Hong Kong Reciprocity Schedule

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Visa Classification	Fee	Number of Applications	Validity Period
A-1	None	Multiple	60 Months
A-2	None	Multiple	60 Months
A-3 [1]	None	Multiple	24 Months
B-1	None	Multiple	120 Months
B-2	None	Multiple	120 Months
B-1/B-2	None	Multiple	120 Months
C-1	None	Multiple	120 Months
C-1/D	None	Multiple	120 Months
C-2	None	Multiple	12 Months
C-3	None	Multiple	60 Months
D	None	Multiple	120 Months
E-1 [2]	No Treaty	N/A	N/A
E-2 [2]	No Treaty	N/A	N/A
F-1	None	Multiple	60 Months
F-2	None	Multiple	60 Months
G-1	None	Multiple	60 Months
G-2	None	Multiple	60 Months
G-3	None	Multiple	60 Months
G-4	None	Multiple	60 Months
G-5 [1]	None	Multiple	24 Months
H-1B	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
H-1C	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
H-2A	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
H-2B	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
H-2R	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
H-3	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
H-4	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
I	None	Multiple	60 Months
J-1 [4]	None	Multiple	60 Months
J-2 [4]	None	Multiple	60 Months
K-1	None	One	6 Months
K-2	None	One	6 Months
K-3	None	Multiple	24 Months
K-4	None	Multiple	24 Months
L-1	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
L-2	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
M-1	None	Multiple	60 Months
M-2	None	Multiple	60 Months
N-8	None	Multiple	60 Months
N-9	None	Multiple	60 Months
NATO 1-7	N/A	N/A	N/A
O-1	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
O-2	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
O-3	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
P-1	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
P-2	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
P-3	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
P-4	None	Multiple	60 Months [3]
Q-1 [6]	None	Multiple	15 Months [3]
R-1	None	Multiple	60 Months
R-2	None	Multiple	60 Months
S-5 [7]	None	One	1 Month
S-6 [7]	None	One	1 Month
S-7 [7]	None	One	1 Month
T-1 [9]	N/A	N/A	N/A
T-2	None	One	6 Months
T-3	None	One	6 Months
T-4	None	One	6 Months
T-5	None	One	6 Months
TD [5]	N/A	N/A	N/A
V-1	None	Multiple	120 Months
V-2	None	Multiple	120 Months [8]
V-3	None	Multiple	120 Months [8]

Documents

Birth and Death Certificates

Available. Birth and death certificates are available for any person who was born or who died in Hong Kong since 1872, except during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong (1941-1945).  A certificate entitled “AN EXTRACT OF ENTRY IN REGISTER KEPT IN THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF HONG KONG,” is issued under the seal of the Registrar General of Births and Deaths.

Marriage Certificates

Available from 1945, pre-war records of the Registrar of Marriages are not normally available, but in certain cases may be obtained from the church where the ceremony was performed.  The original certificate, entitled “Certificate of Marriage”, is signed by the Registrar of Marriages or the Minister performing the ceremony.  Duplicates, when available, are entitled “Certified True Copy of Certificate of Marriage”, and are signed by the Registrar of Marriages.

The Marriage Amendment Ordinance, which took effect in March 2006, expanded the definition of individuals legally allowed to conduct marriages in Hong Kong.  Under the Marriage Amendment Ordinance, marriages may now be conducted by any person appointed as a Civil Celebrant of Marriages.  The “Certificate of Marriage” is signed by the Civil Celebrant of Marriages.

Divorce Decrees

Available from 1945.  Prior to 1971, customary Chinese marriages could be dissolved by mutual written consent of the two parties, signed before two witnesses.  After October 7, 1971, all marriages must have been dissolved through regular divorce proceedings conducted at the appropriate court, with the final decree or divorce registered at the Civil Registry.  A certificate “DECREE ABSOLUTE” issued by the Family Court Registry bearing the seal of the District Court, is the final document for the divorce.

Applicants who plan to use a divorce decree in overseas proceedings should submit an application for a sealed copy of the decree at the District Court in Hong Kong.  Applicants should then bring the sealed copy of the divorce decree to the High Court Registry for authentication.

Certificate of No-Criminal Conviction (CNCC)

The issuanceof a Certificate of No Criminal Conviction is a charged service provided by the Hong Kong Police Force.  Both individuals residing in Hong Kong and individuals residing outside of Hong Kong may apply.

Individuals residing in Hong Kong

All applicants should appear in person at the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction Office which is located at 14/F, Arsenal House, Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.  The office is open from 9am to 5:15pm from Monday to Friday.  (Note: The payment window is closed daily between 1-2pm and stops accepting payments at 5pm.)  Applicants may elect to make an advance appointment through the Automatic Telephone Appointment System at 2396-5351, no less than one day in advance of the intended appointment. Please note that the "Certificate of No Criminal Conviction" or an appropriate reply together with the applicant's police record will be sent directly to the Consulate General and/or immigration office specified on the application. 

An applicant should be prepared to present the following items:

1. his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;
2. the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);
3. the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant’s name;
4. the processing fee of HK$180 per person – payment via cash, Octopus cards or checks payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”

All applicants must consent to have their fingerprints taken.  Each applicant must sign an authorization that the fingerprints can be retained by the Hong Kong Police and that details of any criminal conviction recorded in Hong Kong can be disclosed to the U.S. Consulate General. 

Individuals residing outside Hong Kong

Applications should be made in writing to:

The Commission of Police (Attn: EO CNCC)
14/F, Arsenal House
Police Headquarters, 1 Arsenal Street
Wan Chai, Hong Kong

An applicant residing outside Hong Kong must submit the following items.  Please note that documents issued in languages other than Chinese or English, must be accompanied by an official transcript, in Chinese or English, endorsed either by the issuing authority or a certificated translation services body.

1. his/her Hong Kong Identity Card or valid travel document;
2. the original and a photocopy (for each applicant) of the letter from NVC which contains his/her name and the checklist of documents necessary for obtaining a visa (the one that references the need for police certificates);
3. the original and photocopy of a document proving his/her relationship with the principal applicant for the visa if item #2 does not contain the applicant’s name;
4. a full set of the applicant’s fingerprints taken and certified by a recognized and official police or law enforcement agency where the applicant currently resides.  Certification of the fingerprints must clearly state: (i) the full name and rank of the person taking the prints, (ii) the full name of the police or law enforcement agency with their official chop; and (iii) the date and place the prints were taken.  Prints that do not clearly show certification will be refused.  Fingerprints taken by the applicant him/herself, a legal representative or private/commercial agency are also unacceptable. 
5. a bank draft in the amount of HK$180 per person, made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.”  The draft must be payable in Hong Kong.  A personal check in Hong Kong dollars, which is issued an authorized by any licensed banks in Hong Kong, is also acceptable.         

If an applicant is under investigation by the Hong Kong Police or is currently a defendant in criminal proceedings in Hong Kong or is subject to non-payment of fines including traffic offences, his/her application will not be further processed until the matter has been concluded. 

The relevant application form, standard personal data form, and fingerprint consent form can be downloaded from the Hong Kong Police homepage at www.police.gov.hk.   Any inquiries may be addressed to Certificate of No Criminal Conviction office, email: eo-cncc-ib@police.gov.hk, phone: +852-2860-6557 (for local residents); +852-2860-6558 (for overseas applicants), fax: +852-2200-4321.

Court Record

Available.  Extract from case register is available to an applicant upon written application to the First Clerk of the Magistracy where the conviction occurred.  The applicant should provide his/her full name, date and place of birth, and the case number.  Magisterial records are normally available only for three years.  If the conviction occurred in a District Court or the High Court, the application should be addressed to the Registrar of the court concerned.

Prison Records

Unavailable.

Military Records

Unavailable.

Certificate of Registered Particulars (CRP)

The Registration of Persons Office of the Hong Kong Immigration Department (HKID) issues this serialized document on tamper-resistant paper and reflects a photo of the applicant and an embossed seal.

In addition to basic biographic information, the CRP may contain a record of the applicant's marital history, family composition, and work experience.  This information is supplied by the applicant at irregular intervals when he or she first registers for an identity card, obtains a replacement card, registers a child for an identity card, applies for a passport, or voluntarily reports other information.  Information on the CRP may or may not have been verified by HKID at the time it was recorded.  Making false statements on a CRP is an offense under Hong Kong law, and violators are vigorously prosecuted.  The CRP is an invaluable aid in establishing relationship or verifying claimed work experience.  Posts with questions on interpreting CRPs should contact Hong Kong's Fraud Prevention officer.

Present or former residents of Hong Kong can apply for a CRP at any of the five Registration of Persons Offices.  Former residents can apply by mail or through a representative, but the request must be signed by the individual and notarized.  CRPs are available for deceased persons but can only be obtained by close relatives.  Requests for CRPs should include the applicant's Hong Kong identity card number whenever possible.  Processing time is approximately five weeks.

Passport and Other Travel Documents

The following documents meet the definition of passport under INA Section 101(a)(30) and are valid for visa issuing purposes.

• HKSAR Passport (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region): Only Chinese nationals with the right of abode in Hong Kong can qualify for the new HKSAR passport.  This document lists the bearer as a Chinese national with the right of abode in the HKSAR, and also lists the bearer’s permanent Hong Kong ID number.  Bearers may hold the HKSAR and the BN(O) passport concurrently. 
• British National (Overseas) Passport (BN(O)): This passport identifies the bearer’s nationality as “British National (Overseas).”  It is issued to persons with the right of abode in Hong Kong whom British authorities consider British nationals, but who lack the right of abode in the United Kingdom.  The BN(O) does not confer the same rights as a regular United Kingdom passport.  For example, BN(O) bearers do not have the right to live in Great Britain, nor are they eligible for the U.S. Visa Waiver Pilot Program.  Hong Kong visa reciprocity should be followed for BN(O) bearers. 
• Hong Kong Certificate of Identity: This document has been issued to persons with the right of abode in Hong Kong who were not born there, or who lack proof of birth in Hong Kong.  The issuance of these documents terminated after July 1, 1997 and Certificates of Identity ceased to be valid in 2007.  Upon expiration, qualified bearers were able to replace the documents with the HKSAR passport.
• Hong Kong Document of Identity: This document has been issued to persons who have been legally residing in Hong Kong for less than the seven years necessary to have full right of abode, and who cannot obtain a national passport.  Previously, a Document of Identity was valid for re-entry to Hong Kong only if it contained a re-entry visa.  According to Hong Kong immigration, the Document of Identity is now valid for return to Hong Kong at any time during its validity, even without an explicit re-entry visa.  Currently Hong Kong reciprocity applies.
• Validity, Reciprocity, and Nationality Code: HKSAR and BN(O) passports, along with the Certificate of Identity are recognized as valid for return to Hong Kong for a period of six months beyond their expiration date, and thus qualify for the automatic extension of validity for purposes of INA section 212(A)(7)(B)(i)(I).  [See 9 FAM 41.104 Note 2.]  The Document of Identity does not qualify for the automatic extension of validity.  Effective July 1, 1997, the British Dependent Territories Citizen Passport (BDTC), ceased to be valid for visa-issuing purposes.

An applicant presenting any of the above-listed travel documents, not including the BDTC, will be subject to the visa reciprocity schedule for Hong Kong.  Hong Kong residents holding British citizenship with the right of abode in the United Kingdom (and thus carrying a regular United Kingdom passport) continue to be subject to the reciprocity schedule for the United Kingdom.

Posts issuing MRVs to persons bearing one of the above Hong Kong travel documents should use the following codes in the nationality field:

• HNK - HKSAR passport, HK Certificate of Identity, or HK Document of Identity
• HOKO - British National (Overseas) Passport

Because the BN(O) identifies the bearer as a British national, it is essential to maintain these two separate nationality codes for statistical reasons.

Use of Visa in Expired Passport: Under 22 CFR 41.112(3), an alien can apply for admission to the United Sates with a valid visa in one passport (even if the passport has expired), provided the alien is also in possession of a valid passport issued by the authorities of the country of which s/he is a national.

An expired travel document, issued by Hong Kong authorities under British rule, containing a valid U.S. visa will be accepted for admission to the United States when presented with an unexpired travel document issued by the appropriate Hong Kong authorities.  This will, for example, permit a Hong Kong resident with a valid visa in an expired British document such as the BN(O), or in an expired Certificate of Identity, to present it with an unexpired HKSAR passport in order to apply for admission.

Special Clearance and Issuance Procedures

VISAS MANTIS Security Advisory Opinion Requests: Visas Mantis is strongly recommended for applicants with a background or purpose of trip that is listed in the TAL. Please see 9 FAM Appendix G 502.1-7.

Visa Issuing Post

Hong Kong (Consulate General)

Street Address:
26 Garden Road, Central
Hong Kong

Mailing Address:
PSC 461 Box 5
FPO AP 96521-0006

Tel: (852) 2523-9011

Fax: (852) 2845-4845

Email: http://hongkong.usconsulate.gov/visa_inquiry_form.html

Visa Services

SAR (Special Administrative Region) of Hong Kong - Macau. All visa categories for all of Hong Kong.

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