I REFER to the letter headlined, 'Confused about family's post-1997 status' (South China Morning Post, December 9). The 'A' code on Hong Kong permanent identity cards indicates that the holder is a Hong Kong permanent resident with the right of abode in Hong Kong. The term 'Hong Kong permanent resident' is defined in the Immigration Ordinance to mean: (a) Persons wholly or partly of Chinese race who have at any time been ordinarily resident in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years; (b) British Dependent Territories Citizens (BDTCs) having a connection with Hong Kong (for example, by birth, naturalisation or registration in Hong Kong), or who have at any time been married to such a citizen; (c) Commonwealth citizens who immediately before January 1, 1983, had the right to land in Hong Kong as a Hong Kong belonger. The term 'Hong Kong belonger' means: A person who immediately before January 1, 1983, was (i) A British subject who was born in Hong Kong. (ii) A British subject by naturalisation in Hong Kong. (iii) A British subject by registration in Hong Kong under section 7(2) of the British Nationality Act 1948. (iv) A British subject married or who had been married to, or was a child of, a person mentioned in (i) to (ii) above. Whether or not a person has the right of abode in Hong Kong depends on whether he fulfills the above legislative requirements. After 1997, non-Chinese nationals can continue to live in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as they do at present. For those who are able to satisfy the requirements under Article 24(2)(4) of the Basic Law (i.e. have entered Hong Kong with valid travel documents, have ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and have taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence before or after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), they shall be permanent residents of, and have the right of abode in, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. For those who are either Hong Kong BDTCs or BN(O)s and who do not have any other nationality, they will continue to be permanent residents of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region after 1997 if they have not acquired a right of abode elsewhere before 1997. The relevant provision in the Basic Law is Article 24(2)(6). ANNA S C CHAN for Director of Immigration