Hong Kong Visas Made Easy

Interview: Do You Think the Relatively Low Number of Foreigners Coming to Live and Work in Hong Kong is Due to it Being Hard to Get a Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes / 12 responses

Coming to live and work in Hong Kong – on June 6th, 2013 I was interviewed by five law students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong about my experiences practicing immigration here over the last 20 years.

We covered a great deal of ground in the 90 minutes we spent together and over the next few weeks I will be posting the interview broken down into 31 different segments, covering almost every Hong Kong related visa and immigration topic there is.

The students were: Dickens Roy Ken Lam, Sunny Wong, Toby Yip, Margaret Wo and the lady who asked most of the questions and organised the session on behalf of the group, Jacqueline Cheng.

In this segment the question posed was:

Do you think the relatively low number of foreigners coming to live and work in Hong Kong is due to it being hard to get a visa?

My friends and colleagues over at Astus Services Group very kindly hosted us in their facilities in Central for this interview.

Other Questions Asked During the Session

How has the experience of Hong Kong immigration policy changed over the last 20 years?

Do you personally find Hong Kong an attractive place to live, work and do business?

How has Hong Kong’s attractiveness changed for you over the last 27 years?

Do your clients typically find Hong Kong’s attractiveness today as it was to you 27 years ago?

Do Mainlanders typically enjoy the same kind of immigration experience as other foreign nationals do in Hong Kong?

In what ways do you think the different entry schemes may affect Hong Kong’s socio-economic development?

Do you think the relatively low number of foreigners coming to live and work in Hong Kong is due to it being hard to get a visa 

Do you think that the Immigration Department suitably promote and encourage participation in the various schemes designed to attract foreign national talent to Hong Kong?

How effective is the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s website in educating and promoting Hong Kong to the outside world as a place to live and work and do business?

In the last 20 years which visa type has been most in demand and easiest to anticipate an approval for?

Has Hong Kong’s effort to forge a particular social fabric through the constructs of its immigration policy been successful do you think?

In real terms what is the difference between the General Employment Policy and the Admission of Mainland Talents & Professionals Scheme?

Has there been any demographic change since the introduction of the Admission of Mainland Talents and Quality Migrant Admission Schemes?

What do you think about the Immigration Arrangement for Non-local graduates?

Do you think that IANG actually allows a loophole for foreign graduates to game the immigration system here?

Has Hong Kong ever been used as a kind of stepping stone into another immigration jurisdiction?

Do you think the special programmes designed  for Mainland residents are as attractive now as they were when they were first introduced?

Is there a threshold to attaining a visa under the General Employment Policy?

What’s actually involved in getting a Hong Kong investment visa approved?

Can it be said ImmD are sometimes lax in enforcing immigration policy? 

Which visa program would be most beneficial for Hong Kong’s society?

What was it like being an immigration consultant in Hong Kong during the time of SARS?

 We hypothesize that while the influx of non-residents into Hong Kong may benefit the economy in the short-term, the long-term negative impacts outweigh any short-term positives.  Do you agree with this statement?

 Do you think that there is preferential treatment to non-resident workers?

 What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing Hong Kong now, when it comes to competing for foreign talents and workers? (i.e. as compared to the 3 other Asian Tigers)

What’s your view on Hong Kong’s liberal visitor visa arrangements, especially regarding the large numbers of Mainlanders who come here now?

So we have 20,000 vacancies in the F+B industry but we don’t have people to fill these spots – what are ImmD doing about it?

What about the possibility of a graduate management trainee visa for a foreign national applicant?

How well does ImmD respond to the lack of skills in Hong Kong through adjustments to the General Employment Policy from time to time?

Do you think any improvements could be made on the entry schemes? If so, how?

What do you think is the biggest problem in dealing with ImmD as an organisation tasked with the dual role of providing a public service yet serving as the gatekeeper to Hong Kong?

More Stuff You Might Find Interesting or Useful

The perils of contriving a job offer just for the purposes of a Hong Kong employment visa application

Will my Hong Kong employment visa be compromised if I leave my job due to intolerable working conditions?

Dependant visa proof of means – a chicken and egg situation for a couple relocating a business to Hong Kong

Business investment visas – a leg up for start ups in Hong Kong

Is 50 days a particularly long time for ImmD to process a Hong Kong employment visa application?

Wanted: An Excellent, 3 Year Degree Qualified or ImmD Experienced Hong Kong Immigration Consultant To Join Our Team

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing / No responses

The Hong Kong Visa Centre is growing and we are looking for experienced IC talent who would like to join our team.

As you would expect from a management team that spearheaded the development of a discrete immigration services industry in the early 1990’s and responsible for the introduction of sophisticated case management technologies in the 2000’s, our service model affords our clients the best advice, great service and excellent value for money.

If you are fed up with working with a global company, need more flexible working hours, prefer to spend most of your time discussing cases with clients and work with state-of-the art technology to manage your case load then we are the firm for you.

Please apply now with your CV and current compensation package. We’re happy to negotiate and pay properly for the right talent but we need to know what you are presently earning for us to have a meaningful discussion.

Hong Kong Immigration Consultant

*  You have an opportunity to join the fastest growing immigration services enterprise in Hong Kong (if not the world).

*  You are an Immigration Consultant with at least 3 years direct experience in dealing with Hong Kong immigration matters.

*  You are highly competent in our professional niche; you write English well, can articulate a business story and are adept at carrying an argument.

*  Most importantly you really care about your client outcomes.

* You empathize readily with the feelings of your clients as you guide them along their visa application journey and you are committed to a level of service that goes above and beyond what is normally experienced in our profession.

*  Whilst your work output will be supervised, you will work independently and be highly trusted.

*  You will have significant client contact; via phone, email, in-person – both in our business premises and outside too.

To apply please email me directly on sbarnes at hkvisacentre dot com.

Cheers!

The Visa Geeza on RTHK Radio Three – January 2014

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Musing / No responses

It had been nigh on three months since I last got to be grilled by Mr Whelan on Morning Brew over at RTHK so it was pleasing to make his acquaintance once again when I popped in to see him on Broadcast Drive a little earlier today.

Phil was keen to talk about paper trails and the immigration process so we had a good chat about that and also went over the difference in the service user experience between Wanchai’s finest and the far less capable (to my way of thinking) UK immigration agencies.

I’ve said it before and I’ll happily say it again.

ImmD do us proud in Hong Kong.

They don’t always get it right (in my view) but it’s not often they make mistakes.

Anyroadup, you can listen to our complete discussion here.

Phil can be found on his Morning Brew Facebook page which I recommend you check out and Like.

He puts on a great show and I regularly tune in when I am desk bound and perhaps you should too!

More Stuff You Might Find Useful or Interesting

The Visa Geeza Previously on RTHK Radio 3 Morning Brew

But Stephen, How Do You Make Any Money When You Give Away All Your Hong Kong Visa Expertise Away for Free?

10 Must Have Resources for a Trouble-Free Hong Kong Employment Visa Application

10 Must Have Resources for a Successful Hong Kong Permanent Residency Application

The Hong Kong Visa D-I-Y Kit – Get Yours Today!

 

Listen To The Show

Podcast: Play in new window

Interview: Is There a Threshold to Attaining a Hong Kong Work Visa Under the General Employment Policy?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Musing / 7 responses

On June 6th, 2013 I was interviewed by five law students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong about my experiences practicing immigration here over the last 20 years.

We covered a great deal of ground in the 90 minutes we spent together and over the next few weeks I will be posting the interview broken down into 31 different segments, covering almost every Hong Kong related visa and immigration topic there is.

The students were: Dickens Roy Ken Lam, Sunny Wong, Toby Yip, Margaret Wo and the lady who asked most of the questions and organised the session on behalf of the group, Jacqueline Cheng.

In this segment the question posed was:

Is There a Threshold to Attaining a Hong Kong Work Visa Under the General Employment Policy?

My friends and colleagues over at Astus Services Group very kindly hosted us in their facilities in Central for this interview.

Other Questions Asked During the Session

How has the experience of Hong Kong immigration policy changed over the last 20 years?

Do you personally find Hong Kong an attractive place to live, work and do business?

How has Hong Kong’s attractiveness changed for you over the last 27 years?

Do your clients typically find Hong Kong’s attractiveness today as it was to you 27 years ago?

Do Mainlanders typically enjoy the same kind of immigration experience as other foreign nationals do in Hong Kong?

In what ways do you think the different entry schemes may affect Hong Kong’s socio-economic development?

Do you think the relatively low number of foreigners coming to live and work in Hong Kong is due to it being hard to get a visa? 

Do you think that the Immigration Department suitably promote and encourage participation in the various schemes designed to attract foreign national talent to Hong Kong?

How effective is the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s website in educating and promoting Hong Kong to the outside world as a place to live and work and do business?

In the last 20 years which visa type has been most in demand and easiest to anticipate an approval for?

Has Hong Kong’s effort to forge a particular social fabric through the constructs of its immigration policy been successful do you think?

In real terms what is the difference between the General Employment Policy and the Admission of Mainland Talents & Professionals Scheme?

Has there been any demographic change since the introduction of the Admission of Mainland Talents and Quality Migrant Admission Schemes?

What do you think about the Immigration Arrangement for Non-local graduates?

Do you think that IANG actually allows a loophole for foreign graduates to game the immigration system here?

Has Hong Kong ever been used as a kind of stepping stone into another immigration jurisdiction?

Do you think the special programmes designed  for Mainland residents are as attractive now as they were when they were first introduced?

Is there a threshold to attaining a visa under the General Employment Policy?

What’s actually involved in getting a Hong Kong investment visa approved?

Can it be said ImmD are sometimes lax in enforcing immigration policy? 

Which visa program would be most beneficial for Hong Kong’s society?

What was it like being an immigration consultant in Hong Kong during the time of SARS?

 We hypothesize that while the influx of non-residents into Hong Kong may benefit the economy in the short-term, the long-term negative impacts outweigh any short-term positives.  Do you agree with this statement?

 Do you think that there is preferential treatment to non-resident workers?

 What do you think is the most difficult challenge facing Hong Kong now, when it comes to competing for foreign talents and workers? (i.e. as compared to the 3 other Asian Tigers)

What’s your view on Hong Kong’s liberal visitor visa arrangements, especially regarding the large numbers of Mainlanders who come here now?

So we have 20,000 vacancies in the F+B industry but we don’t have people to fill these spots – what are ImmD doing about it?

What about the possibility of a graduate management trainee visa for a foreign national applicant?

How well does ImmD respond to the lack of skills in Hong Kong through adjustments to the General Employment Policy from time to time?

Do you think any improvements could be made on the entry schemes? If so, how?

What do you think is the biggest problem in dealing with ImmD as an organisation tasked with the dual role of providing a public service yet serving as the gatekeeper to Hong Kong?

More Stuff You Might Find Interesting or Useful

 10 Must Have resources for a Hong Kong investment visa application

What’s the situation regarding the need for business premises as part of a Hong Kong investment visa application?

What are your visa options in Hong Kong if your marriage has irretrievably broken down?

The Hong Kong Immigration Department are out to deny – not approve – applications (aren’t they?)

Relocating to Hong Kong for work or business – why do some applications get denied?

Relocating to Hong Kong For Work or Business – Session Q&A

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 3 responses

On June 13 I was invited to address the 2013 Monaco Trade Delegation to Hong Kong & China on the question of visas to live and work in Hong Kong.

The Delegation was hosted by my good friends at Rosemont Hong Kong and I covered in a total of 50 minutes the whole sweep of employment and investment based visas as well as the question of permanent residency here eventually.

I have broken the talk down in 12 bite sized chunks under the following headings:

Introduction

The Last 20 Years

Immigration Policy

The Visitor Visa

Job Offer Based Employment Visa

Business Investment Visa

Business Investment Visa Cash Required & Catch 22

Capital Investment Visa

Visas for Accompanying Family

Why Do Applications Get Denied?

Permanent Residency

Q&A

More Stuff You Might Find Useful or Interesting

STOP PRESS…! Hitler’s HKSAR passport application has been rejected

Getting professional help with your Hong Kong visa application – on the cheap!

Pictures of a day in the life of the Hong Kong Visa Geeza

Lame excuses won’t cut it if you’re caught working in Hong Kong without an employment visa

A public Thank You to the Hong Kong Immigration Department

The Year Ahead – 2014 & New Stuff On the Horizon For the Hong Kong Visa Geeza

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 4 responses

Season’s Greetings from sunny Western Australia!

You may have noticed that I have been very quiet these last 2 weeks.

Truth is I needed a serious break as the last six months of 2013 were just hectic all told.

The Hong Kong Visa Centre grew 100% last year (for the third year in a row), we opened Video Cha Cha (more on that soon) and the next 180 days ahead will see us creatively disrupting one more market in Hong Kong which Martyn and I have acquired expertise in down the years.

Fun times ahead!

This year we intend to introduce expansive new Hong Kong visa and immigration video content and also a new video blog called The Growth Switch  where I will share in detail the lessons we have learned about building a business from scratch by giving all of my expertise and know-how away for free.

That content is not really suited to this immigration focused website so I’m going to wax lyrical on my second favourite subject over there instead.

I’ll let you know when it’s ready to go – should be the early part of February.

To all of you who have asked me visa questions these last 2 weeks, I hope you found my short email answers  satisfactory. A 14 day break from PodCasting answers has been excellent for me – so thanks for understanding.

I return to Hong Kong next Tuesday (7/1) and hit the ground running as soon as I get back – so normal business on this Blog will be resumed from that date!

More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting

Social media keeping immigration consultants on our toes – scary stuff!

The industry secret most Hong Kong immigration consultants don’t want you to discover

But Stephen, how do you make any money when you give all of your Hong Kong visa and immigration expertise away for free?

100% Hong Kong visa application success rate? Take it all with a grain of salt

Why internet forums are a cr@p source of Hong Kong visa and immigration advice

Relocating to Hong Kong For Work or Business – Applying for Permanent Residency After 7 Years

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 2 responses

On June 13 I was invited to address the 2013 Monaco Trade Delegation to Hong Kong & China on the question of visas to live and work in Hong Kong.

The Delegation was hosted by my good friends at Rosemont Hong Kong and I covered in a total of 50 minutes the whole sweep of employment and investment based visas as well as the question of permanent residency here eventually.

I have broken the talk down in 12 bite sized chunks under the following headings:

Introduction

The Last 20 Years

Immigration Policy

The Visitor Visa

Job Offer Based Employment Visa

Business Investment Visa

Business Investment Visa Cash Required & Catch 22

Capital Investment Visa

Visas for Accompanying Family

Why Do Applications Get Denied?

Permanent Residency

Q&A

More Stuff You Might Find Useful or Interesting

Will redundancy impact your eligibility for the right of abode in Hong Kong?

I lived in Hong Kong for  11 years but have been gone for the last 7 – can I still apply for permanent residency?

What can be said to constitute ‘ordinary residence’ for the purposes of a Hong Kong right of abode application?

10 Must Have resources for a successful Hong Kong permanent residency application

Time spent outside of Hong Kong – the impact it will have on your eventual right of abode application after 7 years