No visa on arrival for Indians travelling to Hong Kong from January
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"The Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals will be implemented on January 23, 2017. The online service for 'Pre-arrival Registration for Indian Nationals' is now opened," the Hong Kong
"Indian nationals must apply for and successfully complete pre-arrival registration online before they can visit or transit the HKSAR visa-free (if seeking to enter the HKSAR during transit). Pre-arrival registration is not required for Indian nationals in direct transit by air and not leaving the airport transit area," it said.
This will prove to be a major setback for over half a million Indians who visit the former British colony for business, trade and holidays.
Until now, Hong Kong allowed Indians to enter with valid passport for a period up to 14 days without a visa.
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Indian officials say that Hong Kong is using the asylum seekers as pretext to deny the visa free entry to Indians who are one of the largest spenders contributing to the local economy.
It has also been believed that the move is being brought about by Hong Kong due to pressure from China.
Hong Kong's Immigration department assistant director
Ma, in-charge of visas and policies, said the measure would be reviewed soon after its launch and considered a pilot scheme.
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"We picked India as a testing point as it was one of the major source countries. We do not rule out extending the scheme to other countries in the future," he said.Except for India, other countries nationals including those from Pakistan needed visas to enter Hong Kong.
Indian officials say that Hong Kong has become attractive destination for asylum seekers from the sub-continent as it offered facilities for food and stay free of cost until the asylum requests are processed.
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