X Visa required for Hong Kong ID card holder/Canadian citizen?

[woofs]

Hi there,

I've been reading through threads on the forum for a while but this is my first post and I am hoping someone knows the answers to my questions! I am ethnically Chinese, a Canadian citizen, and a Hong Kong permanent resident (ID card holder) with a "home return permit card" (wui heung jing). I am going to Shanghai this fall to study Chinese for a year. The university (ECNU) told me that they accept "foreign students" only, so I sent them a copy of my canadian passport in my application, but now I am trying to figure out whether I'll actually need an X visa and residence permit to be a student there.

According to Hong Kong's immigration website:

"Where a Hong Kong resident is of Chinese descent and was born in the Chinese territories (including Hong Kong), or where a person satisfies the criteria laid down in the Nationality Law of the People's Republic of China for having Chinese nationality, he is a Chinese national." That would mean I can just walk in and study/work/whatever, right?

But the nationality law also says: "Any Chinese national who has settled abroad and who has been naturalized as a foreign national or has acquired foreign nationality of his own free will shall automatically lose Chinese nationality."

Does this mean I don't have Chinese nationality even though I can technically enter freely with my home return permit card? Should I apply for a visa in HK before I head to Shanghai? What will happen if I don't?

If anyone knows anything about this issue or has had similar experiences, I would be very grateful for your help. I haven't been able to find anything about this online.

Thanks!

[woofs]

Anyone?

[gato]

These might help.

http://www.geoexpat.com/forum/thread24155.html

Do HKSAR Govt. allow DUAL nationality?

http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/chnnationality_2.htm

Explanations of some questions by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress concerning the implementation of the Nationality Law of the PRC in the HKSAR

[erica]

You still need a visa to china, but specially for HK residences. It was a lot cheaper. A 10 years mulitple entry from HK to China is roughly ~400 HK dollars (58 canadian). You can get that from HK, but I am not sure if you can get it thru the Chinese consulate here. That is the only ID you need to show going through the china custom.

[BrandeX]

What she said. You never had "Chinese nationality" (they are referring to PRC mainland), you have HK nationality, which counts as different here. All my HK associates also have Canada citizenship. They use their HK id's here, not Canadian passports.

[XiaoBin]

I recommend to get a X-visa. You most prob have to show your X-visa when you get to the uni to complete your registration.

[woofs]

Thanks guys. I've decided to go in with my 回乡证 (Erica, I think that's what you meant by the 10-year multiple entry visa?) and see what they say... *fingers crossed*

[gato]

You need a visa to go to mainland China since you are a Canadian citizens.

Two other matters to consider:

- Old 回乡证 have all expired as of Jan 1., 2009. Check yours for expiration.

- Even if you are able to enter China, you may have trouble leaving, as you might be require to show a valid HK passport to fly to Canada.

http://www.zhbj.gov.cn/Client/InfoView.aspx?GoryID=Banshi&ID=95

《港澳同胞回乡证》自2009年1月1日起停止使用

随着 2008年12月31日的过去，《港澳同胞回乡证》（俗称“回乡证”正式成为历史。这是1978年开始签发的供港澳同胞返回内地使用的证件，证件的有效期为10年。这种证件在1998年12月31日已经停止签发，取而代之的是卡片式的《港澳居民来往内地通行证》（俗称“回乡卡”）。但之前申领的且仍在效期内的证件可以继续使用。边检有关部门提醒持有这种“回乡证”的港澳同胞，此类“回乡证”在2009年1月1日已经全部到期。

http://www.windsor8.com/canada/passport-19.html

港澳移民持回乡证不能直飞中国

2009-01-14 目录：加拿大中文新闻

　然而，当本报再以记者身分多次以电话及电邮再向对方查询同一问题时，对方却一直没有回覆。本报转而向加拿大本地中旅社查询，一位赵先生却称，入籍加国的港人 (或原籍中国华人)都必须申请中国签证。过去便曾有旅客以回乡证(或中国护照)入境中国，在离境时出了问题，但具体情况他已忘记。

[BrandeX]

HK and Canada allow dual citizenship.

[gato]

But it appears that the OP may not have a HK passport. (Would a HK citizen need a HK permanent resident ID?)

[woofs]

Success! Went around all the visa and physical exam nonsense and got a tuition discount to boot. Thanks all for sharing your thoughts. I guess the final answer is that no visa is required for a HK permanent resident holding a home return permit (at least for tourism and study--not sure about work).

[gato]

The problem suggested by the previous posts is what documentation you need when you leave the country. Coming in is the easier part.

You might need to need to go through HK when you leave. It's not clear that you will be able to board a plane to Canada with your "HK home return permit." And if you show your Canadian passport, you don't have an entry stamp on it, which might raise a question.

[roddy]

Would you not just show both (or all three, or whatever)? Is there any reason why you can't have a Canadian passport, a HK ID card and a 回乡证?

[flameproof]

A few corrections:

You still need a visa to china, but specially for HK residences. It was a lot cheaper. A 10 years mulitple entry from HK to China is roughly ~400 HK dollars (58 canadian).

You confuse that with the home permit. The longest visa you can get is 3 years and that

's only for HK permanent residents. The home permit is like an ID card and is valid for 10 years.

They use their HK id's here, not Canadian passports.

Again, that is home permits. You can not cross the China border with just an HK ID card.

Would a HK citizen need a HK permanent resident ID?

A HK resident will have an HK ID card, but not all cards are "permanent". And not all Permanent ID card holder have a HK SAR passport.

You might need to need to go through HK when you leave. It's not clear that you will be able to board a plane to Canada with your "HK home return permit." And if you show your Canadian passport, you don't have an entry stamp on it, which might raise a question.

It is no problem to enter leave China with a 回乡证 only. You do not need a passport. But I would bring it anyway (not at least to get consular assistance if in need). Your entry is in their PC system. However, I would check if there is any maximum stay on the 回乡证.

Is there any reason why you can't have a Canadian passport, a HK ID card and a 回乡证?

If you have Canadian passport you should in theory have no 回乡证. In reality many have though. I would not brag about it in China.