Specific Circumstances Visas

Will A Criminal Record Impact On Your Application For A Hong Kong Residence Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 151 responses

Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of changes to ImmD practice since it was  last updated Under Hong Kong immigration practice, the procedural landscape surrounding criminal history declarations has fundamentally transformed, moving from historical silence to mandatory universal disclosure across all residence and entry categories. In Will A Criminal Record […]

I Want To Live In Hong Kong With My Boyfriend – Is The Working Holiday Visa A Viable Option?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Special Programmes, Your Question Answered / 10 responses

Sometimes, the sun and the moon align beautifully on a set of circumstances to allow an unmarried couple to spend time together in Hong Kong when ordinarily visa circumstances conspire against them. Not on this occasion, however! QUESTION “Hi there, I have just recently returned from Hong Kong to Canada where I am a citizen. […]

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Unemployed Employment Visa Holders Can No Longer Change To Top Talent Pass Visa Status

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Feature Article, Musing, Special Programmes, Top Talent Pass, VG Front Page / 2 responses

Unemployed Holders of Employment Visas Are No Longer Eligible to Change to Top Talent Pass Visa Focus Appears To Be On Attracting New Talent & Not Enabling ‘Out of Luck’ Existing Talent  – Click To Download The Guidebook –  PRACTICE UPDATE: October 2026 Historical Context: The TTPS as an Unconditional Life Raft for Displaced Professionals […]

What Visa Category Do You Think You Need For Hong Kong?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Special Programmes / 11 responses

Choosing the Right Visa Category: What You Need to Know Before Applying for Visa in Hong Kong It is important to understand that Hong Kong is quite different, from an immigration perspective, than most other jurisdictions as residence visas are only available to foreign nationals to accommodate their specific reason for wishing to live in […]

Work Ended – What Visa Options Do You Have To Stay In Hong Kong For Another 2 Years To Get Your Permanent Residency?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Special Programmes, Your Question Answered / 7 responses

This post will provide an overview of the various visa options available, helping you navigate the complexities of visa regulations and ensuring a smooth transition into your next chapter in Hong Kong. QUESTION “I have been working in HK since 2007 on a working visa, which expired in August 2012. Is there any legal status […]

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Is The Hong Kong Immigration Department Website Actually Any Use To Visa Applicants?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, VG Front Page, Visitor Visas / 2 responses

The Hong Kong Immigration Department website is good for a few things but not very good at all where it counts – namely, indicting to you your chances of success in getting your Hong Kong residence visa application approved. You see, immigration policy in Hong Kong is governed by highly confidential guidelines which the general […]

Hong Kong Immigration… What Does It Mean… One Year Rule?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Musing, Special Programmes / 2 responses

Over the last 20 years or so I have coined a number of phrases in Hong Kong immigration parlance. In this short video, I discuss the One Year Rule as it applies to PRC nationals applicants  for resident visa status in Hong Kong. The one-year rule is where a PRC national who wants to come to […]

Hong Kong Immigration… What Does It Mean… Contrived Employment?

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

First Published September 9, 2016, still valid today Over the last 20 years or so I have coined a number of phrases in Hong Kong immigration parlance. In this short piece I discuss  the old chestnut of contrived employment (fake job offers). Contrived employment is where somebody doesn’t have a genuine job offer. Instead, they […]

Employment In Hong Kong As A Professional Or An Imported Worker – Which Are You?

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

There is often confusion between employment in Hong Kong as a Professional or an Imported Worker – this post seeks to clear this up… QUESTION First of all I want to say that your website is amazing, easy to understand with relevant information. My question might be very simple but I cannot find the answer […]

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Is it Better To Apply For Your Visa Before Or After You Move To Hong Kong?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Musing, Special Programmes / 21 responses

When considering whether to apply for your visa before or after relocating to Hong Kong, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons of each option in relation with the type of visa you are applying for As a matter of fact there are some types of Hong Kong immigration status where the rules are […]