The right of abode in Hong Kong is the right to legally reside in Hong Kong without any limit or condition of stay being imposed by the Hong Kong Immigration Department. As the People's Republic of China stood to resume sovereignty over Hong Kong from the United Kingdom, the nationality of Hong Kong people as well as their right of abode in the territory was formalised prior to the 1997 handover. Since Hong Kong has never been an independent country, there is no provision for its own citizenship status. Hong Kong Permanent Resident is the legal status for those who have the right of abode in Hong Kong. Some rights in Hong Kong (such as the right to vote) are granted to all permanent residents, while others (such as the right to hold a HKSAR passport) are restricted to permanent residents w