More steps in visa measures expected after non-Chinese mainland permit for Hong Kong permanent residents: John Lee
Hong Kong’s leader has revealed that “more steps” in visa liberalisation measures could be coming after Beijing’s new five-year travel permit for the city’s 270,000 permanent residents holding foreign passports to enter the mainland, which he described as a “big policy breakthrough”.
The announcement by Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu was made on Thursday at the China Conference, which is organised by the South China Morning Post.
On July 1, the National Immigration Administration said a new type of five-year, multi-entry travel permit would be introduced for Hong Kong’s non-Chinese nationals with permanent residency.
“I would like to highlight that it is actually a big policy breakthrough,” Lee said. “It may be a step in your convenience, but it is a big step in making that breakthrough. It is, in fact, a second step.”
Lee said the “first step” launched last October was a fast track application process for multiple-entry visas for travelling to the mainland available to foreign employees of locally registered companies. The initiative was introduced in his second Policy Address.
“That’s step one and now we have step two and there will be more steps coming. And I hope I will deliver more to you in due course,” Lee said.
The business community has described the new travel permit initiative as a first step as there have been calls for seamless travel to other mainland cities of the Greater Bay Area for non permanent residents as well.
