Hong Kong Immigration Department – COVID19 UPDATE
Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 14 responses
Hong Kong Immigration Department – COVID19 UPDATE
A short video update as to what’s happening at the Hong Kong Immigration Department and how our professional practice is faring in these troubled times.
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The Hong Kong Visa Geeza (a.k.a Stephen Barnes) is a co-founder of the Hong Kong Visa Centre and author of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook. A law graduate of the London School of Economics, Stephen has been practicing Hong Kong immigration since 1993 and is widely acknowledged as the leading authority on business immigration matters here for the last 24 years.
Phil
Hello, I am a Grenada citizen currently in video interview stages for a few jobs in Hong Kong. What are the procedures in regards to someone from my country when taking up employment in Hong Kong? What would happen when I arrive? Many thanks, Phil
The Visa Geeza
There’s no difference for any nationality. Please see our websites for the answers to all your open questions.
Rob
I have a unconditional stay id card , for 30 years , which I have to return every year to keep. However due to covid and living with vunerable people and lockdown restrictions in the uk I will not be able to make it back, is there any extension due to covid situation ?
The Visa Geeza
You can apply for reinstatement of your Unconditional Stay when you are next able to visit. There’s no guarantees you will be successful but you have an opportunity to make your case. You cannot do any of this by remote as you must be landed in Hong Kong when you submit.
Ray
I would like to ask about if my husband (spouse) can enter hk showing our marriage certificate and my hk is card copy.
I have applied for PR in Canada for myself. So not a dependent visa for him in hk. He has a Canadian passport which doesn’t need a visitor visa to enter hk.
Can he enter hk with all this covid business?
The Visa Geeza
Yes he can.
Stranded Andy
I’m currently stuck overseas and my work visa is expiring in 2 weeks. Due to lack of available flights and other reasons which I may wish to stay in my current location for longer, I cannot go into HK to renew my visa (I understand this is a pre-requisite). If my visa expires can I still get legally paid by my employer? They are happy to continue paying me but I am wondering either myself or my employer would be in breach of immigration/labour laws and what are my obligations in paying salary taxes?
Thanks
The Visa Geeza
I can’t answer questions about anything other than immigration. Your employment and taxation law questions should be directed at experts who know about these things. As for your visa please see: https://hongkongvisageeza.com/our-dependant-visas-will-expire-soon-we-cant-get-back-to-hong-kong-in-time-due-to-covid19-help/
NMB
Would be useful to know if there is any way to shortcut the employment visa activation process after it has been issued.
I’m currently in HK. Just received my visa but now I have to leave the territory and come back in order to activate the visa.
As basically everywhere has closed its border and HK is still enforcing a 14day quarantine, I wondered if HK Immigration can do a fast. track visa activation while still in the territory?
The Visa Geeza
Not under current practice no. You can always go and ask them if they’ll make an exception due to extenuating circumstances. If you do please let me know how you get on.
Ak
Hi, I am on dependent visa in Hong Kong from 1st June 2013 till 1st June 2020. My visa is expiring on 1st June2020 and on the same day it’s my 7th Anniversary in Hong Kong. But the problem is this that I am stuck in India due to lockdown so I can’t apply the extension or working visa because its closed. Please advise if can apply PR if I came back on tourist visa later on as there is no any international flight from India right now due to lockdown. Also, I forget to tell you that I am divorced in May2019. Please advise how to handle this situation.
The Visa Geeza
No. You need to return back to HK whenever you can, extend or reinstate your dependant visa (depending on whether you are able to return before June 1 – apply for PAR first before flying to HK as a visitor after June 1) and then once back in resdience visa status again apply for PR then.
Emily
Thank you for an insightful video.
I have a few related questions…
– I was wondering how you apply for a prolonged visitor visa?
– what are the requirements?
– What’s the longest they would allow?
– Does any kind of visitor visa extension put a black mark against you – I’m on a visitor visa, but hope to land a job/work visa soon.
Thank you
The Visa Geeza
http://www.hongkongvisahandbook.com/home/hong-kong-defacto-spouse-visas/