1991-09-16 11:07 SECURITY BRANCH
BY FAX (002 44 71 270 2833/3387)
布政司署
香港下亞厘
*PM Our Ref.:
*** Your Ref.:
N. Cox, Esq.,
HKD 021/3
Hong Kong Department,
୦୮
Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
London.
Dear Nigel,
852 868 5074 P.02
(P)
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD HONG KONG
MR CEx (on) Ma Myers
قا
200 with referme pl.
282
14 September, 1991.
Deferred Right of Entry for Hong Kong Citizens into Canada
W 16/9
letter out + fa
I have seen Peter Newton's letter of 13 August
to you on this subject.
We are aware of the Canadian Government's position that their immigration policy must be universal and non- discriminatory. We have not pinned much hope on the Canadians agreeing to allow Hong Kong people full citizenship without residence in Canada, or to considering other measures, such as deferred visas specifically for Hong Kong people.
There are, however, under Canadian legislation and derived procedures, flexibilities which are of great value, and indeed are utilised, by Hong Kong immigrants. Specifically these permit an immigrant visa recipient to spend only 18 months out of three years following his arrival in Canada. In practice, those who have entered can travel in and out of Canada freely, with no stamps being put in their documents. Canadian Immigration has no way of checking whether anyone does in fact spend 18 months in the country, although the onus is still on the immigrant to demonstrate his attachment to the country, for example, by owning a property in Canada or leaving family members there.
20/9
The Canadian Government do not go out of their way to publicise this possibility, but they do respond to questions which would elicit the information. legislation also contains certain useful immigration flexibilities
Australian
/contd......
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