Residency rumours denied

March 12, 2021

The Immigration Department clarified that there is no change in policy of non-Chinese Hong Kong permanent residents.

 

The department today rebutted recent rumours that the policy has been updated.

 

The department said the relevant law was enacted on July 1, 1997 with no subsequent changes.

 

The law stipulates that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region permanent residents of non-Chinese nationality will lose their permanent resident status if they have been absent from Hong Kong continuously for not less than 36 months since they ceased to have ordinarily resided in the city.

 

For Hong Kong SAR permanent residents of Chinese nationality, unless the department has approved their applications for renouncing Chinese nationality or declaring nationality change, they will still be regarded as Chinese citizens even if they have been absent from Hong Kong for long, the department added.

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