Travel Document for a Stateless Child in Hong Kong

When Liana Johnson, a dedicated committee member of Adoptive Families of Hong Kong (AFHK), received a call from a family facing an unexpected hurdle, she knew the road ahead could be challenging. The family, with ties to the United States, had recently adopted a child. They were fully aware that their child was stateless however they were confronted with a daunting reality when according to local officials, obtaining an interim travel document did not seem possible.

Having walked that journey for her own family Liana was determined not to let bureaucracy overshadow this family’s immediate future. She followed up to confirm the current process and steps necessary to secure a Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (HKDOI). Her persistence paid off, and today, she shares her insights to help other adoptive parents navigate this process.

Some adoptive parents may find themselves in situations where their child has no citizenship (i.e., stateless).  And for those of us in this situation, you’ll need to wait until your home country procedures are fulfilled in order to have the privilege of extending your citizenship to your child. For example, if the adoptive parents are US citizens and you’ve adopted a child through the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department (“SWD”) system, you’ll need to wait for two years after the adoption date before submitting the application for citizenship to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). 

There is an option to get a travel document in Hong Kong to use while you await citizenship.  You can get your child a Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (HKDOI).  Below is a quick summary that we hope will be useful for parents who have adopted children without citizenship.

Steps for Obtaining Hong Kong Document of Identity for Visa Purposes (“HKDOI”)

Link to the HKDOI Application:  Application for HKSAR Document of Identity for Visa Purposes | Immigration Department

Once you get the HKDOI you will need to apply for a visa for EVERY country to which you travel.  To most people, this appears to be a passport and they won’t know the difference.  The difference will come when you show up at the airport in HK and the airline is confused.

Permanent Residency (“PR”)

In some cases, SWD may not have gotten residency for your child until later in their life.  Once you adopt, the child does not automatically obtain your equivalent PR status.  You must wait until the child has been a resident for 7 years before applying for PR.  At age 11, you will need to get a HKID whether the child has PR or not.

Helpful Tips for Obtaining Your HKDOI:

1. Show up to the airport early.  Like I said earlier, the airline will be confused, because they may have never seen a HKDOI.  They’ll run the HKDOI through that slider on the computer and you’ll hear the beep.  They’ll do it again…beep…  Stay silent, wait for them to ask questions…don’t freak out.

2. Make sure you have the right visa.   

• Thailand:  If you want a quick trip, Thailand is the easiest place to get a visa for a holder of a HKDOI. A HKDOI holder with PR is considered HK nationality.  I don’t understand why, but the consulate would not approve the visa until I stated that on the application. 

• USA:  If you are a USA national and expect to visit the US, you should apply for the US visa ASAP as the process can take a long time.  I applied during COVID so it took over a year.  I’ve heard some people get it in a few months.  Some took almost a year.

• Singapore:  You need to wait until two weeks before the trip to apply.  But the application was approved in 2 days.

• Indonesia:  This requires a letter of reference from an Indonesian resident.  My visa was never approved even though I had the letter.

• Sri Lanka:  To this day, I have no idea how to get a visa to Sri Lanka for a stateless person.  I took my daughter to Sri Lanka. I had applied for and was approved for the wrong visa.  The airline had to call Immigration in Sri Lanka and get real-time approval.  My daughter was approved to get on the flight 15 minutes before the doors closed.

Need Help? If you find yourself in a similar situation or with other questions about obtaining your nationality for your adopted child, know that you're not alone. AFHK has a network of members from various countries who have traversed these paths. Contact us and we'll connect you with someone who understands your journey and can offer guidance tailored to your home country's procedures.