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Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Ambrose S K Lee, in the Legislative Council today (November 12):

Question:

Will the Government inform this Council of the number of non-ethnic Chinese persons who applied for the status of Hong Kong Permanent Resident in each of the past three years and the number of those whose applications were approved, as well as the successful applicants' original nationality and the number of years they had resided in Hong Kong when making their applications?

Reply:

Madam President,

Eligibility of non-Chinese nationals as Hong Kong permanent residents is set out in Paragraph 2(d), (e) and (f) of Schedule 1 to the Immigration Ordinance (Cap 115). Persons meeting the relevant requirements may apply to the Immigration Department for verification of eligibility for permanent identity card (VEPIC).

From 2000 to October 2003, the Immigration Department received a total of 52 558 VEPIC applications from non-Chinese nationals. During the same period, the Immigration Department approved 45 436 such applications. Statistics on the original nationality of successful applicants and the length of their residence in Hong Kong when making their applications are not kept by the Department.

Yearly breakdown of the number of VEPIC applications received and approved is set out below:

  Year           Received      Approved

  ----           --------      ---------

  2000            11 853        10 471

  2001            12 667        11 289

  2002            14 231        12 788

  2003            13 807        10 888

  (January 

  to October)

Ends/Wednesday, November 12, 2003

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