TNAG-2198-FCO40-3152-Hong-Kong-nationality-spouses-and-widows-of-British-expatria-1990 — Page 101

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JUL '90 12:59

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FROM BE HOME OFFICE

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17 JUL 1990

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Mr McLaren-

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HONG KONG:

Action Taken

9 July 1990

BRITISH CITIZEN'S SPOUSES

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Ma morrin Wiel

khen you came to see Peter Lloyd and me to discuss the worries expressed by British citizens living in Hong Kong about the position of their spouses who do not have British citizenship I promised that we would give further thought to the points which you and the Concerned British Expatriates Society zade.

As I explained when we met, British citizens' spouses already have considerable assurance that if the family were to wish to leave Hong Kong they would have no difficulty in entering the United Kingdom.

Under the

igration Rules the spouse of a British citizen is entitled to accompany him of her to the United Kingdom for settlement provided that:

:

(i)

the primary purpose of the marriage was not to obtain admission to the United Kingdom;

(11)

the parties to the carriage have met and intend to live permanently together;

and

(iii)

the parties can maintain and accommodate themselves adequately without recourse to public funds.

In practice it is unlikely that the existing spouse of an expatriate British citizen who has been working overseas and is returning to the United Kingdom would not meet these requirenents. Last year, out of 269, only four applications for entry clearance as a spouse or fiance(e) were refused in Long Key; all four of those cases involved the very different situation where a person settled in the United Kingdom sought to bring in someone he or she was marrying from abroad.

I do, however, understand the expatriates' concern that their spouses should be able to obtain some evidence of their status and an assurance that the if they decided to come to the United Kingdom an application for necessary entry clearance would be processed speedily. Accordingly, we are making arrangements whereby the spouse of a British citizen resident in Hong who act for us in Kong may approach the Hong Kong Immigration Department entry clearance matters - with evidence of the marriage. The details will be noted in a register of non-British citizen spouses of British citizens and

The Rt Hon Paul Channon, MP. House of Commons

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