Should You Ever Get Married Just for Hong Kong Visa Purposes?
Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Your Question Answered / 14 responses
The answer is no – you should never get married just for Hong Kong visa purposes!
But if you are in a genuine, long-standing, loving committed relationship and potentially forced apart due to an unexpected, or involuntary relocation to Hong Kong for work purposes and marriage was an inevitability anyway, then…
QUESTION
I am a New Zealand national. I have just accepted a role in Hong Kong. My employer is about to begin my visa paperwork to sponsor me.
However, my girlfriend is Australian and I want her to come with me and ideally also be able to work.
We are both 30 almost 31.
One option is a shot gun marriage here in New Zealand. However, I was wondering what the policy is on her coming to Hong Kong on a tourist/holiday visa and once in HK with me us getting married there?
Is that possible and if so once it has been performed can I get her added onto my Visa as a spouse easily enough?
Any advice is greatly received.
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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.
JD
My fiancé he’s in Philippines and I’m here US , and planning get married in Hong Kong , do you process all the paper work ?
The Visa Geeza
I’m sorry but I don’t know where to begin to answer this question. I need to know your immigration status in Hong Kong. At the moment visitors are not allowed in Hong Kong. Even then, the mere fact of getting married in Hong Kong doesn’t lead to any kind of residence status here. In any event in order to progress your marriage here you’d need at least to be on the ground for 2 months in order to complete the paperwork with original signatures and wait the time it takes to be granted the marriage appointment.