the Immigration Department in person. They may send their applications directly to the Immigration Department by post, or apply through British visa posts overseas. They should then be able to avoid any need for queuing. Visitors who seek to change their status after arrival may submit their applications to the Department's Entry Visa "Other Services" Section, and their applications are normally received over the counter, after a short preliminary screening. However, they may also send their applications by post, thus avoiding any need for queuing.

End/Wednesday, April 26, 1995

Truck drivers from China

Following is a question by the Hon Lee Cheuk-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council of the number of container truck and truck drivers from China driving such vehicles to enter and leave the territory in the course of their work per month in the past year, and whether such drivers are classified as imported labour?

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