Telling It Like It Is

Your Hong Kong Employment Visa – What Happens When You Lose Your Job?

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

If you have an employment visa and have stopped working for your sponsoring employer, no matter what the reason, you will not have to leave Hong Kong straight away. The HKID provide you with enough time to make arrangements to find an alternate employer or, if you prefer, to lay the groundwork to start your […]

What’s The Minimum Capital Required For A Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 7 responses

Updated October 2026 PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: Summary of Legacy Position: This article contrasts the high-capital, passive threshold of the Capital Investment Entrant Scheme (historically HK$10 million) against the flexible, case-by-case nature of the Hong Kong Entrepreneur Visa (previously known as the Business Investment […]

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

PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: Historically, this explainer examined the shared legal DNA between General Employment Policy (GEP) employment and investment visas, emphasizing their common statutory roots under Section 11 of the Immigration Ordinance. Both routes were presented as flexible, narrative-driven exercises governed by administrative […]

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

This post deals with the reasons why the Immigration Department favors limited liability companies in the process of Hong Kong investment visa applications. PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: Historically, this advisory explained why ImmD favored a private limited liability company over sole proprietorships or partnerships […]

I Will Only Be Working In Hong Kong For 6 Weeks – Should I Bother Getting An Employment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says… / 3 responses

Hong Kong immigration law is very clear about the need for foreign nationals to secure permission to work in Hong Kong via applying for an employment visa. If you intend to come here to take up employment, paid or unpaid, for long or short duration, for a local or an overseas employer, you need to […]

How Can A Foreign National Permanent Resident Of Hong Kong Get A HKSAR Passport?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Long Stay & PR / 55 responses

The HKSAR passport is an excellent travel document affording visa free privileges to travel to and visit some 150 countries worldwide. If you are a foreign national permanent resident of Hong Kong you can consider, if you so desire, applying for a HKSAR passport, usually if your present country of origin does not offer you […]

What’s The Situation About The Need For Business Premises As Part Of Your Hong Kong Investment Visa Application?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 10 responses

The Hong Kong Immigration Department expect that, as part of any application for an investment visa, the entrepreneur will naturally establish a home for his or her business out of which the enterprise will operate. PRACTICE UPDATE: How the content must now be read in light of current ImmD policy: Historically, this guidance addressed the […]

Is The Travel Pass As Good As A Hong Kong Employment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Visitor Visas / 10 responses

Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of changes to ImmD practice since it was first published Under Hong Kong immigration law, frequent business travelers frequently misunderstand the legal scope of facilitation instruments, erroneously conflating border clearance convenience with lawful permission to work. In Is The Travel Pass As Good As […]

What’s The Deal About Advertising Your Job Locally Before You Can Apply For An Employment Visa In Hong Kong?

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

The question is often asked if it is absolutely necessary to undertake a local advertising campaign in respect of a job to be offered to a foreign national who needs an employment visa to take up a job in Hong Kong. The answer is, it all depends. In the case of intercompany transferees, certainly not. […]

Sometimes Large Employers Experience Hong Kong Employment Visa Refusals Too – Why Might This Be So?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, Refusals & Appeals / 8 responses

Most sizeable employers in Hong Kong have in house expertise when it comes to applying for employment visas for their foreign national staff. And, unless they specifically outsource their immigration service needs to professional advisors, they are typically very comfortable in making and managing work visa applications when the need arises. But sometimes, these applications […]