HK citizenship for those not born in HK
 

I was wondering if anyone knows anymore information about this. Basically, my father was born in HK and is a HK/Canadian citizen. I was born in Canada making me only a Canadian citizen. Is there a way I can apply for a HK citizenship and get guaranteed status because my father was born in HK.

I tried to google it but couldn't find much information. Maybe some of you other CBCs might know and might even have a link. If it matters, I am over the age of 21.

I did a quick search and you may be able to apply, but it appears that you actually must be in HK to do so.

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkid_oversea.htm
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/faq_roaihksar.htm
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/rop145.htm

I applied with my dad when I was in HK a long time ago, and I'm told its not easy to get one.
I was in the same scenario.
- Dad born in HK and is both HK & Canadian citizen
- You have to have a chinese name (or be prepared to make one up on the spot)
- I'm born in Canada

It's complicated and a long process (application is fast, but it took a long time to get my card).

You'll have to excuse me if I provide wrong information because this was done about 6 years ago, and this whole citizenship thing was very confusing to me back then.

In the end, I got a HK Identity card, and I don't even know what it entitles me to. I know i'm not a "full HK Citizen". It's got limitations, which I don't know what they are. Apparently in HK, they have different ranks of "citizens" (or "stars").

All I know is that I'm eligible to work and go to school in HK, but like I said, I don't know the limitations and I haven't gone back to HK since. I'm told it does make things alot easier when travelling to and from HK.

PS: If you have a criminal record, don't even bother.

But to answer your question, yes you qualify for a HK ID card. (unless rules changed since 2001).

The best thing for you to do is if you have any relatives in HK, tell them to swing by the Immigration office to inquire for you because there are lots of limitations and requirements (i.e. your dad has to be a certain "star rating" and your dad has have visited HK "x" times in "x" years.)

back in 1997, all cbc must register in order to get their hkid. It is
getting more complicated now since they have switched to smart
id. My friend is going back in april, he needs his parents to go
back with him. It is better if you ask the ambassy for more info.

as I heard from my parents, you may only get 2/3 stars on your ID.
1 = immigrants ?
2 = citizen w/o voting right
3 = 100% honger

Wow, a lot of useful info in this thread - a rarity on RS! :p

I'm in the same boat - dad was born in HK and I was born here. I got a HK ID card a few years ago (with parents). Then in October of 2006 I went to HK again with my parents to apply for the "smart card". The smart card wasn't ready until a few weeks later so my dad went to HK again in Nov. to pick it up for me.

You'll definitely need to go with your parents, or at least your dad. Yeah best bet is to call up the embassy. You're definitely entitled to one though.

WHOA! my parents are making my brother and i get a HK citizenship too! anyways the process is SUPER LONG! you have to fill out these applications and prove to them you are a CDN citizen and are related to the parents you claim are your parents. etc etc!

the waiting period to get approved can be as long as 6 months- 1 year apparently! you have to do an interview with them too so if you live here permanently...you'll have to travel back to HK. but i've heard you can get someone to do the interview for you.....

check out the hk govt website!

the interview is nothing...the custom just ask you some random
and stupid questions. Sorry to disappoint you guys, but there's
no cavity search there...lol

http://www.smartid.gov.hk/en/index.html
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkid.htm#application


EDIT: arrh...here's the link
http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkid_oversea.htm

nvm, i didn't the links above

Ok with that last link, I can download those forms and do it from Canada? Or I still must go to HK with my father? Because I am planning on going to HK this summer but it would not be with my Dad. I do have some relatives there, but I do not think I would ever go to HK with my father.

I had it done a couple of years ago. I'm not sure how long it normally takes but my application was expedited so it only took 2 weeks to process.

You wil need to apply in person, and trust me, if you think the Canadian Passport office waitting line is long you haven't seen anything yet.

You will need your birth certificate, current photo ID (Passport will be good enough). Your parent's HKID, their citizenship papers for Canada and they need to be there to verify.

You will not be granted "Guarnateed" status (3stars), you can only apply for the "Resident" status untill you fulfill your 7 years of living there. If you had wanted the guaranteed status you should have applied back in 97. The only difference between the two status is "Residence" status is the equivelent of the Canadian "Landed Immigrant" status. You can not apply for any government position or work for any government agency directly. You also line up in a seperate line up when entering and departing HK. Basically you just have the right to work and live in HK.

I hate to pick up "the lineup ticket" early in the morning...

waiting line in hk is still better than the one in canada, those
hongers work much more efficient than those ugly fat white chicks

Oh yeah. If you go early in the morning, like 9-10am, it's not too bad. Even if there are a lot of people, they have a LOT of workers and they're friggin' efficient.

Unlike Safeway, where you'll have 2 long lineups to pay and they don't bother opening additional checkstands.:rolleyes:

Hey this is a little bit off topic but I was born in Macau when the Portuguese was still the active gov't at the time. I left Macau 7 months after I was born during the time when Canada was open to immigrants. I don't have any proof of citizenship of Macau due to the fact that the administration of citizenship was disasterous.

My question is, is there any benefit in applying for a residency for Macau or is it not worth it at all? If it's worth getting, how would I go about doing it? I've tried searching online but there just isn't enough information. Any leads would be appreciated. Thanks!

I think both your parents have to be from Hk for you to get full citizenship. So if you're a halfer I don't think you get it because you aren't defined as a true "chinese national"

Article 5 Any person born abroad whose parents are both Chinese nationals or one of whose parents is a Chinese national shall have Chinese nationality. But a person whose parents are both Chinese nationals and have both settled abroad, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national and has settled abroad, and who has acquired foreign nationality at birth shall not have Chinese nationality.

So basically you're screwed.

you also have to renounce your canadian citizenship

Article 3 The People's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.

wrong info, if one of your parents is a permanent citizen of SAR, you can get an HKID, and contrary to popular belief, the stars on your HKID does not = citizenship status, but it defines which ethnic group you are in. (3 stars= chinese enthincity, that is why so many uninformed Hongers believe they are special)
There are only 2 classes of IDs, not defined by stars, but the wording on the ID itself: Permanent residence, or resident (in which case, you have to live in SAR for 7 years to gain permanent status)
You do not have to give up your Canadian citizenship.
I know this for a fact because i just got my id. Only my father is a SAR permanent citizen. Its a long process though, easiest way is to do this through a lawyer.

I applied for mine last year.... and it takes a hell lot of documentation.. my mom's hk citizenship proof.. my dad's.... and it takes a whilet o get back to us.. but we had a friend who was a lawyer who helped us.. we're going back in march to fix this stuff up(we started last march) we're approved ^_^

oh god... so basically if your just someone born in Canada.. with no HK ties.. it would be a bitch to get citizenship.. wonderfull...

honestly, getting citizenship there unless you plan to move there is utterly useless. your canadian citizenship is worth way more. the only thing it will probably get you is to enter hk easier than the rest.

i have a taiwanese citizenship even though i was born here. honestly, it's useless. I still have to fill out visa forms when i go there anyway.

I understand my Canadian citizenship is worth more, but I can get dual citizenship. I am actually planning on doing some work in HK.

well the thing is.. what if I go there to work.. but in a few years I want to come back to Canada.. then i'd have to reapply for Canadian citizenship because i had to denounce it when i apply for HK citizenship...

dammit CHINA!! dont' follow the american ways!

Thats why its better to be born in HK, and then get a Canadian citizenship. Had no probs for me cause I had all my birth certificates and Canada doesn't care about dual citizenship

cbc with HKID = no need to retake driving test, it's easier to enter China.

stars on HKID:

0 star: working visa, maids
1 star: immigrants
3 stars: HK citizen after 7 years

NOTE: you CANNOT apply HK SAR passport if you do not have 3 stars.
cbc belong to 1 star...but who cares, you dun need another passport anyway
although there are quite a few countries accept HK sar and not Cdn w/o Visa

Sorry to bring up an old thread but how do you prove your parents are your parents? I only have my passport and birth certificate . I can photocopy my dads HKID and his birth certificate. What else can prove my Dad is my Dad.

holy, this thread is long. i don't know if what i'm saying is right or wrong but i did apply for HKID when i was there this past christmas. I have a lot of friends who are hongers and we were talking about this a couple days ago too.

personally myself, my dad is was born in HK and has HKID and my mom was born in China (she applied the same time as me). it works under a three star system. IF you do get it, you'll only get one star. In order for a foreigner to get three stars, they either have to have a HK spouse or live in HK for at least seven years. other people who have three stars are people who have been born there too but it doesn't apply to you.

anyways, i actually have to fill out more information that was not included in the original package when i was there so a friend is sending it through courier. also, if you do get it, you have to take a picture and wait an additional 10 days to get the card. it is kind of a must to know people who are willing to take information for you over there, if you're not there for a long time. in order to send you stuff if you need to fill out more info and to find out whether your application was accepted or not. it takes a while to find out if you get it or not. hopefully i do too.

g'luck!

You probably got the answer you needed, but I will tell you my experiences. I just got my adult HKID this summer without having the children HKID before and I'm Canadian born.

You are qualified as long as you were born in Canada at the time when your parents have not gotten their Canadian citizenship yet and were still "landed" immigrants.

From there its a long process you need several documents to prove this.

- Both of your parents or one of your parents Hong Kong birth certificate.
- Your parent's marriage certificate in Hong Kong
- Your parents HK passport with the "landed" stamp when they came to Canada and applied for Canadian citizenship
- Their citizenship card when they became Canadian to prove that you were born before they became citizens
- Lastly your own Canadian birth certificate

With all these documents you first goto the immigration office in Wan Chai to apply and they will open a file for you. You then have to mail in photocopies of those documents for them to look at. After it has all been mailed you will be mailed back acknowledgement that they received it and there will be a contact number of the officer looking at your case.
You can speed up the process by just dropping off your photocopies to the 25Floor of the same building. I don't remember, but the address that you are suppose to mail to should indicate which floor. Because you will have to go there to show the officer the real documents.
Once all the photocopied documents are looked at, they will call you back to Wan Chai for an official meeting to show them the real documents. When everything checks out they will probably ask for your Canadian passport, or whatever document you used to get into HK, so they can cancel your 90 day visit visa condition. Because you are a HK citizen. After that you get a letter from the officer that you are a HK citizen etc and you go downstairs to line up to get your HKID photo taken and to record your finger prints for the SmartID. After that you will be issued a temporary "walking papers" until your new ID is ready to be picked up.
If you are unable to pick up your ID, say you already left back to Canada, you can have someone else pick it up for you by filling in a form that they can provide.

Well thats all I can remember, any other questions just PM me!

Oh and I forgot to mention that those people at immigration at the beginning, on the HKID floor, before you even goto the 25th floor, are all jackasses.

You have to argue with them and show them supporting documents of your justification to get the HKID before they EVEN give you the form and enevolope for you to fill, and put in the photocopied documents to send to the 25th floor.

Also when you get the contact number for the immigration officer looking over your case, call him immediately and tell him your situation that you are leaving soon or something. It will speed up the process.

Got my entire process done without picking up my ID, cause I had to leave HK, in 3 weeks. Could've been quicker if I dropped of the photocopies and form on the 25th floor instead of mailing it.