One-way Permit

The Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao, colloquially known as the One-way Permit, is a travel document issued by the Exit and Entry Administration of the People's Republic of China. This passport-size document is issued for its bearers, Chinese citizens residing in the mainland with relatives in Hong Kong or Macau, to proceed to the special administrative regions for residency.

History

The British Hong Kong government implemented the Touch Base Policy, which confer all mainland residents who arrived in Hong Kong the legal Hong Kong resident status. As the number of immigrants increased, the British Hong Kong government decided to change the policy and control immigration.
In 1982, in order to control the border, the British Hong Kong government reached an agreement with the Chinese government, stipulating that mainland residents coming to Hong Kong for residency must hold a one-way permit issued by the Chinese government, with a quota of 75 per day. In 1995, the one-way permit daily quota was raised to 150. As of 2024, this quota cap remains in effect.

Selected statistics

As of the end of 2016, approximately 950,000 mainland migrants came from the program, representing about 12.8% of Hong Kong's total population.

Controversy

Although the permit is specifically for the purpose of family reunion, not for general immigration, the scheme is controversial. Hong Kong currently has a quota of 150 people per day and the waiting time for spouses is currently 4 years. Journalist Ching Cheong alleges that the scheme, whose beneficiaries are at the sole discretion of the PRC government and outside of the vetting procedures of the Hong Kong Immigration Department, is an infiltration mechanism for creating a loyal voter bloc in Hong Kong; those that are not filled by cadres become a graft mechanism for officials. Martin Lee said that the policy is part of the CPC's strategy of long-run "Tibetisation" of Hong Kong, aimed at marginalising Hong Kong people and their core values over time.