Hong Kong IANG Work Visa For Non-Local Graduates: The Ultimate Guide

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

IANG Work Visa for Non-Local Graduates

If you’re a non-local graduate looking to kickstart your career in Hong Kong, you will be eligible to apply for the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG) work visa.

The IANG work visa was established in 2008 to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, contributing to Hong Kong’s competitive edge as an international business hub. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the eligibility criteria, application process, and the benefits of obtaining an IANG work visa.

IANG Work Visa – Who is Eligible?

Under the IANG, non-local graduates can apply for an employment visa under a liberalized approvability test. The eligibility depends on the time elapsed since the applicant’s graduation:

1. Fresh Graduates: Non-local graduates who submit applications within six months of their graduation date are classified as “fresh graduates.” They are not required to secure a job offer as part of their application, and the approval is almost guaranteed, provided they meet the necessary criteria.
2. Returning Graduates: Non-local graduates who submit applications after six months of their graduation date are classified as “returning graduates.” They must secure a job offer in Hong Kong to obtain an employment visa. The applications are favorably considered as long as the job is suitable and the remuneration package is set at market levels.

Application Process for the IANG Work Visa

For Fresh Graduates:

1. Submitting Your Application: The application for an employment visa under IANG can be submitted online through the Immigration Department’s (ImmD) online application submission portal.
2. Approvability Test: Fresh graduates must provide proof of graduation within the six-month limit.
3. Consideration Process: The consideration process primarily occurs through email and/or fax. The processing time typically ranges between four to six weeks. Once approved, the ImmD will send a notice informing the applicant and provide an Approval Letter.
4. Visa Duration: Upon approval, the initial period of stay under the employment visa granted through IANG is 24 months. The visa can be extended for three years, following the 2-3-3 year pattern, as long as the applicant continues to meet the necessary criteria.

For Returning Graduates:

1. Submitting Your Application: Returning graduates can also submit their application online through the ImmD’s online portal.
2. Approvability Test: Returning graduates must provide proof of graduation with no time limit and an offer of employment in Hong Kong that is commensurate with their education level and offers a remuneration package set at market levels.
3. Consideration Process: The consideration process for returning graduates is similar to fresh graduates, with a processing time of four to six weeks.
4. Visa Duration: The initial period of stay under the employment visa for returning graduates is also 24 months, extendable following the 2-3-3 year pattern.

Benefits of Obtaining an IANG Work Visa

One of the key advantages of the IANG work visa is the flexibility it offers. Holders of employment visas issued under IANG can change employers without needing prior approval from ImmD. This flexibility allows visa holders to explore different career opportunities and contribute to Hong Kong’s diverse workforce.

IANG Work Visa – Refusal & Appeal Process

In the event of an application denial, applicants can start the appeal process with a formal request for Reconsideration. Necessary documents such as recent photographs, passport details, graduation certificates, and proof of academic qualifications/transcripts need to be provided for the appeal.

How to Apply for an IANG Work Visa

To apply for an IANG work visa, visit the Immigration Department’s online application submission portal. Make sure to carefully follow the instructions and provide all the required documents, including proof of graduation and job offer, depending on whether you are a fresh or returning graduate.

For detailed information and guidance on the application process, you can visit ImmD’s official website.

IANG Work Visa – The Last Word

Obtaining an IANG work visa opens up exciting career opportunities for non-local graduates in Hong Kong. With a streamlined application process and attractive benefits like flexibility in changing employers and bringing dependents, the IANG work visa is an excellent immigration mechanums.

To ensure a smooth application process for a non-local graduate visa in Hong Kong, it’s important to consult the Hong Kong Visa Handbook website. This valuable resource contains two essential documents that you should download and review: the Hong Kong Non-Local Graduates Visa Information and the Hong Kong Non-Local Graduates Checklist.

Additionally, the Handbook offers Non-Local Graduate Visa Application Templates specifically designed for non-local graduates and useful insights into What the Immigration Department Look for When Establishing the ‘Bones Fides’ of a Hong Kong Employer as a Suitable Credible Sponsor Under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-Local Graduates.

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QOTW: Dependancy? Visas For Mainland Spouses Of Hong Kong Permanent Residents

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Long Stay & PR, Your Question Answered / No responses

The vexed question of dependant visas for mainland spouses of Hong Kong permanent residents

QUESTION  OF  THE  WEEK

I am a Hong Kong  PR (Canadian, been in Hong Kong for 9 years now working as a CPA) and recently married a PRC resident, who is a senior manager in a bank in Shanghai. What kind of visa can I get for my wife that would enable her to live with me in Hong Kong without stay limit, get a HKID card and seek employment.  I note that the published information indicates the dependant spouse approach is not applicable to PRC residents. She does not want to give up her PRC resident status.

ANSWER

Normally, when a foreign national resident of Hong Kong is seeking to secure dependent visa permission for his Chinese spouse, an application for dependent visa is made in the normal way; however, this anticipates that the applicant spouse sponsor is a temporary resident of Hong Kong not a permanent resident, because under a wider immigration policy that restricts certain classes of people to come to Hong Kong from China, essentially spouses of permanent residents of Hong Kong who are mainland Chinese can’t get dependent visas; instead, they have to apply for one-way permit which means that they go on a waiting list of many years standing and it isn’t a particular practical way for families to be reunited. So this actual rule applies to foreign national permanent residents of Hong Kong and a lonely Chinese permanent residence of Hong Kong and so wherever you have a situation that you have a permanent resident of Hong Kong who is married to a PRC spouse, the dependent visa is unavailable; therefore, you’ve got to look to other possible solutions of being able to reside in Hong Kong together, notwithstanding the fact that you cannot get a dependent visa.

One way to do this is to become a student particularly if there is a master’s degree program that’s suitable for an existing bachelor degree holder spouse, because they could participate in that program for just one year, graduate from that Hong Kong University, and they would then be able to get an automatic no-questions-asked working visa for at least 12 months thereafter under the immigration arrangements for non-local graduates (IANG), and that gives you a very simple and straightforward pathway to be able to secure a residence status through the study route.

Another way to do it is to secure a job offer from a Hong Kong company that is well- established and then make an application for employment visa under the admission of mainland talents and professional scheme and essentially in that instance the spouse would have to be very well qualified, have a good educational background, and posses special skills, knowledge and experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong and in those circumstances immigration would approve that application and then you’d be able to live together in Hong Kong with your spouse having an employment visa instead of a dependent visa in this instance.

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If I Get A Hong Kong Investment Visa Can I Consult To A Single Client Only As A Pseudo-Employee?

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

Just how ‘flexible is the Hong Kong investment visa?

QUESTION 

I’m Swedish and currently in the process of applying for a Hong Kong investment visa.

In addition, I have an interview for a consulting position with another organization. They will not support me with an employment visa and have asked me if I can also work with an investment visa.

The answer I got from immigration was that I cannot take up a full-time position when holding only an investment visa and that I should instead apply for a work visa. I was wondering if there is any possibility or workaround?

The consulting position is related to my start-up, so I thought about asking the organization to contract my company as a consultant.

I would appreciate your advice on my case.

ANSWER

When you get an Investment Visa for Hong Kong, you essentially have persuaded the Immigration Department that you’re in a position to substantially contribute to the economy of Hong Kong; on the other hand, if you take an Employment Visa from the Immigration Department, you’ve satisfied them that you possess a special set of skills, knowledge, or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong.

Therefore, the question that begs to be answered is: if you secure an investment visa and then the circumstances in your business change to the extent that you now have an opportunity to work for a single client providing Consulting Services, is it lawful to engage in that kind of activity given that you’ve got an investment Visa predicated on a much wider array of anticipated commercial objectives and activities that you’ve engaged in?

The short answer to this questions is no, you can’t get an investment visa and then go into a Consulting Arrangement one to one which is for all practical purposes a pseudo-employment. In other words, if you get an investment visa and your plans change after your approval it’s okay to pivot your business if you’re moving on to perhaps do other things or pursue objectives that are slightly different or at least adjacent to those which were originally covered in your approval for your Investment Visa, but it’s different if after approval all of a sudden you want to use your Investment Visa as a mean to join in what is reality is a one-man-business providing Consulting Services to a single employer (client) in this instance.

So, the short answer is no, you can’t use the investment visa to work for a single employer on a Consulting Basis.

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10 Must Have Resources For A Hong Kong Legal Dependant Visa

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Musing, Resource / 10 responses

10 Must Have Resources For A Hong Kong Legal Dependant Visa

First Published July 1, 2013 and updated December 15, 2023 – But The Advice Holds Good Today

Continuing our series of 10 Must Have Resources, I have put together this list of materials from our various websites which is designed to help steer you through the process of acquiring a dependant visa for Hong Kong. Remember, for temporary residents this means visas for spouse and unmarried dependant children under the age of 18 or otherwise in full time education.  For permanent and other long stay residents, you can add dependant parents over the age of 60 to those who are eligible.

SAME SEX PARTNER UPDATE – New Law From 2018

PLAN – Getting Started On Your Hong Kong Dependant Visa Application

CHECKLIST – The Documents You Need For Your Hong Kong Dependant Visa Application

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MOVIE – What Your Spouse Can Expect During The Dependant Visa Application Process

MAINLAND SPOUSE – Can You Get A Hong Kong Dependant Visa For Him Or Her – Will They Qualify?

NOT MARRIED YET? – But Thinking About It For The Purposes Of A Getting A Hong Kong Dependant Visa?

MARRIAGE  BROKEN DOWN? – What To Do If  You Can No Longer Maintain Your Dependant Visa Due To Relationship Break Up

CASE STUDY – The Visa Situation For A Non Traditional, Blended Family Situation In Hong Kong

D-I-Y VISA KIT – Everything You Need To Apply For A Secure Hong Kong Dependant Visa

EXTENSION – Extending Your Hong Kong Dependent Visa When It Is Coming Up For Renewal

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How & Why Hong Kong Seeks To Attract Foreign National Talent

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Special Programmes / 6 responses

How & Why Hong Kong Seeks To Attract Foreign National Talent

Globalization has led to a seemingly endless trend of migration of people around the world.

This includes the international movement of highly skilled workers, including specialists, researchers, business executives, managers and inter-company transferees.

Much of the motivation on the part of these professionals is the allure of the economic opportunities abroad that are greater than those available in their home countries.

As a result of this migration dynamic, the countries on the receiving end of the movement of these people experience the benefits of innovation stimulation, a greater pool of skilled human capital and the exchange of intellectual dynamism. These migrants also bring new money into the country with them.

Consequently, the national immigration agencies of developed economies find themselves in a battle to attract talent to their shores and have implemented migration programmes which facilitate the admission of these skills into their countries.

This includes making it much easier for foreign students to remain behind upon the completion of their formal education and take up employment or establishes or join in businesses.

Hong Kong is no exception. In the 2003 Report of the Task Force on Population it was stated that “Hong Kong must have the capacity to draw on the best and the brightest in the region and world-wide, including the populous and fast-developing Mainland”.

In the Chief Executive’s 2005 Policy Address, Mr Donald Tsang made it very clear:

“Like other world cities, Hong Kong must attract talent from around the world… the larger the pool of talent, the easier it is for a place to attract investment, thereby promoting economic development and increasing employment”.

This notwithstanding, Hong Kong has a number of “pull factors” which work to entice the highly skilled, well educated and consummately professional to live and settle in the HKSAR.

These include excellent employment opportunities, good pay, a low tax rate and relatively simple and efficient visa application procedures.

Geography, climate and cuisine also play a part too!

Moreover, Hong Kong has world class telecommunications, easy travel, excellent security and long-established racial tolerance.

Admission of highly skilled immigrants has always been part of the fabric of Hong Kong society.

Whilst the dynamic towards Mainland talent has, obviously, developed positively since 1997 under the One Country, Two Systems arrangements of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, the immigration policy on entry for employment of foreign professionals, which is known as the General Employment Policy, has been in place for more than half a century.

Employment visas are issued to professionals “who possess special skills, knowledge, or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong Kong”. Investment visas are issued to those who are in a position to make a “substantial contribution to the economy of Hong Kong”. “Quality Migrants” and “Mainland Talents and Professionals” each have their own immigration programmes designed specifically with them in mind. Moreover, anyone graduating from a Hong Kong tertiary education institute is now effectively granted an employment visa post graduation almost as ‘of right’ under the “Immigration Arrangements for Non-Local Graduates“.

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The Path To Hong Kong Residency & Our Fantastic Low Tax Regime

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

The Path To Hong Kong Residency & Our Fantastic Low Tax Regime

First Published June 4, 2012

Hong Kong has an open and flexible immigration policy that promotes and simplifies the relocation of foreign nationals possessing employment skills, business expertise, and capital to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Moreover, their family members (spouse and unmarried children under 18) are also eligible for residence visas, which allow them to reside, work, and study in Hong Kong. Below is a scheme that highlights the available pathways to Hong Kong Residency so that you can benefit of the low tax regime that HKSAR offers.

No matter what type of Hong Kong visa you have secured, residency in Hong Kong offers fantastic tax benefits!

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Can I Get A Depedant Visa For An Elderly Parent If I Have A Permanent HK ID Card?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

Can I Get A Depedant Visa For An Elderly Parent If I Have A Permanent HK ID Card?

I get 30-40 questions each week and not all of them merit a podcast answer. Some are answered quickly via email and for the next few days I’ll post some of these anonymised replies here.

A Depedant Visa For An Elderly Parent If I Have a Permanent HK ID Card?

QUESTION

My brother is an Indian born in Hong Kong. And he is holding a permanent ID card for Hong Kong. Currently, he is working in Hong Kong with a salary of HKD15,000 per month, speaking fluent Chinese. But his mother is living in India. She is about 72 years of age with no one looking after her. She wants to join her son in Hong Kong. Please let me know if her son can get her a permanent ID Card or any residential visa. To stay with him in Hong Kong.

ANSWER

Your mother can apply for a dependant visa sponsored by your brother. Apart from the application form and travel document, they need to show proof of employment, accommodation, and financial standing. They have to prove that they have arranged under the same roof in Hong Kong by providing a tenancy agreement or proof of ownership. A bank account with deposits covering rental fees of at least one year will be ideal.

It normally takes six weeks to process a visa/entry permit application for residence as a dependant upon receipt of all the required documents.

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