TNAG-2198-FCO40-3152-Hong-Kong-nationality-spouses-and-widows-of-British-expatria-1990 — Page 76

British citizens and the spouse will be given a formal letter issued on the Home Secretary's behalf confirming that the Immigration Department has seen evidence of a valid marriage. The letter will explain that the spouse is eligible to settle in

the United Kingdom providing that the Immigration Rules requirements are met. It will also include an assurance that a later application for entry clearance will be given priority treatment in view of the information which has already been

noted. We are still finalising the details of this, but we hope it will be possible to start providing this service very soon.

Turning now to the nationality position, the British Nationality

(Hong Kong) Bill provides, as you know, for the grant of British citizenship to a limited and carefully selected group of key people and their dependants in Hong Kong. The purpose of the

Bill is to give this group of highly skilled or qualified personnel the confidence they need to remain in Hong Kong up to and beyond 1997. The Bill is a special measure aimed at tackling the unique problem of emigration amongst Hong Kong's key

personnel. In introducing it, the Government has been concerned that the Bill should be an entirely separate measure which would leave intact the British Nationality Act 1981. The whole basis of the 1981 Act is that citizenship, for both men and women, should involve a period of residence in this country. For the spouse of a British citizen that period of residence is 3 years and is designed to ensure that the non-British spouse has some links with the United Kingdom independent of marriage and that he or she meets the requirements of the 1981 Act to be of good

character.

For the most part, we expect that the wives of expatriate British citizens will achieve settlement and, eventually, qualify for citizenship in the normal way if they, in due course, accompany their husbands to the United Kingdom. However, special

arrangements apply for British citizens serving abroad in Crown or designated service. The spouse of such a person can be

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