TNAG-2629-FCO40-3820-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1992 — Page 58

A

(b) we reject the Home Office's proposal for making prior entry

clearance obligatory for all WHMs;

(c) we reserve our position on some other proposed changes, and

on how the WHM scheme might be reformed in the longer term

including possible extension to non-Commonwealth nationals.

The Departments listed at the head of this minute agree.

BACKGROUND

3.

No-see

para q

M.

The Home Office are concerned at the number of people, especially Nigerians, Ghanaians, Malaysians and Hong Kong BDTCS, who arrive in Britain as visitors and then apply to switch to

WHM status. In a paper (ref No. IND92/40) to be taken at the

IND Board on 9 September Home Office officials plan to invite their Ministers to agree to:

(i) introduce a no-switching requirement;

(ii) introduce an entry clearance requirement;

(iii) limit the scheme to unmarried people and childless couples both of whom are entering as working holidaymakers;

(iv) reduce the maximum period allowed to 1 year (from 2) from the date of the first entry to the United Kingdom, and the age

span from 17-27 to 18-25;

(v) when announcing these changes, to state a willingness to

consider extending the scheme to non-Commonwealth countries (on certain conditions).