Chinese Citizenship- Possible?

[LaoDing]

Has anyone applied for Chinese citizenship? I'm just curious. I'm speaking about someone who does not have Chinese relatives and has never had Chinese citizenship in the past.

Hypothetically...

[LinZhenPu]

The only way you can realistically have any chance of getting 'Chinese' citizenship is by aiming to get Republic of China citizenship, which is of course not equivalent to People's Republic of China citizenship.

 

The list of people who don't have Chinese relatives and never had Chinese citizenship in the past who have Chinese citizenship now is very, very small. At this point of time, there should be essentially no possibility of any new citizens of this kind. The ones that are are mostly people who have been with China since the very early days of the PRC and have communist party membership. One guy from England was working as a civil servant in Hong Kong before the handover to the PRC and rose through the ranks so they needed to let him get citizenship in order to be able to keep him after the handover due to the Basic Law which states that you must be a citizen to work in civil service government jobs. Maybe in the future this will be possible, but I don't think it is now.

 

But that wasn't your question. Your question is has anyone applied. I think one of the eligibility requirements to apply is that you have permanent residency in China. That is elusive enough, and the vast majority of holders are likely to be much too busy to pay this forum a visit.

Anyway, no one can do it so I daresay it would be next to impossible to even find the right place to lodge an application. You'd need to have very good guanxi indeed.

[Lu]

ROC citizenship on the other hand isn't all that elusive. Not a walk in the park to get, and you have to give up your current citizenship (and do military service if you're a man of that age), but absolutely possible.

 

Getting PRC citizenship is probably possible hypothetically, but not practically.

[carlo]

See this for naturalization in HK. Over 10k applications accepted since 1997.

 

http://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/services/chinese_nationality/Application_for_Naturalization_as_a_Chinese_National.html

[Guest]

What a coincidence! A China vlogger (laowhy86, or 'C-Milk') did a vlog on this just yesterday.

 

I recommend watching, but if for whatever reason you don't, it boils down to this:

 

• Technically, yes. You can apply for a permanent residence card (Chinese 'green card') which you can then use to apply for Chinese nationality. For spouses of Chinese nationals, that has a prerequisite of living in China with your spouse for five years (continuously).
• Practically, no. Since (I think he said) 2000, there have been 900 people who've gone through this process. In the grand scheme of things, this is a microscopic number for sixteen years. 
• It seems to be possible for those who have either invested a lot of money in China (over $500k US) or who have, from their knowledge of other lands, brought great technological advancements (inc. military) to China. Read: sell secrets to the Chinese state/turn traitor.
• It's generally not practical, doing so requires relinquishing your original citizenship. Having a foreign passport has more advantages than carrying a Chinese passport - you'll (more often than not) have less visa-free entry into countries and - as you're now 'Chinese' - will have to settle for a Chinese wage. You might be be a different type of unicorn (a foreigner with a Chinese passport? Whaaat?), but you're no longer a foreign unicorn in an employer's eyes. Expect a wage to match.

I remember seeing a few articles a month or so ago saying that the government was trying to relax the rules on this a little to make the prospect more attractive for foreigners (will hunt down and add here later). Personally, I think they'll struggle with this unless they account for dual citizenship, and I can't see that happening any time soon.

[Angelina]

Read: sell secrets to the Chinese state/turn traitor.

 

 

haha this part is funny 

[lips]

One guy from England was working as a civil servant in Hong Kong before the handover to the PRC and rose through the ranks so they needed to let him get citizenship in order to be able to keep him after the handover due to the Basic Law which states that you must be a citizen to work in civil service government jobs. 

 

This is not entirely true.  If a person was already a civil servant before the handover, then he/she could be a civil servant afterwards even without permanent resident status.

[Angelina]

I did manage to find someone who got the equally elusive internship while on a residence permit for study purposes.

[Flickserve]

HK passport has clear rules in obtaining it. Whether that allows you to live and work in mainland China would need to be clarified.

[zhouhaochen]

My friends brother (South African/English heritage, but born and raised in HK) got Hong Kong Chinese citizenship (which is the same as Chinese from a "citizens" perspective") so he could play Rugby for Hong Kong. No idea how (if someone is serious about getting it, I can ask, please pm me), but it clearly is possible.

[geraldc]

Even if you have HK citizenship, you'd still need a Home Return Permit to get back to China.

 

A story in the SCMP about the first Somali to become Chinese

 

http://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1826353/meet-first-somali-chinese-home-return-permit

[Flickserve]

My friends brother (South African/English heritage, but born and raised in HK) got Hong Kong Chinese citizenship (which is the same as Chinese from a "citizens" perspective") so he could play Rugby for Hong Kong. No idea how (if someone is serious about getting it, I can ask, please pm me), but it clearly is possible.

Born in HK. Give up other citizenships.

[LaoDing]

Interesting! Well, when the door closes, windows open!

Again, I was asking hypothetically. Like other U.S. citizens, some of us are freaking out right now.

 

I would not mind the ROC- though the 汉字 would be rough!

[Angelina]

I have always been interested in obtaining Chinese citizenship because I do not feel particularly attached to passport country

https://www.buzzfeed.com/craigsilverman/how-macedonian-spammers-are-using-facebook-groups-to-feed-yo

[Lu]

Like other U.S. citizens, some of us are freaking out right now.

While I completely understand that, and I sympathise, I think it would be good to keep in mind that a move to China is not a move to a politically better country. Feel free to insert criticism of western hegemony, neo-colonialism and all the other issues here, but China has at least as much sexism, racism, police brutality, wealth gap and corruption going on as the US, and you can't protest the government or try to vote in a different one in four years. You can in Taiwan, but that has its own issues with racism and sexism, and unlike the US no marriage equality (yet! yet!!). Any Americans considering emigration (which, again, I really sympathise with) should make sure they don't jump out of the frying pan into the fire.

[Angelina]

Any Americans considering emigration (which, again, I really sympathise with) should make sure they don't jump out of the frying pan into the fire.

For Americans, maybe, for me personally, it is either China or nothing, so I am forced to choose China. Hopefully, I will be able to become full citizen one day. If not, I will try somewhere else. Not sure how LaoDing feels about it. It depends on him.

[LaoDing]

 

 

Feel free to insert criticism of western hegemony, neo-colonialism and all the other issues here, but China has at least as much sexism, racism, police brutality, wealth gap and corruption going on as the US, and you can't protest the government or try to vote in a different one in four years.

No, I wouldn't do that here. But I will say that there are alarming trends indeed in the United States, rights we had could be taken away at any time by the Homeland Security Act, and I think anyone who's paid even the smallest amount of attention to the last election knows that it was unlike any other in American history anyway and quite brutal. I'm sure there will be another election in four years but after this last one we Americans are left with a great amount of uncertainty.

That's about all I should say really. MLK famously hoped for a day when we would be judged not by the color of our skin but the content of our character. I wish likewise for a world based upon the freedom to go where we could best serve society with the talents we possess without restriction to the passports that bound us at birth.

[aka]

For Americans, maybe, for me personally, it is either China or nothing, so I am forced to choose China. Hopefully, I will be able to become full citizen one day. If not, I will try somewhere else. Not sure how LaoDing feels about it. It depends on him.

Either China or Nothing? Why?

[Angelina]

I don't believe in the country I happen to currently be a citizen of.

The quality of life I have in China is decent. If I can stay here I would appreciate the 安全感. The thing is, I am not sure if I would be given such an opportunity, I am only interested.

Also, even if you choose the government that is the best fit for you, maybe personal relationships you form will be the reason to leave for somewhere else. For example, maybe China can invest in the research area I am interested in, however, the government can not and should not guarantee that I will get on well with coworkers. Therefore, I am considering the option to stay in China, but I am not sure what is going to happen. It is either China or nothing when you look at government, but my choice will also depend on certain things on a more personal level. I might be living in a city that is just beautiful and I am interested in becoming a citizen, will that be enough?

[Living-In-ChinaDotAsia]

Am an overseas Taiwan (ROC) passport holder with permanent residency in a SouthEast Asian country.  I  was actually born and grew up in another country but my ancestors are from Fujian, China.  Not Taiwan but my parents ended up to apply me a Taiwan passport due China was still closed from issuing China passport overseas way back around 1970's.

 

I applied for a US visa this 1st quarter of the year in my present resident country and found that overseas Taiwan passport with no National ID's such as mine are now considered stateless. So I can only get a US visa with  only 3 months of validity.

 

It hurted a lot coz aside from paying the same fee and going through the same tedious application process, I was, by  US international law, now considered a "stateless" person.  My saving grace is to apply for a China passport by giving up my Taiwan passport.   From my research, a China passport even with a national ID is regarded as NOT stateless and is eligible for the usual 10 year US visa validity.  And most of all, am fed up being considered as stateless.

 

The funny thing, I always feel more welcomed in China than I was in Taiwan as an overseas Taiwan passport holder ( can read my past post about my different experiences, going to China and Taiwan).  Its just ironic to note with Taiwan and China sharing the most closest Chinese ancestry can be so politically divided on such matters.

 

Now am 90% decided to change my passport to China.  I just hope its something I won't have to regret.   Anyone there who almost have similar experiences or circumstances care to share their thoughts ?