My case is a case that is not an adoption from South America, Russia, Africa, Korea, etc.
I would just really like to meet someone who has a case like this and has successfully acquired ROA for their child.
In my case, I decided to apply early (before 7 years) for ROA for both of my children, (this was a couple of years ago). I knew it was early, but I wanted to find out where my children stand. At that time, I received two separate responses. One was that my son has not yet lived in HK for 7 years, they pointed out the date which I should consider as the beginning of his stay here (this was good because it was not the same date as when we first arrived to HK, (maybe it was the date of the beginning of the first dependant visa). In any case this was helpful to know, exactly when he would be eligible to apply again. In the case of my daughter the response was rather surprising, they actually used the words, "your daughter will never be eligible", sighting that she is not my biological child.
I suspect that what they really meant to say was that I adopted her from China instead of from Korea or India or Europe, therefore, Chinese babies who are adopted are not allowed to receive ROA in Hong Kong.
But it may be important to point out that we did not adopt our daughter from China with the plan to stay and live permanently in Hong Kong. We are Americans who came first to Hong Kong on a 3-year working contract (During these 3 years, we adopted our daughter). We intended and still do intend to raise both of our children in the US, if work takes us back there. As it is now, we have been here for a very long time. Work is still keeping us here.
I like the convenience that being PR affords me as I travel to China for shopping and sightseeing. I love Hong Kong and am happy to be an American citizen who has PR in Hong Kong. Now, I am just sad that one of my children is already a PR, and the other one has been told that she will "never be eligible".
My daughter is an American citizen. She became one after the adoption in China was complete and she first set foot on US soil. She has an American passport, American social security card. I have not tried to change her birth certificate to an American one, how could she say that she was born in America if she was not? To me, her birth certificate from China goes as a package together with her certificate of abandonment and her certificate of adoption. Together, I think, they are proof that she is our child and our child alone with no other connection to China whatsoever.
I would just like her to be treated as my other (biological) child has been treated.
baramig