TNAG-0805-FCO40-1010-Policy-on-visas-and-entry-certificates-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 28

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人民入境事務處

香港德輔道中 129

國際大厦

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號

Our Ref IMM/CR 1/1322 (44)

IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT

INTERNATIONAL BUILDING,

141, DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL,

HONG KONG.

4

26 June 1978

A Shepherd Esq

Migration & Visa Dept FCO

Clive House

Petty France SW1H 9HD

U K

Rear (cer Shepherd)

HKK 345-/5

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

INDEX

*

4.JUL 978

M RS

Visa Work for Hong Kong

外

R

BAY

Action Taken

पोni ह

Siz q

From recent correspondence with some of your nearby visa posts it seems that the increasing amount of work which they are doing on our behalf may be causing them problems. I was interested to see from your Circular '0' 82/78 (to which we will reply in the normal way), that this may partly reflect an overall increase in visa work generally.

Hong Kong's tourist traffic is growing at about

12% per year overall, but from some areas, such as the Philippines and Korea, where restrictions on foreign travel have been eased, the increases in 1977 were much greater - 55% from the Philippines and 78% from Korea. Our total number of visitors this year is expected to approach 2 million.

Although the majority of our visitors do not

require visas, the increase in traffic is having an effect on the work of posts in the region.

Manila has told us that they simply do not have the staff to go thoroughly into Hong Kong visa applications, and has suggested that we send one of our staff as a Visa Officer. The problems there are more with stateless Chinese and with Filipina domestic servants than with Filipino visitors.

Seoul has warned us that the Koreans are expected to lift most passport restrictions by 1979/80, and that this will pose serious problems for them. The point was to be discussed with the Inspectors in Seoul earlier this month. We have said that we would gladly extend the visa free period for Korean visitors if the Koreans were to allow reciprocal

facilities for Hong Kong passport holders. Unfortunately there is no sign here yet that they are willing to do so.

電報掛號 TELEGRAMS: IMMIGRATION HONG KONG

專用電訊號碼 TELEX:

電話TEL:

75656

5.456065

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