[co-author: Mariela Benitez]

 

On July 14, President Trump issued the Executive Order on Hong Kong Normalization, in response to a new security law published by the People’s Republic of China, Law of the People’s Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Administrative Region.

 

In 1992, Congress enacted the Hong Kong Policy Act, which allowed the U.S. government to treat Hong Kong differently from (and generally more favorably than) the rest of China in numerous respects, including immigration and visa allocations. The President’s E.O. will suspend or terminate much of that favored treatment, meaning that individuals who hold Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passports will essentially be treated the same as other individuals from China.

Some provisions of the E.O. took effect on July 17. More details are available here.

We will provide updates as more information becomes available on the impact of the order, including guidance to be issued by the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security.