One-way Permit

A People's Republic of China Permit for Proceeding to Hong Kong and Macao, or One way Permit, is a document issued by the People's Republic of China allowing residents of mainland China to leave the mainland permanently to settle in Hong Kong or Macau. The scheme was introduced in 1980s. The travel restriction was needed to prevent large volumes of people coming to Hong Kong or Macau and preventing illegal immigration.

When settling to Hong Kong or Macau, the household registration in the mainland is relinquished, however, a person needs to reside in the SAR for 7 years for the permanent resident status, which grants citizenship rights. Therefore, before the person can acquire permanent resident status, he/she is effectively a second class citizen in the SAR, without citizen rights (e. g. getting a passport) in both mainland China and the SAR.

Year No. of OWPHs OWPHs aged 15+ Remaining quota by year Median age 2002 45234 30945 9516 29 2003 53507 38640 1243 30 2004 38072 26752 16678 29 2005 55106 40568 356 29 2006 54170 37779 580 27 2007 33865 24798 20885 28 2008 41610 31435 13140 28 2009 48587 38854 6163 29 2010 42624 34071 1216 29 2011 43379 35916 11371 31 2012 54646 47721 254 36 2013 45031 37797 9719 33 2014 40496 32627 14254 32 2015 38338 31423 16412 32 2016 57387 47358 2487 32 2017 46971 38740 7779 32 2018 42331 35002 12569 33 2019 39060 31358 15690 32 2020 10134 7974 44766 32 2021 17919 14026 36831 31

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.

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 by spies and friends of the regime into Hong Kong; those that are not filled by spies 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.