How to get a HK PR ID Card (if parents were born in HK)?

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  1. #1

    How to get a HK PR ID Card (if parents were born in HK)?

    I've read several of the threads that seemed to indicate that if your parents were from HK and you were of Chinese descent, you don't have to wait 7 yrs to get a HK PR ID Card.

    I'm probably going to be relocated from the US to HK soon for my job. My employer is willing to sponsor me for a HK work visa but the process seems expensive and complicated so if I can shortcut that and don't have to wait 7 years for a Permanent ID card then I'd rather do that.

    I was born in the US and have my US passport. Both my parents were born in HK but left back in the late 70's and became US citizens shortly afterwards.

    My father has passed away so I don't have any of his old documents, nor do I have any idea how to get them. My mother is still alive, has her HK birth certificate, US passport, old expired BN(O) passport, but no current HK identity card, but she can get one easily as she was born in HK and can prove it, so that qualifies her for one.

    So can i get my HK PR ID Card since I have both parents who was born in HK (and one I can easily prove) or is this too complicated and I should just deal with a work visa? I'm told that having a HK PR ID card is an advantage as you don't have to wait at HK immigration checkpoints, and that you can get a local bank account/credit card w/out too much hassle after moving to HK.

    Thanks for the advice.

    Last edited by wombat78; 22-11-2008 at 08:11 PM.

  2. #2

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    i believe you can
    google 'hong kong immigration'


  3. #3

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    It really sounded like you decided to post here before contacting the Hong Kong Immigration. If you are seeking for people with similar experiences, you could have said that to avoid the impression that you haven't bothered trying to find out the easily accessible information yourself. For the most accurate information, you should visit their official website and contact them directly instead of relying on random people to give you information that might be inaccurate.

    You need to acquire the right of abode to get a HK PID. A regular HKID card also can be used at electronic immigration checkpoints. You can use a passport to open an account in HK. Opening account is really easy.

    Contact the Immigration Department ([email protected]) for the most accurate information. Note that you would probably not be considered a Chinese citizen, as defined by them (The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - Immigration Department). Thus, as a non-Chinese citizen, who has not stayed in HK for 7 continuous years, it seems that you would need to wait. If they do consider you as a Chinese citizen and your mother was still a Chinese citizen at the time of your birth, then they would consider your application. I suppose that would depend on whether she renounced it before your birth. Her documents should be sufficient, but it might help to retrieve your father's documents when you come to HK. Just ask the Immigration Department.

    Unless you get a Certificate of Entitlement, I think you need to legally be in Hong Kong before applying for a HK PID (The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - Immigration Department). Please correct me if that's wrong. Unless you want to waste time waiting around in HK and being unable to work, get your work visa first.

    Last edited by nestutor; 22-11-2008 at 09:09 PM.

  4. #4

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    You might be eligible for the right to land, which allows you to enter Hong Kong freely to work , live or study without restriction since your parents were born in Hong Kong.

    There are many ABCs, CBCs and BBCs on this board who had no problems obtaining this status by descent. I'd read up on the many threads related to this topic as there are at least 10 - 20 of them.


  5. #5

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    If your parents were already US citizens or permanent residents at the time of your birth, you are not a Chinese citizen. However, since your parents were born in HK, they were by birth Citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies with ROA in HK. If you can establish that you were a British Dependent Territories Citizen by descent prior to the handover, you can get ROA (if you were back in HK every three years since the handover) or RTL (if you were not). Chinese descent or citizenship is irrelevant here.

    They do ask for the documents for both parents, but you may want to tell them your situation. What you have is already sufficient to prove that you are not a Chinese national but previously had ROA.


  6. #6

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    I came to HK sponsored my employer but then obtained a HKID card with a Right to Land (similar to Right of Abode), which allows for living and studying/working here without being sponsored about a year later. It's certainly worth getting if you are having difficulty getting your employer to sponsor you and nice to have in place by the time you arrive, but I'm not sure how easy it will be for you to get prior to coming to HK as when I obtained my Right to Land HKID I had to come in with original documents for a face to face short meeting. It also takes about a couple of month from memory. Check with the authorities on this.

    In my case I only needed documents relating to my mother, who was born in Hong Kong. I was born in a Commonwealth country (Australia).

    If you get sponsored by your employer you will need to get a HKID card pretty much after you arrive in HK anyway. It's a basic card which doesn't allow permanent residency. It's enough for bank account/credit card purposes - in my experience, for those purposes it will be more important to show proof of employment here.


  7. #7

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    You normally don't need proof of employment to open a bank account in Hong Kong. You usually only need a HKID or any passport and proof of residence (3 months of telephone bills or something along those lines). They can be flexible with the proof of residence and ask you to provide it later, especially in cases where you've just moved to Hong Kong or to a different apartment/house.


  8. #8

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    I think I needed proof of employment to open my account with HSBC. Not sure about other banks.


  9. #9

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    An integrated account that includes a credit card or loan services definitely require proof of employment or income. For just a savings account, passport/HKID, proof of address and a certain amount of money is required. This also applies to HSBC. I doubt getting proof of employment would be a huge issue if he is working, so it just depends what services he wants.

    Last edited by nestutor; 23-11-2008 at 11:57 PM.

  10. #10

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    You can actually open a Standard Chartered account with no status in Hong Kong at all. They just ask for your passport along with a foreign driver's license with your address on it and they'll accept that.


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