Right of abode in Hong Kong policies since the 1950s. With the Handover imminent in 1997, the Sino-British Joint Declaration and the Basic Law defined who may reside in Hong Kong once China assumes sovereignty over Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong was created a British colony in 1842, those who were born in the territory or become naturalised had British nationality. This included the right to enter and live in United Kingdom in addition to Hong Kong. By the 1960s, the United Kingdom passed the "Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962" and "Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1968". Anticipating immigration waves from former and current colonies in Africa and Asia
British nationality law and Hong Kong on or after 1983 to a parent settled in Hong Kong are BDTCs. The law also stated that British Citizens or BDTCs by descent could not automatically pass on British nationality to a child born outside the United Kingdom or the dependent territories concerned unless a parent acquired citizenship otherwise than by descent. Negotiation concerning the future of Hong Kong started in the late 1970s between Britain and China. With the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on 19 December 1984, the future of Hong Kong was set, with China to assume sovereignty of the entire territory of Hong Kong