Hong Kong Visas Made Easy

2 Hong Kong Visa Centre Clients Get a Mention in the South China Morning Post Today

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 1 response

http://www.scmp.com/business/money/markets-investing/article/1131033/ins-and-outs-immigration-visas

Pleased to see our clients Steve Mansfield and David Lambert got a shout out in today’s SCMP in the wake of an interview I did with Tiffany Ap last week.

She asked if I’d be prepared to introduce a few of our clients with a view to interview and, whilst the piece largely skated over the intricacies of the Hong Kong investment visa process, she did manage to get to the crux of the challenge (jobs for locals!)

As the SCMP has a paywall, I expect that the link above will not be accessible for too much longer, but you can read the PDF of the article here.

More Stuff You May Find Interesting

MUST READ – True story of a deluded foreign nationals trying to sue his way into a Hong Kong employment visa

The ten key reasons why foreigners seek to live and work in the HKSAR

The impact of brain drain on Hong Kong and resulting immigration policy development

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

The Hong Kong Immigration Department Official Video – ten minutes of ‘why bother’?

WRAP UP: How to Apply for a Hong Kong Investment Visa Without Any Professional Help – Public Talk by Stephen Barnes on January 17, 2013

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 34 responses

There was a smaller than average turnout but the numbers were perfect for the cosy, ‘mingle and talk’ environment afforded by Centre O in Wanchai last Thursday night.

I was there to talk about the challenges faced by foreign national entrepreneurs in securing the necessary immigration permissions to join in or establish businesses here in Hong Kong.

The cut and thrust of my presentation was how to go about applying for – and getting approved – a Hong Kong investment visa without the need to engage any professional help.

We took the opportunity to record the session but it was all arranged ‘ad hoc’ and at the last moment so the lighting and audio are poor.

That said, there’s 90 minutes of “how to” content which could be broken up into interesting video or audio nuggets so we’re still thinking through what to do with it.

Watch this space.

In the meantime, you can download a copy of my presentation here.

Moreover, the 10 Must Have Hong Kong Investment Visa Resources discussed in the talk are available for you to get on with your own investment visa application – so why not take a look there now?

More Stuff You May Find Interesting

Why do the Hong Kong Immigration Department prefer a limited liability company to underpin an investment visa application?

Is it actually becoming harder to get your Hong Kong employment or investment visa application approved?

What’s the minimum capital required for a Hong Kong business investment visa application?

I have a socially advantageous yet modestly capitalised business plan – can I get an investment visa for Hong Kong

Why do Hong Kong investment visas get denied?

The Visa Geeza on RTHK Radio Three – Jan 2013

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing / 1 response

Phil @ RTHK very kindly had me back in the hot seat on Monday and, no sooner had I sat down, he had us off to the races.

We talked a great deal about the Right of Abode and the Right to Land today – and also prolonged visitor visa for a Defacto Spouse.

You can listen to our conversation here.

I’ll be back in to see him again in early March. I’ll be in Australia for CNY.

In the meantime, please check out Morning Brew on Facebook and also listen live to Phil’s show via the web here.

He has an amazing array of guests each day, and really has his finger on the heartbeat of Hong Kong!

More Stuff You Might Like

But Stephen – how do you make any money when you give all of your expertise away for free?

Why internet forums are a cr@p source of immigration advice and information

Please help me help you by asking questions that I can actually answer!

The industry secrets most immigration consultants don’t want you to discover

Why pay for professional help in a QMAS application when you can do it all yourself – for free!

 

Listen To The Show

Podcast: Play in new window

What Do Both Hong Kong Employment & Investment Visa Applications Share In Common?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 15 responses

The approvability tests for both employment visas and investment visas, whilst fundamentally different, call for an examination of the applicant’s special skills, knowledge and experience which can be said to be of value to Hong Kong.

In the case of an employment visa, the focus is squarely on the personal profile of the applicant, while in an investment visa application, the background of the applicant is only a minor part of the consideration exercise.

You see, for an investment visa, the approvability test looks for proof that the applicant can make a substantial contribution to the economy of Hong Kong.

A small part of this is the applicant’s track record in business, meaning his skills, knowledge and experience which can be deployed to ensure that the business stands a good chance of becoming a solidly entrenched commercial enterprise.

The major part of the investment visa approvability test, though, is the business itself the funding available, commerce in hand and the potential for the creation of local jobs.

But in the case of an employment visa, the quality of the applicant’s CV is vital.

For an investment visa, you can have almost no experience in prior business ownership and still get approved.

For an employment visa, however, no related experience usually no means no visa to boot.

More Stuff to Help You Along

What visa category should I use to expand my SME business operations from Gibraltar to Hong Kong?

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

The anatomy of a Hong Kong investment visa application taking just 7 weeks to approval

Is there any advantage in being an existing resident of Hong Kong when you make an application for a Hong Kong investment visa?

Hong Kong investment visa wrongly applied for – clearing up the confusion and getting the correct employment visa instead

Why Do the Immigration Department Prefer a Limited Liability Company to Underpin a Hong Kong Investment Visa Application?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 4 responses

Conceptually, it is possible to promote an application for a Hong Kong investment visa if you have entered into either a partnership at will or a sole proprietorship business in the HKSAR.

But what the Hong Kong Immigration Department make of this is arguably not going to do your case any favours!

You see, the Immigration Department systems are geared towards the Hong Kong incorporated limited liability company as the preferred business vehicle for your time spent in Hong Kong as a business investment visa holding foreign entrepreneur.

Indeed, all of their standard communications and documentary requisition lists detail the exact papers availed when your business has been duly established as a limited liability company here.

Even though establishing a sole proprietorship or partnership at will is just a simple matter of applying (and paying) for a Business Registration Certificate issued by the Inland Revenue Department, by not formally incorporating your business in Hong Kong, you are sending a message to the Department about your level of sophistication as you prepare to undergo your act of investment here.

The Hong Kong Immigration Department might conclude that you’re simply trying to do business ‘on the cheap’ – which is the antithesis of what the they expect to see when considering an investment visa application.

Remember, businesses on a shoe string struggle to get approved.

If you can’t afford to incorporate, the question really is begged, as to whether you’ll actually get an investment visa after all.

More Stuff to Help You Along

How onerous is the sponsorship role in a Hong Kong investment visa application?

Statistically, what are the chances of your Hong Kong investment visa being approved?

How is the Hong Kong investment visa process actually experienced by a foreign national applicant?

10 Must Have Resources for a successful Hong Kong investment visa application

How important is the support of InvestHK in your Hong Kong investment visa application?

I Worked in Hong Kong for 4 Years – then Left for 2 – and Have a Valid Visa in My Passport – Can I Still Work & then Apply for PR?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / 7 responses

For many foreign national residents, it can take a couple of runs at living in Hong Kong before they catch the bug and realise they want to call the HKSAR their permanent home. Inadvertently, however, such folks can break their continuity of residence and also find themselves back to square one when it comes to both short and long stay immigration status here.

QUESTION

I was in Hong Kong on a working visa for almost four years and left on 23rd June 2011. My visa at the time was still valid until this coming March 2013.

Since then I have been back twice. Once on 24th December 2011 for a week (leaving 1st Jan 2012) and again a year later on 1st Jan 2013 for a month.

I may or may not be moving back in a few months time.

 Is there any point in trying to work out if I could qualify for a new visa now or is it best to wait until I know if I am coming back?

I ask because the follow up question is, if I do move back in say March/April, what are my odds of being able to get PR 7 years after my initial arrival and visa in September 2007?

More Stuff to May Find Useful or Interesting

Will I still qualify for the right of abode if I worked temporarily in Macau yet lived in Hong Kong for the full seven years?

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

Will a  break in continuous employment mean a break in continuous residence when it comes to my Hong Kong right of abode application after 7 years?

Employment ended? What visa options do you have to stay in Hong Kong for another 2 years to qualify for permanent residency?

Your Hong Kong employment visa – what happens when you lose your job?

PODCAST ANSWER

Podcast: Play in new window

IT’S OFFICIAL: The Quality Mainland Migrant Admission Scheme – 77% of All QMAS Visas Go to Chinese Nationals!

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Musing, Special Programmes, VG Front Page / 6 responses

Last week, just before the end of the year, the Government of the HKSAR put out a flurry of information on the performance of the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme since its inception six years ago.

Since 2006 and up to last month, the Hong Kong Immigration Department had received 8,553 QMAS applications and approved 2,392.

And, of those approved (wait for it…)

77% were from the mainland (1842 – 307 each year)

3.76% from the US (90 – 15 each year)

3% from Australia (72 – 12 each year)

3% from Canada (72 – 12 each year)

Consequently, the balance 13% (311 – 25 each year) were made up of various other nationalities with seemingly no single country comprising more than 3% of the total number of approvals issued.

So, for those of you ready to throw your hat in the ring and get in the queue for your QMAS lottery ticket, you can now be assured that only 27% of all applications received ever get approved and 87 % percent of those that do get approved go to Chinese, Australian, Canadian or US nationals.

Of course, my maths is rubbish – my discipline is law not numbers even though I did graduate from the LSE – so you’re welcome to pick holes in my interpretation of the stats.

But it can’t be denied.

The Selection Committee unequivocally favour Mainland candidates and your “talent” can not be humdrum run of the mill (mid-ranking corporate warriors look out).

Committee Chairperson Marjorie Yang said they looked for energetic and innovative applicants who could bring a wealth of professional skills and contribute to the city’s diversified development.

“We try to attract talented people who have a good understanding of Hong Kong, because Hong Kong is much more than just a financial centre. We have many opportunities for people of different talents,” she added.

Population expert Paul Yip has called for a revamp arguing that QMAS doesn’t actually address the needs of our society.

Source: Hong Kong Standard

More Related Stuff on the Quality Mainland Migrant Admission Scheme

1o must have resources for a Quality Migrant Admission Scheme application

Finally, the HKID shed some light on what constitutes talent for the purposes of a QMAS approval

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

Is the Hong Kong QMAS programme just too competitive to be realistic?

Realistically, what is the minimum number of points for a shot at a QMAS approval?