Summary heading

Immigration Visa Registers

Function and purpose

The registers control immigration case files in CRS Series A1630 and were created by Australian migration officers in Hong Kong from 1958 to 1964.  The registers include information on successful applications for migration to Australia.  The nationality of a large proportion of the persons listed in the registers is ‘Stateless’, although a number of Russians, Dutch, Austrian, Portuguese, Italian and Chinese migrants are also apparent.  In many cases, the United Nations sponsored a United Nations Certificate of Travel in lieu of a passport. 

Physical characteristics

The registers are small bound volumes or exercise books in fair to good condition.  Handwritten in column format is the visa number issued to the applicant, the date the visa was granted, the name and nationality of the applicant, the travel document used and the migration case file number.  

System of arrangement and control

A single number of arrangement and control has been imposed by the Archives.  The visa numbers appear in ranges of numbers, in keeping with the issuing of visas (and other papers such as landing permits and various certificates) from pre-printed books of blocks of numbers.  The second register is a continuation of the first.  The first range is from 11601 to 12000; the second is from 68001 to 68400; the third is from 74401 to 74800; and the fourth is from 134001 to 134753.  

Series history

The registers were transferred to the Archives in 1967 with a quantity of migration case files, which became CRS Series A1630T1, but were separated from the bulk of the records and were accessioned as CRS Series A1630/7.  The registers were later converted to CRS Series A12500, entitled ‘Various Migration paper (Hong Kong)’. 

Custodial history

The registers were transferred to the Archives in 1967.