ENG-2009 — Page 495

Population and Immigration | 415

During the year, 471 620 HKSAR passport applications were received, including 6 209 from overseas.

The HKSAR Passports Appeal Board handles appeals against rejections of applications for HKSAR passports. It received five (two overseas and three local) appeals in 2009.

The Immigration Department continued lobbying for greater immigration convenience such as visa-free access for HKSAR passport holders. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Guam, Macedonia and Russia agreed in 2009 to grant visa-free access to holders of HKSAR passport. By year-end, 140 countries and territories had granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to HKSAR passport holders.

Other travel documents issued by the Immigration Department include Documents of Identity for Visa Purposes (Doc/ls) and Re-entry Permits (REPs). Doc/ls are issued for international travel. They are issued to Hong Kong residents who are not eligible for the HKSAR passport and are unable to obtain a passport or travel document of any other country or territory. REPs are issued to Hong Kong residents to travel to the Mainland and Macao. During the year, 51 647 Doc/ls and 114 350 REPs were issued.

Identity Cards

The Immigration Department also issues identity cards to Hong Kong residents. There are two types of identity cards: the Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card issued to residents who have the right of abode in Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Identity Card issued to residents who do not have that right.

Except those who are required to obtain Certificates of Entitlement, people who claim to have the right of abode in the HKSAR must apply for verification of their eligibility for a permanent identity card. In 2009, a total of 57 876 applications were received and 42 748 were approved.

Smart Identity Card

The Immigration Department introduced the smart identity card in June 2003. The card employs state-of-the-art technologies and is highly fraud-resistant.

The smart identity cards enable the Immigration Department to use the fingerprint recognition technology to authenticate the cardholders' identity and enable cardholders to enjoy self-service immigration clearance via the e-Channels. In 2009, a total of 551 382 smart identity cards were issued.

Nationality Matters

The Immigration Department is authorised by the Central People's Government to handle Chinese nationality applications from Hong Kong residents. Applications can be made either by post or in person. Overseas applications can be made through the nearest Chinese diplomatic or consular missions. Chinese nationals of the HKSAR who want to be treated as foreign nationals in the HKSAR must make a declaration. of change of nationality to the Immigration Department. During the year, the Immigration Department received 94 applications for declaration of change of

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