Hong Kong Visa Geeza | Hong Kong Visas Made Easy

04

Oct 2013

Can Children Born in Hong Kong to Foreign Domestic Helpers Get Dependant Visas?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Your Question Answered / 1 response

I’ve been asked this question a few times down the years so I’m grateful for it finally being asked via this Blog.

QUESTION

I was wondering why most foreign domestic helpers’children that were born in Hong Kong can get to local school and while my daughter who was also born here is just given a student visa which means she can’t go to local school and can’t even apply for student financial remission scheme leaving me in debt…

More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting

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

How easy (or hard) is it for a Chinese spouse resident in the Mainland to secure a dependant visa for Hong Kong?

Divorced? How can you prove that you have lawful custody of minor children if you wish to bring them to Hong Kong to live with you?

What is the bare minimum income and accommodation arrangements to suitably sponsor a Hong Kong dependant visa?

Should you ever get married just for Hong Kong visa purposes?


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03

Oct 2013

Relocating to Hong Kong For Work or Business – The Visitor Visa

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 9 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 my frequent and lengthy visits to Hong Kong over the last 2 years compromise my ability to get an employment visa subsequently?

Do I need an employment visa even if I will be in Hong Kong for only two weeks to complete a consulting assignment?

Can I look for a job and attend interviews in Hong Kong if I only hold a visitor visa?

Can I study on line for a UK tertiary qualification while staying in Hong Kong as a visitor?

Is it ever OK to work full time in Hong Kong – without an employment visa – for the Hong Kong subsidiary of an overseas company?

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02

Oct 2013

Foreign National Entrepreneurs Starting Up in Hong Kong or China – Where is Better for Visas?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 2 responses

Image Courtesy of China Daily Mail

Paul Bischoff recently laid bare the visa and immigration problems which entrepreneurs (and intending foreign national residents generally for that matter) face when seeking to set up in China in this provocative piece in TechinAsia.com (read the comments especially).

China has always been a hard place to meet any level of commercial success, no matter what business you’re in and I gave up trying to make any money there many, many years ago.

The streets of Hong Kong are paved with gold after all so why put yourself through all that expense, frustration, bureaucracy and uncertainty when you can ground yourself here, learn the ropes locally, gain some valuable experience in the HKSAR and then really understand what the challenges of China are actually all about?

Of course, if you feel that China is where the action is for you, then you need to be there, not here.

However, experience has taught me that if you feel you can make it work in China you almost certainly will be able to make it work in (or based out of) Hong Kong so why plunge directly into China if you can mitigate your risk by getting your biz off the ground in Hong Kong first?

Certainly, Hong Kong’s immigration rules and regulations are nowhere near as cumbersome as they are across the boundary and the HKSAR government genuinely welcomes investment here and prides itself on a scheme of ‘light touch’ regulation.

A dozen years ago, I spent several weeks researching the ins and outs of establishing an immigration practice in China and came to the conclusion that it was all too hard.

It’s getting harder too, no doubt about that at all.

Indeed, just last week I was approached by an entrepreneur seeking to relocate her successful business from China to Hong Kong as the recent immigration changes there have effectively chased her out of the Middle Kingdom.

I expect to see more of this too.

So, China or Hong Kong?

Easy.

Hong Kong is a breeze. China is a slog.

Isn’t a new business hard enough to get off the ground and on to profitability without visa uncertainties hanging over your head like the Sword of Damocles?

More Stuff You May Find Interesting or Useful

Relocating to Hong Kong for work or business – Immigration Policy

Is the Hong Kong Immigration Department website actually fit for purpose?

The anatomy of a Capital Investment Entrant Scheme pathway to a HKSAR passport for a Chinese national resident on the mainland

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

10 Must Have resources for a Hong Kong investment visa application

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30

Sep 2013

Which is Better – Change of Hong Kong Employment Visa Sponsorship or Seeking to Swap Over to a QMAS Visa Instead?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Special Programmes, Your Question Answered / No responses

If I had to choose between applying for a QMAS visa or otherwise seek to change my Hong Kong Employment Visa Sponsorship to carry on working in Hong Kong, I know what I’d do (hands down, no doubt about it) …

QUESTION

Hi,

I have been in Hong Kong for the past 2 years under a sponsored employment visa and I am permitted to stay until 2015.

Is it worth applying for the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (cos I’m sure even if I move my job my new employer will sponsor me?)

More Stuff You May Find Interesting or Useful

10 Must Have resources for a Hong Kong QMAS visa application

IT’S OFFICIAL!! The Quality Migrant Mainland Talent Admission Scheme – 77% of all approvals go to mainland candidates

Finally, the Hong Kong Immigration Department shed some light on what constitutes ‘talent’ for the purposes of a QMAS application

Why I have the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme (and you should too)

How to go about changing your employment visa sponsorship at the Hong Kong Immigration Department?


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23

Sep 2013

Relocating to Hong Kong For Work or Business – Immigration Policy

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 9 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

How a Hong Kong employment visa application can go completely wrong if you don’t know what you are doing

10 ‘Must Have’ resources for a successful Hong Kong work visa application

Will a criminal record impact on your ability to get a residence visa for Hong Kong?

Can you have 2 employment visa applications for Hong Kong pending at the same time?

Interview – has Hong Kong ever been used an a stepping stone to another immigration jurisdiction?

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18

Sep 2013

Relocating to Hong Kong For Work or Business – The Last 20 Years

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, VG Front Page, Visitor Visas / 8 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: