Home Return Permit (Simplified Chinese: 回乡证, Traditional Chinese: 回鄉證, pinyin: Huíxiāng Zhèng), also refered to as 'home visit permit', or 'China Back Home Pass', is a national identity document issued to citizens from Hong Kong and Macao as the entry permit to mainland China. It is issued by the Public Security Bureau of Guangdong province through China Travel Service sub-branches in Hong Kong and Macao. 2005 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Deaths in August August 31: Michael Sheard August 26: Lord Fitt August 24: Jack Slipper August 24: Maurice Cowling August 24: Dr. Tom Pashby August 23: Brock Peters August 22: Lord Lane August 21: Robert Moog August... Simplified Chinese characters (Simplified Chinese: 简体字; Traditional Chinese: 簡體字; pinyin: jiÇŽntǐzì; also called 简化字/簡化字, jiÇŽnhuàzì) are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Traditional Chinese characters are one of two standard character sets of printed contemporary Chinese written language. ... Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: 汉语拼音; Traditional Chinese: 漢語拼音; Hanyu Pinyin: , lit. ... The highlighted area in the map is what is commonly known as mainland China. Mainland China (Simplified Chinese: 中国大陆; Traditional Chinese: 中國大陸; Hanyu Pinyin: , lit. ... In the Peoples Republic of China, Public Security Bureau (Chinese: 公安局; pinyin: ) or PSB refers to government offices that handle things such as policing, security and social order, but also issues such as residence registration as well as immigration and travel affairs of foreigners. ... Guangdong (Simplified Chinese: 广东; Traditional Chinese: 廣東; Hanyu Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Kuang-tung; Postal System Pinyin: Kwangtung or Canton Province, Jyutping: gwong2 dung1), is a province on the south coast of the Peoples Republic of China. ...

Appearance

Currently, the permit is a small wallet-sized card which facilitates travel and self-service electronic gates on the mainland side, which is replacing cumbersome permits formerly issued and stamping procedures before. This card is officially known as the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (港澳居民来往内地通行证, 港澳居民來往內地通行證, Gǎng-Aò Jūmín Láiwǎng Nèidì Tōngxíngzhèng).

Before the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, permits resembled a passport physically (though the PRC Government never recognised it as a passport proper) and the mainland authorities stamped the permits upon entering and exiting. The passport-looking permit was known as Home-Visiting Certificate for Compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao (港澳同胞回乡证, 港澳同胞回鄉證, Gǎng-Aò Tóngbaō Huíxiāng Zhèng).

Validity

Usually these permits are valid for 10 years or 3 years for minors under 18. However, sometimes there are one or two-time home visit permits issued due to political reasons. Some controversial individuals, such as pro-democracy politicians, are only issued single visit permits. Temporary permits are also used for those for practical reasons, such as a person's permit has expired and the replacement has not arrived.

History

Before the transfer of sovereignty, home return permits were issued to any ethnic Chinese person in Hong Kong or Macao as the PRC Government did not recognise the colonial era treaties. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... ...

Nationality of holders

A home return permit constitutes proof of PRC citizenship; however, not all PRC citizens in Hong Kong or Macao have a home return permit. Unlike a compulsory Hong Kong identity card, application for a home return permit is voluntary. A home return permit must be applied for. In some cases, the PRC authorities refuse to issue permits to certain people. Some prominent politicians in Hong Kong, such as Emily Lau and Leung Kwok Hung, have had their applications denied because they are not considered friendly to the central government in Beijing. Without the permit they are denied from entering mainland China; however, those politicians are still PRC citizens under the Chinese Nationality Law; acquisition of PRC citizenship of ethnic Chinese residents in Hong Kong is involuntary. The Honourable Emily Lau Wai-hing JP (劉慧卿) (born January 21, 1952) is currently the convenor of The Frontier, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. ... Leung Kwok-hung (梁國雄), also known as Long Hair (長毛) (born March 27, 1956) is a Hong Kong political activist, and as of 2004, a member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo) representing New Territories East. ... The Central Peoples Government is the central government of the Peoples Republic of China in Beijing. ...

They are still eligible for an Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport issued by the Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Government, or an MSAR passport by the Macao Government. The SAR passports are only issued to PRC citizens with the Right of Abode in Hong Kong or Macao. The HKSAR passport allows travel to other countries, including Taiwan. PRC citizens holding an HKSAR passport cannot use the SAR passport to enter the Chinese mainland. The HKSAR Government thinks that "in line with the one country principle, it was considered inappropriate to adopt HKSAR passport as a travel document to enter the Mainland". [1] The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport is the official travel and resident document is the SAR passport. ... The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Government is responsible for immigration issues and control of Hong Kong. ... On July 1, 1997, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) resumed its exercise of sovereignty over Hong Kong, ending more than 150 years of British colonial control. ... The interior of an old BDTC passport that has been stamped to indicate that the bearer has the right of abode in Hong Kong. ...

Issues facing British passport holders

Many, but not all, residents of Hong Kong are British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) and a small number are British Citizens (BC). (See British nationality law and Hong Kong for details). The PRC Government does not recognise British passports (BN(O) and BC) issued to Hong Kong residents of Chinese origin. They cannot use their BN(O) or British Citizen passports to enter the Chinese mainland before and after the handover. However, before the handover some 'pro-United Kingdom' Hong Kong politicians, such as Margaret Ng [2] [3], Emily Lau [4] [5] [6] and Christine Loh [7] used to attempt to use their British Citizen passports to enter mainland China because they were denied from applying for a Home Return Permit. There were rare occasions when British passport holders were issued a visa, even when the holder was a PRC citizen under Chinese Nationality Law. This article concerns matters of British nationality law in relation to Hong Kong. ... This article concerns matters of British nationality law in relation to Hong Kong. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Margaret Ng (Chinese 吳靄儀, Pinyin Wú Ǎiyí), born 1948, is one of Hong Kongs leading barristers. ... The Honourable Emily Lau Wai-hing JP (劉慧卿) (born January 21, 1952) is currently the convenor of The Frontier, a pro-democracy political party in Hong Kong. ... Christine Loh Kung-wai (陸恭蕙) is a former Hong Kong Legislator and founder of the Citizens Party. ...

In 2005, Ching Cheong (程翔), a Hong Kong-based journalist of the Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times, was arrested by the mainland national security authorities. He was accused of 'stealing state secrets'. The correspondent entered the mainland on his home return permit, while he is also a BN(O) passport holder. Since he is both PRC citizen and British National (Overseas) (as well as a permanent resident of Singapore), some organisations (for example, the Hong Kong Journalists' Association and Reporters without borders) urged the British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw to intervene. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office said it had no plans to comment on the case. British officials have indicated that if there were any representations to be made, they would take place behind the scenes. A London spokesperson said: "We can offer consular assistance but we cannot interfere in the legal affairs of another country." The PRC central government never recognised his British National (Overseas) status. The PRC states that its citizens from Hong Kong cannot enjoy United Kingdom consular protection inside the PRC on the basis of their BN(O) or BC passports. In the Six-Monthly Report (January-June 2005) on Hong Kong (paragraph 61) (press release [8]) (full report in PDF(186KB) [9]) presented by the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, it is stated that "Mr Ching is a British National (Overseas) passport holder and we have pressed the central authorities for information on the circumstances of his arrest and will continue to seek consular access as a matter of urgency, which so far has been denied." 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Ching Cheong (Chinese: 程翔) (born December 22, 1949) is a senior journalist in The Straits Times detained by the Peoples Republic of China for espionage. ... The Straits Times front page The Straits Times is an English-language broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and owned by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), first published on July 15, 1845. ... Hong Kong Journalists Association was established in 1968 for practicing journalists in Hong Kong with the stated goal to enhance press freedom and the integrity of news coverage. ... Reporters Without Borders, or RWB (French: Reporters sans frontières, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras, or RSF) is an international non-governmental organization interested in issues relating to freedom of the press. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ... The Right Honourable John Whitaker Jack Straw (born August 3, 1946, Buckhurst Hill) is a British Labour Party politician. ... The Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Whitehall, seen from St. ... The Central Peoples Government is the central government of the Peoples Republic of China in Beijing. ... The title of Foreign Secretary has been traditionally used to refer to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. ...

There are other cases that the British Government was asked to assist BN(O) passport holders detained inside the Chinese mainland. [10] [11]

Not all BN(O) and BC passport holders in Hong Kong are PRC citizens. Such non-citizens holding BN(O)s or BCs need a visa prior to their travel into the mainland. Home return permits are issued to PRC citizens only.

Issues facing other foreign passport holders

Besides BN(O)s, BCs, and Chinese citizenship, many Hong Kong residents have obtained overseas citizenship in countries such as Australia, Canada or the United States. Officially speaking, if they have not made a "declaration of change of nationality" at the Immigration Department of Hong Kong, they are regarded as PRC citizens while anywhere in the Peoples' Republic of China. In this case, they are required to use their home-visit permits to enter China instead of their foreign passports, as most of such dual nationals do. This implies that they are still PRC citizens. A small number of such dual nationals use their foreign passports to enter China and they are issued the Chinese visa "in error". The issue of whether these dual nationals can enjoy foreign consular protection while in China remains controversial. The PRC central government claims that such nationals cannot enjoy foreign consular protection even though they entered China on their foreign passports. The foreign government may claim that those dual citizens can enjoy foreign consular protection even though they entered mainland China on a home return permit. In Taiwan, multiple national citizenships are fully recognised by the Republic of China. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... National motto: None Official language Mandarin Chinese Capital and largest city Taipei President Chen Shui-bian Vice President Annette Lu Premier Su Tseng-chang Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 138th 35,980 km² 2. ...

Reciprocal treatment for Mainland China residents

PRC citizens that are residents in the mainland are required to apply for an exit endorsement to visit Hong Kong and Macao just as they would for other countries.

See also

• Passport
• Visa
• Lo Wu
• Foreign relations of Hong Kong
• British nationality law and Hong Kong
• Chinese nationality law
• Nationality
• Citizenship
• Immigration arrangements for British passport holders from Hong Kong visiting the Republic of China (Taiwan)
• Politics of Hong Kong
• Hong Kong SAR passport

The title page of European Union member state passports bears the name European Union, then the name of the issuing country, in the official languages of all EU countries. ... An entry visa valid in all Schengen treaty countries Visas for Laos, Thailand, and Sri Lanka A visa (short for the Latin carta visa, lit. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Hong Kongs diplomatic relations and defence are the responsibility of the Peoples Republic of China. ... This article concerns matters of British nationality law in relation to Hong Kong. ... Nationality Law of the Peoples Republic of China This law is applicable to the acquisition, loss and restoration of nationality of the Peoples Republic of China. ... In English usage, nationality is the legal relationship between a person and a country. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... On July 1, 1997, Hong Kong was resumed to Chinese control, when the sovereignty of Hong Kong was transferred to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), ending more than 150 years of British colonial control. ... The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport is the official traveldocument for Chinese permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. ...

External links

• 广东省公安厅出入境管理处-港、澳、台居民来往内地管理
• Declaration of change of Nationality, Immigration Department, Hong Kong SAR
• Explanations of some questions by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress concerning the implementation of the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
• Home return permit application, China Travel Service, Hong Kong (in Chinese BIG5)
• Straw urged to rescue reporter held by Chinese for 'secrets' theft, The Telegraph
• Visas for China, travel advice, British Consulate General Hong Kong
• Entering and Leaving the Mainland, Labour Department, Hong Kong SAR ('Re-entry permit' here is the home visit permit)
• 還我回鄉權 廢除回鄉證
• 大眾遊箱﹕回鄉證毋須半年有效期 往返內地
• 岑建勳重獲回鄉證遊滬 原支聯會常委 六四後首次踏足
• 李華明喜獲十年回鄉證
• 岑建勳獲回鄉證
• 深圳口岸「e-道」八秒過關
• 指模系統啟用 8秒可自助過關
• 香港居民的國籍及居留權問題, 一國兩制研究中心
• Minutes of meeting, Panel of Security, Legistlative Council, Hong Kong (31 March 1999)
• Six-Monthly Report to Parliament on Hong Kong (January-June 2005), presented to Parliament by the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom