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FM WASHINGTON
TO DESKBY FCO 23083OZ
TELNO 2560
OF 222316Z OCTOBER 90
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG
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A.
166326
MDHIAN 5477
YOUR TELNO 1803: INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT FOR HONG KONG
SUMMARY
1. NO AGREEMENT YET ON THE IMMIGRATION BILL. RUMOURS THAT THE HONG KONG PROVISIONS WILL BE AMENDED, PRIMARILY TO REDUCE THE QUOTA FOR THE FIRST FOUR YEARS.
DETAIL
2. THERE HAS BEEN A DELAY IN ARRANGING THE SENATE/HOUSE CONFERENCE ON IMMIGRATION PARTLY BECAUSE OF CONGRESS'S PREOCCUPATION WITH THE BUDGET, AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF CONTROVERSY ABOUT THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILLS THEMSELVES. BUT, ACCORDING TO STAFFERS, THE OUTLINES OF AN AGREEMENT ARE EMERGING, AND IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE CONFERENCE WILL TAKE PLACE ON 23 OCTOBER ALTHOUGH THE DATE COULD SLIP.
3.
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MEANWHILE WE HAVE LEARNT FROM STAFFERS THAT IT IS LIKELY THAT THE HONG KONG PROVISIONS WILL BE AMENDED. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT WOULD SET AN ANNUAL LIMIT OF 10,000 VISAS FOR HONG KONG FOR FOUR YEARS, RISING TO 20,000 THEREAFTER. THIS CUT (THE MORRISON BILL PROPOSED A QUOTA OF 20,000 VISAS FROM THE OUTSET) IS, WE UNDERSTAND, THE RESULT OF AGREEMENT TO CUT THE OVERALL INCREASE IN IMMIGRATION PROPOSED BY THE MORRISON BILL. IT APPEARS THAT THE THE COMPROMISE WOULD PERMIT A TOTAL OF 700,000 VISAS TO BE ISSUED ANNUALLY FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS, THEREAFTER FALLING TO 675,000. (THE CURRENT FIGURE IS ABOUT 540,000). THE LIKELY HONG KONG PROVISIONS WHICH PROVIDE FOR AN INCREASE AT A TIME WHEN THE OVERALL TOTAL IS SET TO FALL REFLECT CONCERN ABOUT WORSENING
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PROSPECTS IN HONG KONG AS 1997 APPROACHES.
4.
THE OTHER LIKELY AMENDMENT TO THE HONG KONG PROVISIONS WILL APPARENTLY BE TO CAP THE TOTAL NUMBER OF VISAS FOR EMPLOYEES OF US FIRMS IN HONG KONG AT 36,000 (INCLUDING SPOUSES).
12,000 VISAS WILL BE ISSUED ANNUALLY FOR THREE YEARS BEGINNING
IN THE SECOND YEAR OF ENACTMENT OF THE BILL. THIS TOO, WE UNDERSTAND WAS THE RESULT OF A WIDER DEBATE ABOUT HOW TO COUNT FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE NUMBER OF NEW VISAS TO BE ISSUED. 5. IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS WE HAVE PRESSED THE CASE FOR A 10
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