TNAG-1482-FCO40-2036-Economic-and-commercial-value-of-Hong-Kong-to-the-UK-1986 — Page 70

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COMMENTS AND PROBLEMS ARISING FOR HK INVESTORS (refer to same para.

lettering above)

a) Direct application for entry to UK to the Hong Kong immigration

department means substantial delays. A direct application to the

Home Office if supported by Regional DTI, IBB and NEDC would be the

best route and, to be fair, has operated in the past albeit somewhat tortuously and in an unco-ordinated manner, apparently due to the

reclusive manner in which the Home Office works.

b)

c)

d)

e)

f)

£150,000 is often considered a small sum by Hong Kong investors who,

in any case, have to invest much more for any sizeable venture.

However, most will be unable to occupy themselves full-time at the

UK operation due to their international commitments and required

presence in Hong Kong headquarters.

Some problems have arisen between Hong Kong immigration department and immigration UK over "business visas", processing at Heathrow etc.

Hong Kong investors cannot normally spend more than a short time each year in UK and fulfilling the four year requirement is often impossible.

Similarly, difficulty is experienced spending the required length of time for citizenship, although it is recognised that citizenship is a serious matter with long term implications.

Other problems include i) difficulty in obtaining any written form of agreement from the Home Office relating to the above once a

verbal agreement has been reached.

ii) difficulty of promoting investment in the North East when a contradiction is seen in one government department (DTI) wholeheartedly supporting a project and another (Home Office or Department of Employment in the case of work permits) being less enthusiastic. Overall, a lack of co-ordination is evident to the investor which is not so for, say, Eire.