TNAG-2631-FCO40-3822-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-Nationality-(Hong-K-1992 — Page 57

CONFIDENTIAL

8

Processing of applications

15.

The Immigration Department gave a high priority to the swift processing of applications in order to achieve the greatest possible impact in terms of retaining key personnel in Hong Kong. However, they encountered some difficulties in ranking the applications received according to the number of points scored because a large number of applicants had not fully or properly completed their application forms. As a result, the Department had to write to such applicants and/or interview them in order to obtain the necessary information. This process was completed in October 1991.

16.

After all the applications in an occupation had been ranked according to provisional points scored, the profile of the applicants was then analysed and submitted to the Steering Committee for consideration. Subject to the endorsement of the Steering Committee, the Immigration Department commenced interviewing the potentially successful applicants to verify the information provided and initiated character checks on them. During the period covered by this report, the profiles of 14 occupational groups (out of a total of 20), all the 6 approved occupations and 8 disciplined services (out of a total of 9) had been considered by the Steering Committee.

17.

A list of the occupations already considered by the Steering Committee is at Annex C. It is envisaged that the remaining occupations will have been considered by the committee by December 1991.

18.

The verification interview is the most time-consuming step in the whole application process as all the potentially successful applicants need to be interviewed. The purpose of the interviews is to verify information provided in the application form in order to confirm or adjust the provisional points

points scored; to check documents to establish relationship between the principal applicant and his/her dependants; and, to clarify any doubts arising from the character checks. It is envisaged that by the end of 1992, the majority (about 75%) of the potentially successful applicants will have been interviewed. The rest will be processed in the first half of 1993.

CONFIDENTIAL