Originally Posted by
percysmith
I'll correct you here - if you renounce Chinese nationality
you still keep HKPR https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services...tionality.html
So essentially you surrender your HKSAR passport, your HKID gets exchanged for one without 3* because you're no longer Chinese citizen eligible for HK re-entry permit
https://www.immd.gov.hk/pdforms/rop133.pdf and
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_Re-entry_Permit
You retain "A" as HKPR, and "Z" because you're born here.
If as US Citizen you keep visiting for any length of time (10 minutes between flights even - just a long as you cross border control) every three years you retain HKPR.
If you don't, your status changes to HK Right To Land ("A" gets changed to "R"). RTL is HKPR minus right to vote and also the government/party has the right to deport you.
As HKPR might even be eligible for a non-Chinese citizen Mainland Travel Permit but I've yet to see anyone test this theory out.
If you renounce it's clean - you can't be "claimed" as a Chinese citizen and you can't be refused a visa or TWOV because they think you may be a citizen.
It's a step I recommended to my brother due to his views - submission by post to Immd or a Chinese consulate or embassy is acceptable.
But until you take that step, you can't be Reverse Eileen Gu and claim to be American in China.
And loss of HKPR is not an excuse (because you retain it - but you're subject to visit requirements to retain it).
I have no intention to change my status of right to abode at Hong Kong that I can return and live there without all the above complicated changes. Of course nobody would know how things would be, say, a few years from now given China policies change so frequently and often without logic...
Originally Posted by
percysmith
Such as? You don't even need an address proof
Ezone
You need at least one in-person visit to China Travel Service in HK, sure.
It will help if you have a HK address or agent for CTS to mail the issued HRP to - you've no HK relos or contacts? (I don't find that requirement onerous - I have my brother receive my Australian Amex and debit cards by mail because they can't be sent overseas)
Where did you apply to in the last two attempts? No other application venues outside of HK/Macau/Mainland (i.e. not your Florida consulate...)
Both attempts were at the official China Travel Services branches albeit several years apart and at different locations.
The first time they wanted my husband's doc and how he left China. No go for that.
The 2nd attempt was in May this year at the branch located at Sha Tin not far from the Courtyard Sha Tin / Shek Mun MTR station. I did make an appointment first. But when you got up to the office it was just like a zoo there. Thankfully I was able to squeeze myself to the front of windows where seemingly some staff were answering questions. The staff took my HKID / HKSAR passport then check with the system. She then told me my HKID showed there were some changes in my personal data (yeah, I changed my last name when I got married, and of course when we migrated to US). Therefore I needed to go to the HKG Immigration to get a "Personal Data Certificate"? something like that - even though the official Immigration site said it was required for something else in the past, and even so, it was no longer required. But the woman at the window would have none of such, just told me the preliminary check showed I was eligible for the HRP, Provided I got that "Personal Data Certificate" which detailed out whatever had changed in my profile so to prove I was me who had that HKID. I found it strange because the HKID had personal photo and finger print while the Personal Data Cert would have none of such, just a paper listed out the changes ever made on that HKID Number. Then she said once I got that piece of doc, I could make another appointment to do the HRP.
So I went on Hong Kong Immigration site again - of course an appointment was needed, PLUS it would take 25 working days to get this ready AND it could not be picked up by anyone else but the holder of said HKID Forget about it. I would just use TWOV instead.
I was originally planning to head to HKG from EU first so I had some time to start the process. But alas, it is mission impossible to find an award flight EU to Asia, let alone to HKG without paying an arm and a leg. Earlier in Spring I went EU to Middle East, then DOH-HKG, and eventually HKG-DOH-MIA on return, using QR Avios. Next Spring QR pulled all its awards from late Mar thru the end of schedule - I have not seen anything on the DOH-HKG route that was so abandon in the past. So the plan changed to fly to PVG instead as AY still showed some availability when I looked about 2 months ago, they were just there for quite a few weeks after I booked. Suddenly all were zeroed out also.
So there would not be enough time to get that "Personal Data Certificate" I am afraid. Though I would still give it a try to see how it goes.
BTW, the oddity thing of TWOV is, your place of birth would not impede you from using TWOV to enter China with your adopted country's passport, as long as your adopted country is on the list of eligible countries, plus your itinerary meets the requirements.
It is always a huge confusion / nutty point, on how the Chinese government treats Hong Kong and Macau being a 3rd "country" or region when it comes to the TWOV whether in the ancient 72 hrs or the 100 hrs to now 240 hrs. Yet on everything else, these are Chinese territories and people born there are Chinese citizens. Period.