People's Republic of China Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao

A People's Republic of China Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao, or One-way Permit, is a document issued by the People's Republic of China allowing residents of mainland China to leave the mainland permanently to settle in Hong Kong or Macau.[1]

Sample of People's Republic of China Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao

People's Republic of China Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao
Traditional Chinese	中華人民共和國前往港澳通行證
Simplified Chinese	中华人民共和国前往港澳通行证
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Zhōnghuá Rénmín Gònghéguó qiánwǎng Gǎng Ào tōngxíngzhèng Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Jūng wàh yàhn màhn guhng wòh gwok chìhn wóhng Góng Ou tūng hàhng jing Jyutping Zung1 waa4 jan4 man4 gung6 wo4 gwok3 cin4 wong5 gong2 ou3 tung1 hang4 zing3
One-way Permit
Traditional Chinese	單程證
Simplified Chinese	单程证
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Dānchéngzhèng Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Dāan chìhng jing Jyutping Daan1 cing4 zing3

The scheme was introduced in 1980.[2] The travel restriction was needed to prevent large volumes of people coming to Hong Kong or Macau and preventing illegal immigration.[3]

Controversy

Although the permit is specifically for the purpose of family reunion, not for general immigration,[4] the scheme is controversial. Hong Kong currently has a quota of 150 people per day and the waiting time for spouses is currently 4 years.[5] Journalist Ching Cheong alleges that the scheme, whose beneficiaries are at the sole discretion of the PRC government and outside of the vetting procedures of the Hong Kong Immigration Department, is an infiltration mechanism by spies and friends of the regime into Hong Kong; those that are not filled by spies become a graft mechanism for officials.[6][7] Martin Lee said that the policy is part of the CPC's strategy of long-run "Tibetisation" of Hong Kong, aimed at marginalising Hong Kong people and their core values over time.[7][8]

Citizen rights

When settling to Hong Kong or Macau, the household registration in the mainland is relinquished, however, a person need to reside in the SAR for 7 years for the permanent resident status, which grants citizen rights. Therefore, before the person can acquire permanent resident status, he/she is effectively a second-class citizen in the SAR, without citizen rights (e.g. getting a passport) in both mainland China or the SAR.

Selected statistics on One-way Permit Holders (OWPHs)

Year	No. of OWPHs	OWPHs aged 15+	Remaining quota by year	Median age
2002	45234	30945	9516	29
2003	53507	38640	1243	30
2004	38072	26752	16678	29
2005	55106	40568	-356	29
2006	54170	37779	580	27
2007	33865	24798	20885	28
2008	41610	31435	13140	28
2009	48587	38854	6163	29
2010	42624	34071	1216	29
2011	43379	35916	11371	31
2012	54646	47721	254	36
2013	45031	37797	9719	33
2014	40496	32627	14254	32
2015	38338	31423	16412	32
2016	57387	47358	-2492	32
2017	46971	38740	7779	32
2018	42331	35002	12569	33
2019	39060	31358	15690	32
2020 Q1	3223	2298	-	27

[9]

As of the end of 2016, approximately 950,000 mainland migrants came from the program, representing about 12.8% of Hong Kong's total population.[10]

See also

• Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau: The permit issued to Mainland Chinese residents visiting Hong Kong and Macau temporary.
• Home Return Permit
• Taiwan Compatriot Entry Permit

References

1. Press Releases — LCQ17: One-way Permit, Government Information Centre, Hong Kong.
2. Hong Kong doctors join localist protest against one-way permit scheme, as mainland migrant influx blamed for stretched hospitals
3. Arrangement for Entry to Hong Kong from Mainland China Archived 1 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Immigration Department, Hong Kong.
4. "The Past and Future of the One Way Permit Scheme in the Context of a Population Policy for Hong Kong http://www.bauhinia.org/pdf/research/20080828/OWP_Report.pdf" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 October 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013. External link in |title= (help)
5. "LCQ2: One-way permit scheme". www.info.gov.hk. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
6. 程翔, 從十八大看香港地下黨規模 Archived 24 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Sina Corporation. Ming Pao, 7 November 2012.
7. Hung, Ho-fung. "Three Views of Local Consciousness in Hong Kong". The Asia-Pacific Journal, Vol. 12; Issue 44, No. 1; 3 November 2014.
8. Lee, Martin (29 September 2012). "香港西藏化". Next Magazine.
9. "Home Affairs Department - Public Services - Services for the New Arrivals from The Mainland - Questionnaire Survey". www.had.gov.hk. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
10. "Number of mainlanders moving to Hong Kong drops by almost 15,000". South China Morning Post. 15 August 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.