XN000022-1996-05-29 — Page 32

Reply:

(b)

15

to preserve the validity of visas endorsed in a CI when its holder has acquired a BN(O) passport?

Mr President,

(a)

(b)

A Certificate of Identity or CI is issued to a person who does not hold and is unable to obtain a national passport or other travel documents. It is therefore the normal practice to require a naturalised British Dependent Territories citizen (BDTC) to surrender his CI for cancellation at the time when a certificate of naturalisation is issued to him. Applications for BN(O) passports may be made at the time of issue of naturalisation certificates, and the normal processing time for a BN(O) passport application is 15 17 working days. Priority in processing BN(O) passport application will be accorded to those who have urgent travel needs.

-

However, in the light of the large number of applications for naturalisation received recently, and in view of the restriction on persons newly naturalised as BDTCs to apply for a BN(O) passport within three months of their successful naturalisation, we have reviewed our normal practice on the cancellation of CIs. Starting 1 July this year, successful naturalisation applicants will not, repeat not, be required to surrender their CIs when they collect the naturalisation certificates. Instead, they will only have to surrender their CIs when they collect their BN(O) passports. This will ensure that there is no time gap between the surrender of a Cl and the receipt of a BN(O) passport.

As regards the validity of visas in the CI, it will be up to the holder, after

BN(O) passport, collecting his

to approach the relevant consulate/commission to have a visa transferred to the passport if he, now a BN(O) passport holder, still requires a visa for that particular country of destination.

End