TNAG-1193-FCO40-1495-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 21

quite ear that this is a discretionary provision and that

it is expected that the Home Office will exercise discre-

tion sparingly. The discretion would be used in two ways:

to enable applicants who had come to live in the

United Kingdom to be registered before completing

five years' residence;

i)

ii)

to enable applicants who had rendered particularly

deserving service to be granted British citizenship

without insisting on previous United Kingdom

residence.

5. The main consideration will be that the person con-

cerned has rendered such service as will have benefited

the United Kingdom as well as the dependent territory.

Personal connections with the United Kingdom will also be

a factor and we understand that the Home Office would

attach importance to such matters as UK relatives and/or

ancestry, the ownership of property or investments in

substantial perivels this country and a tradition of spending holidays here.

6. It is difficult to give more specific guidance since

each application will fall to be treated on its merits

but I hope that this letter will at least give you an idea

whap

of the requirements that the Home Office will be looking

for.

Gov. to pitter

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