Hong Kong Visas Made Easy

Britcham Spills the Beans on the Hong Kong Visa Centre’s Deepest Secret…

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing, VG Front Page / 14 responses

Not really. There’s nothing revealed here that I haven’t disclosed many times previously.

Just looking for a catchy headline!

In the My Story video (part 3), I explain why and how my professional practice is configured in the way it is and, in the form of an Infographic, I answered the question that I get asked a lot, namely, how the hell do I ever make any money when I give away all my Hong Kong visa and immigration know-how for free?

We get a shout out on pages 20 and 21 of the Britcham magazine.

You can download a PDF of the article here.

It’s authored by Dominic Masterson-Smith, Head Honcho at Human Communications.

Dominic knows a thing or 2 about marketing in the network economy. If what we’re doing on our websites resonates with you, I suggest you give him a call.

OK – now to the real point to this post.

Several times a week I get asked by clients and other visitors to our websites about who does our web design and how do we go about the configuration of our web presence all told.

We basically do it all ourselves but outsource certain aspects to others in India, Pakistan, the UK and China.

This tends to be the design elements that we don’t have the skill set for in-house and we buy a lot of off-the-shelf components that plug into the WordPress platform that underpins everything we do on the web.

My partner Martyn is a dab hand at mashing up off-the-shelf tech but his real brilliance lies in very deep immigration services domain knowledge (he’s been at this with me for over 15 years now).

This means our websites deeply address the real purpose for what they are designed: to allow people to find us when we are needed, help solve visa problems along the way and answer questions whenever we are asked.

For free. No strings attached.

In the coming weeks, I intend to write more about how we go about doing what we do with our websites and the way that we do it.

I have several clients now who are all experts in the various elements that we use to deliver our free (and paid) services and I intend to post a directory of their skill sets and how you can engage them.

I’ll do this in the not too distant future.

So, even though we do what we do for ourselves in-house, with our own resources, these talented operators in Hong Kong can help you achieve the same things with ‘content marketing’ as we are.

We understand their capabilities and their credentials because we did their visas.

So, if you’re keen to travel down the same road as we have in configuring your business, you can take the journey with them.

With their help along the way!

More Stuff You May Find Interesting or Useful

Stephen Barnes What’s Up Hong Kong Interview: Immigration, Visas, the Universe Life & Everything!

2 Hong Kong Visa Centre Clients Get a Mention in the SCMP

Legal Champion of Immigration Rights in Hong Kong – Mark Daly Talks at the FCC (VIDEO)

MUST READ: True Story of a Deluded Foreign National Trying to Sue His Way to a Hong Kong Employment Visa!

STOP PRESS..! Hitler’s HKSAR Passport Application Has been Rejected

How Can Presently Unemployed Investment Bankers Reorganize Their Careers in Order to Remain in Hong Kong?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, Investment Visas, Special Programmes, VG Front Page / 5 responses

These are trying times for investment bankers with the global financial crisis continuing to lead to career uncertainties for these professionals with seemingly no end sight.

Many such bankers are here in Hong Kong on employment visas sponsored by their last investment bank employer.

If you, as many indeed have, been laid off – what are your visa options if you decide that you prefer to stay in Hong Kong rather than head back home or to another jurisdiction where perhaps your employment prospects are that much better at this time?

You principally have four options.

You can apply to further your education and secure a student visa. This is straightforward enough. Or;

You can participate in the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme by locking HKD10 million into certain types of Hong Kong securities. Assuming, of course, you have the resources – and the appetite.  PROGRAMME CANCELLED JANUARY 2015 Or;

You can run the gauntlet of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme – not for the faint hearted and almost certainly a 10-12 month process. Or;

You can start a new or join in an existing business for yourself, as many of your colleagues have been doing. This can be achieved readily enough with about HKD1 million cash in the enterprise, a decent business plan and a well-told story.

We are presently securing several investment visas each month for investment bankers who find their current limits of stay expiring soon and who need an alternate rationale for remaining in Hong Kong.

The investment visa is the most flexible and, often the fastest route typically needing no more than 8 weeks to application finalization.

More Stuff to Help You Along

10 Must Have resources for a Hong Kong investment visa application

10 Must Have resources for a Hong Kong Quality Migrant Admission Scheme application

Can I employ myself by getting a Hong Kong business investment visa?

Hong Kong unconditional stay vs the right of abode for Capital Investment Entrant Scheme visa holders

What are you really buying from a Hong Kong immigration consultant?

Can I Get a Hong Kong Dependant Visa for My Chinese Spouse Presently Resident on the Mainland?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Hadley Says… / 5 responses

If you are a foreign national permanent resident of Hong Kong or live in Hong Kong unconditionally you have 2 choices to secure immigration permissions for your Chinese national spouse currently resident on the Mainland to join you in Hong Kong.

Firstly, you can join the 10 year long Q for a One Way Permit for family reunion.

Alternatively, you can secure a PR visa for your spouse in your country of origin and go and live there for a minimum of one year.

Thereafter, you will be able to secure a dependant visa for your spouse and begin your family life together in the HKSAR.

On the other hand, if you hold an employment or business investment visa for Hong Kong or otherwise have been admitted under the quality migrant or mainland talents and professionals schemes then you can secure dependant visas for Chinese spouses presently resident on the Mainland.

This requires an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Macau and Hong Kong to be endorsed for Hong Kong by the Public Security Bureau in where their household registration is kept in China and is a process which has to be completed once the Hong Kong Immigration Department have issued the dependant visa label.

The Chinese spouse then presents this Exit-Entry Permit upon arrival in Hong Kong.

More Stuff to Help You Along

The vexed question of Hong Kong visas for Chinese national spouses resident on the Mainland

How can Mainlanders establish businesses in Hong Kong under the General Employment Policy?

IT’S OFFICIAL:  The Quality Mainland Migrant Admission Scheme – 77% of all QMAS visa approvals go to Chinese nationals

How flexible is the Admission of Mainland Talents & Professionals Scheme in enabling Chinese nationals to come and work in Hong Kong?

Can I apply for a residence visa whilst I am visiting Hong Kong?

24 – How to Apply For a Hong Kong Investment Visa Without Any Professional Help – Your Questions Answered!

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 5 responses

On January 17, 2013 I gave a talk at Centre O in Wanchai on how to go about applying for a Hong Kong business investment visa without the need to pay for any professional help.

The 30 minute talk was broken down into 24 very easy to digest segments and each of these segments is presented here.

The talk is designed to allow the D-I-Y visa applicant to use the 100% free resources of both the Hong Kong Visa Handbook as well as the Hong Kong Visa Geeza Blog.

Please see:

10 Must Have Resources for Any Hong Kong Investment Visa Application

and

The Hong Kong Visa Handbook

This video is the last in the series, so why not take the opportunity, now, to sign up for our D-I-Y Visa Kit here?

The Complete Series

1 – Introduction

2 – Relax & Enjoy The Talk

3 – Order of Business

4 – 10 Must Have Resources

5 – The Policy of It All

6 – Who Doesn’t Have a Visa Problem?

7 – The Pathway for Mainlanders

8 – What Can You Do as a Visitor?

9 – Employee or Investor?

10 – Investment Visa Approvability Test

11 – Three Pillars of Approval

12 – How  Much Cash Investment?

13 – The Catch 22

14 – What About Your Family?

15 – Why Do Cases Get Denied?

16 – Trying Again?

17 – 10 Must Use Resources

18 – 10 Must  Use Resources (Infographic)

19 – 10 Must Use Resources (Visa Factsheet)

20 – 10 Must Use Resources (Application Plan)

21 – 10 Must Use Resources (Case Studies)

22 – 10 Must Use Resources (Templates)

23 – 10 Must Refer Resources (All Good Stuff!)

24 – Your Questions Answered

What About Your Hong Kong Employment Visa If You’re Thinking of Changing Jobs?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says… / 1 response

It happens all the time.

You get an employment visa to work in Hong Kong for one employer – then your circumstances change and you want to take up a position with another.

The question is – what about your visa?

Is it OK just to swap jobs without doing anything down at Immigration Tower?

As a sponsored foreign national employment visa holder, it is unlawful to work for any employer other than your current sponsoring employer.

So, if you want to take up another employment, you need to undergo what is known as a ‘change of sponsorship’ application.

This, in many ways, is just like making an entirely new visa application.

The approvability test challenges are essentially the same.

The employer must be justified in seeking to employ a foreigner.

The jobs generally must be ‘like for like’.

The mere fact that you presently hold an employment visa does not in any discernible way advantage you in a change of sponsorship  application although, the longer you’ve lived in Hong Kong, the more likely the Immigration Department will buy into your argument – just so long as you can continue to demonstrate special skills knowledge and experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong.

Most often perfectly ‘do-able’ – just no shoe in!

More Stuff to Help You Along

10 Must Have resources for a successful Hong Kong working visa application

My employment visa will expire before my change of employer application will be finalized – help!

What do both Hong Kong employment and investment visa applications share in common?

Will I still qualify for the right of abode if I lived in Hong Kong but worked in Macau temporarily for some of the 7 years needed?

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

23 – How to Apply For a Hong Kong Investment Visa Without Any Professional Help – All Good Stuff!

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

On January 17, 2013 I gave a talk at Centre O in Wanchai on how to go about applying for a Hong Kong business investment visa without the need to pay for any professional help.

The 30 minute talk was broken down into 24 very easy to digest segments and each of these segments is presented here.

The talk is designed to allow the D-I-Y visa applicant to use the 100% free resources of both the Hong Kong Visa Handbook as well as the Hong Kong Visa Geeza Blog.

Please see:

10 Must Have Resources for Any Hong Kong Investment Visa Application

and

The Hong Kong Visa Handbook

The videos will be added incrementally over the course of the next 2-3 weeks until the entire talk has been presented.

In the meantime, why not sign up for our D-I-Y Visa Kit here?

The Complete Series

1 – Introduction

2 – Relax & Enjoy The Talk

3 – Order of Business

4 – 10 Must Have Resources

5 – The Policy of It All

6 – Who Doesn’t Have a Visa Problem?

7 – The Pathway for Mainlanders

8 – What Can You Do as a Visitor?

9 – Employee or Investor?

10 – Investment Visa Approvability Test

11 – Three Pillars of Approval

12 – How  Much Cash Investment?

13 – The Catch 22

14 – What About Your Family?

15 – Why Do Cases Get Denied?

16 – Trying Again?

17 – 10 Must Use Resources

18 – 10 Must  Use Resources (Infographic)

19 – 10 Must Use Resources (Visa Factsheet)

20 – 10 Must Use Resources (Application Plan)

21 – 10 Must Use Resources (Case Studies)

22 – 10 Must Use Resources (Templates)

23 – 10 Must Refer Resources (All Good Stuff!)

24 – Your Questions Answered

22 – How to Apply For a Hong Kong Investment Visa Without Any Professional Help – Templates

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

On January 17, 2013 I gave a talk at Centre O in Wanchai on how to go about applying for a Hong Kong business investment visa without the need to pay for any professional help.

The 30 minute talk was broken down into 24 very easy to digest segments and each of these segments is presented here.

The talk is designed to allow the D-I-Y visa applicant to use the 100% free resources of both the Hong Kong Visa Handbook as well as the Hong Kong Visa Geeza Blog.

Please see:

10 Must Have Resources for Any Hong Kong Investment Visa Application

and

The Hong Kong Visa Handbook

The videos will be added incrementally over the course of the next 2-3 weeks until the entire talk has been presented.

In the meantime, why not sign up for our D-I-Y Visa Kit here?

The Complete Series

1 – Introduction

2 – Relax & Enjoy The Talk

3 – Order of Business

4 – 10 Must Have Resources

5 – The Policy of It All

6 – Who Doesn’t Have a Visa Problem?

7 – The Pathway for Mainlanders

8 – What Can You Do as a Visitor?

9 – Employee or Investor?

10 – Investment Visa Approvability Test

11 – Three Pillars of Approval

12 – How  Much Cash Investment?

13 – The Catch 22

14 – What About Your Family?

15 – Why Do Cases Get Denied?

16 – Trying Again?

17 – 10 Must Use Resources

18 – 10 Must  Use Resources (Infographic)

19 – 10 Must Use Resources (Visa Factsheet)

20 – 10 Must Use Resources (Application Plan)

21 – 10 Must Use Resources (Case Studies)

22 – 10 Must Use Resources (Templates)

23 – 10 Must Refer Resources (All Good Stuff!)

24 – Your Questions Answered