TNAG-2082-FCO40-2963-Policy-on-visas-and-entry-certificates-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 29

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g)

3.

The French and West German Embassies confirm that they do not charge for "official" passports, and do not intend to do so. The US charge commercial or professional applicants holding official passports. The amount in small (35). The US also charge student holders of official passports, unless there are US government funded or US government invited. However, the US Minister Counsellor (Consul General) for Consular Affairs says that they would like to move away from charging for all non-immigrant visas. The Japanese Embassy charge ordinary passport holders but do not charge other passport holders. I have not done an exhaustive check with other Embassies, but believe the position is broadly as set out in David Harris's letter of 20 October 1988. Of course, none of the other posts have the Hong Kong dimension (see below).

There is perhaps, some confusion about the types of "official passport" issued and to whom, which is reflected in your letter, and indeed of Chinese "businessmen". There are four types of "official" passport:

i) dark brown, green pages: issued by Ministry of Public

ii) dark brown, orange pages

iii) green, green pages

iv) red

Security for 1 visit (service passport).

: issued by Ministry of Public Security for Multiple visits within 2 or 5 year period

(service passport).

multiple visits within specified period (official passport).

: diplomatic passports.

Of i)-iii), all may be issued to the same categories of traveller (businessmen, civil servants, those going for training or students). The particular type given seems to depend on ranking and status (the higher the rank, the more likely to have a green passport) and on a judgement of whether the holder has a need to travel frequently for job reasons.

Often delegations are mixed, as Harris noted in para 9 of his letter. Would we in fact introduce charges for some "official" passports, but not for others? Harris indicated how this could be done, but did not draw attention to the extra work this would involve, or to the difficulties created

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