[Hairball]

I'm a 22 year old CBC with parents who were born in Hong Kong, and hold HKSAR passports (which means they are Chinese citizens in China), but they also hold Canadian citizenship, based on the a certain exception. (The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region - Immigration Department)

I was born before both parents became Canadian citizens. As I was born in Canada, I obtained Canadian nationality at birth, which means I probably do not hold Chinese nationality.

I have submitted my ROP145 Application for Verification of Eligibility for Permanent Identity Card, and I was recently asked to submit extra forms, to assist with the application, and copies of my parents' BTDC passports, landing papers, Canadian naturalization documents, and the dates of my parents' and my own stays of Hong Kong.

Based on my various research of the ambiguous HK immigration laws, I am probably not eligible for ROA, since I have been away from HK for more than 36 months since 1997. So it means I'd probably get RTL.

Is the process almost over? I read from a post from Aritaurus that he/she was approved the next day.

Originally Posted by Aritaurus

Yep, that's pretty much exactly what I had to go through to get my HKID. It's pretty straight forward as long you have all the documents they ask for.

After you send in all the photocopies, they will send you a letter letting you know whether you have been approved or not. If you're approved, they will ask you to come in person for an interview to have all the original copies verified. Once that's done, the immigration officer will put an endorsement on your passport saying that you have unconditional stay and you'll get your picture taken and get your temporary HKID on the same day.

I'd like to leave Hong Kong soon because I'd like to go to my university convocation if possible. If it takes longer, I guess I'll stay in HK and get it done first.

I have not met an immigration officer in person yet, but I have contact information and a phone number of the case officer.

And for the "original documents" which ones did you have to bring in? I have my original short and long form Canadian birth certificates, but some of the other documents are back in Canada with my parents.

Sorry that this is long, but basically, the question is, how long will it be until I can apply for the actual ID card?

[Aritaurus]

Were your parents permanent residents of Canada at the time you were born ? If they were on a visitor , student or a work visa that subjects them to a condition of stay, you might have a claim to Chinese citizenship and obtain the right of abode instead of right to land.

So from what I've read so far, you're at the part where they mailed you a list outlining all the documents to bring in. When I applied and got the checklist requesting all the documents, I had my parents in Canada send a package quoting my reference number directly to the immigration department in Hong Kong with photocopies of all the documents they asked for. After they sent the immd the photocopies of the documents, they sent a parcel with all the original documents to me via Fedex and I was ready to bring them in for the interview for verification.

Once the immd received all the photocopies of my parent's documents, they sent me a letter in two weeks asking me to come in for an interview and that was when I had my picture taken. To sum it up, the whole process takes about five weeks to complete if you respond quick to their requests. When they call you in for that interview, that pretty much means they're ready to approve you upon verfication of the original documents. This happened about two weeks after the immd received my photocopied documents.

I have a BBC friend who was in the same situation as you , she went back to the UK after all the documents were handed in and she found out she was approved a few months after. She just came back the following year, and was able to quote the same reference number and complete the application process.

[Hairball]

Thanks for the reply.

However both of my parents were permanent residents when I was born, so it means I don't have a claim to Chinese citizenship and ROA.

I probably lost ROA after being away for more than 36 months after 1997. Unless they make a "mistake" processing my application.

[Aritaurus]

I remember reading a post by theABC a few months ago where he was able to obtain ROA as a Chinese Citizen despite being born and raised in the US. His parents were not considered settled at the time he was born since they were on non-immigrant visas. I think he has a HKPIC with the three stars on it and he's eligible for the HKSAR passport as well as a home return permit.

I wonder if there are any other lucky XBCs out there who have obtained ROA this way.

[drupax]

Looking to apply for ROA/RTL. My situation is pretty much like everyone else. CBC but parents had canadian citizenship at the time of my birth. How would this affect my eligibility? In addition, to the best of my knowledge, my parents did not carry BDTC passports. The only thing that i've been able to find are their HK Certificate of Identity books that they used to first land in Canada. Would that be the same? And I've been reading other forums saying that I should fill out ID881 (Certificate of Entitlement to ROA) instead of ROP 145.

So in short:
1. Parents were Canadian at time of birth. How will this affect my application?
2. Unable to produce BDTC passports of parents. Would Certificate of Identity suffice?
3. ID881 or ROP145?

[Elfin safety]

Originally Posted by drupax

Looking to apply for ROA/RTL. My situation is pretty much like everyone else. CBC but parents had canadian citizenship at the time of my birth. How would this affect my eligibility? In addition, to the best of my knowledge, my parents did not carry BDTC passports. The only thing that i've been able to find are their HK Certificate of Identity books that they used to first land in Canada. Would that be the same? And I've been reading other forums saying that I should fill out ID881 (Certificate of Entitlement to ROA) instead of ROP 145.

So in short:
1. Parents were Canadian at time of birth. How will this affect my application?
2. Unable to produce BDTC passports of parents. Would Certificate of Identity suffice?
3. ID881 or ROP145?

1. It sounds like you will not regarded as a Chinese national, if you were born in Canada of Canadian-citizen parents. So it's unlikely you will be eligible for ROA.

2. If your parents were holding HK CID, then they wouldn't have BDTC passports, because CID was issued in lieu of passport. So yes, I suppose they will have to suffice. I am guessing your parents were born in mainland China? As the green HK CID was a quasi-passport issued as a travel document, usually to the many HK residents who were originally from China and therefore not eligible for the British HK passport (CUKC -> BDTC in 1983). (Although some HK-born residents, such as elderly people, also held the HK CID instead of the passport because they didn't have a HK birth certificate to prove their status.)

[Aritaurus]

Originally Posted by drupax

Looking to apply for ROA/RTL. My situation is pretty much like everyone else. CBC but parents had canadian citizenship at the time of my birth. How would this affect my eligibility? In addition, to the best of my knowledge, my parents did not carry BDTC passports. The only thing that i've been able to find are their HK Certificate of Identity books that they used to first land in Canada. Would that be the same? And I've been reading other forums saying that I should fill out ID881 (Certificate of Entitlement to ROA) instead of ROP 145.

So in short:
1. Parents were Canadian at time of birth. How will this affect my application?
2. Unable to produce BDTC passports of parents. Would Certificate of Identity suffice?
3. ID881 or ROP145?

I'd hate to break it to you but if your parents had Hong Kong Certificates of Identity for visa purposes, this means that they were not BDTCs. Hong Kong Certificates of identity are for people who came from the mainland and obtained ROA after living in Hong Kong for seven years. They wouldn't be regarded as BDTCs unless they applied for this type of Britsh nationality through naturalisation.

It is unlikely you will be approved for RTL. Only former BDTC Citizens (By descent) are eligible to apply for ROA/RTL under this category.

[longbeard]

How long is the ROA or Permanent Resident Application turnaround?

[longbeard]

Finally got the notice earlier from the HK Immigration. =)

[campas12]

Originally Posted by Aritaurus

I remember reading a post by theABC a few months ago where he was able to obtain ROA as a Chinese Citizen despite being born and raised in the US. His parents were not considered settled at the time he was born since they were on non-immigrant visas. I think he has a HKPIC with the three stars on it and he's eligible for the HKSAR passport as well as a home return permit.

I wonder if there are any other lucky XBCs out there who have obtained ROA this way.

i got very lucky. i had a perm ROA juvenile card from when i was aged 11 (i was born in uk, and have never lived in hk...parents were born here, but had moved to uk)...on the back it states that one most renew when they turn 18.

even if i had roa before- the fact that
1) i haven't been here for 7 yrs
2) i wasn't born here
3) have been out of the country for more than 36 mo's after the 97 handover


should mean that i lose my ROA...when i went into the immig. office, i handed them my old one- showed my current passport, answered a few q's, and was immediately issued my temporary ID...and to my surprise, ROA!