TNAG-2180-FCO40-3117-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 176

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

02 MAY 1990

HONG KONG: RETURNING RESIDENTS SCHEMESK OFFICER

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Real HY

Actor Taken

1. I spoke to John Baker (Director, Immigration and Refugee Programme Coordination, DEA) yesterday-about-the Returning Residents Scheme. He sent me the attached fax which contains the salient extracts from the Immigration Officers Manual.

2.

You will see that according to Section 24(2), a Canadian immigrant forfeits his immigration status if he spends more than 183 days outside of the country in any one year. However, an immigrant may retain his status by applying for a Returning Resident permit. The conditions are set out in para 26. You will see from Section 26 (2) (iv) that Canadian Immigration Officers have very wide discretionary powers in the issue of these permits.

3. According to Baker, the Canadians received 585 Returning Resident applications from Hong Kongers last year. 386 were processed. 285 permits were issued and 101 were refused.

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22 March 1990

Alan Penrith

CC. Hong Kong Dept, fco

Hong Kong.