I Was Convicted of a Crime and Removed From Hong Kong – How Do My Visa Options Look Now?
Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Refusals & Appeals, Visitor Visas, Your Question Answered / 21 responses
First Published December 7, 2012
Life in Hong Kong can throw up many challenges, none too much greater than the following:
QUESTION
Hello, and thank you for the opportunity to ask my question! I have questions, but I will frame my situation first.
In June of this year, I made a big mistake and got in an altercation with another woman and ended up hurting her. In September, I was convicted of the crime of Wounding and sentenced to a prison term of 14 days in Hong Kong.
I had been working in Hong Kong for 2 years.
Prior to the conviction, I stopped working and remained in Hong Kong on a Visitor Visa while awaiting trial. My Visitor Visa was set to expire before the trial so I visited Immigration and requested an extension of 90 days. My extension was not granted and I was told to come back to Immigration following my court case. As I stated earlier I was then sentenced to a prison term, so I was unable to come to Immigration and my Visitor Visa expired whilst I was incarcerated.
Consequently, following the completion of my sentence, I was transferred to the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre and made subject to a removal order. I chose the option of voluntary repatriation and took a flight home to New Zealand three days later.
Prior to departure, my HKID card was confiscated by the Immigration Department. I asked my case officer at Immigration (and several other officers), as well as the Enquiry section on the Immigration website, and they all gave me the same response about my potential to return to Hong Kong on either a Visitor Visa or Employment Visa: “Please be rest assured that the entry of every visitor to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region would be considered fairly and reasonably in accordance with the law”.
 Question #1
I am now in New Zealand, but I would like to return to Hong Kong in January 2013. I would like to return on a tourist visa and take care of many responsibilities and possessions I have left in Hong Kong. I just fear arriving in Hong Kong, being detained at the border and then being sent back to New Zealand.
Question #2
I have a job offer in Hong Kong and I would like to accept it. However, I also don’t know how Immigration is going to view my employment visa application. It would be embarrassing and damaging to accept the job offer and then have my employment visa rejected. Also, would Immigration inform my potential employer of the reason for the employment visa rejection?
Thank you very much for your time!
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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.
Singh
Hi sir , I m overstay 9 yrs hongkong , I haven’t any crime in HK, I m self come back my country India. They not removal me, can I go back again in hongkong , if my employer sponsor me visitor visa , plz reply me thanks
The Visa Geeza
I’d say its essentially impossible. Hong Kong will now have washed their hands of you, sorry to say.
Richard
Hi. My girlfriend was deported from Hong Kong on her Vietnam passport. In early 2024 she would like to return for a visit but now on her Australian passport. Can she enter and stay in HK?
The Visa Geeza
She can try. If her name in Vietnamese passport and her Australian passports are the same, her birth date will be the same and ImmD have the ability to call her for secondary examination if they suspect shes’ the same person. If they ask her if she has ever been removed from HK and she says yes they will definitely deny her entry. If she says no, then it’s a criminal offence to lie to an Immigration Officer.
AG
Hi.
I was in prison in Hongkong for 2 weeks because of breach of stay in 2017. It’s 2023. Can I still enter Hong Kong with a tourist visa because my family would love to try to travel to HongKong. We are planning to stay for 4 days only. Please answer. Thank you
The Visa Geeza
I doubt it tbh.
Ram
Hi! I am from India and I want to ask ! iam deport from Hong Kong airport in 2016. I have been deport . And now I have got an jop offer from Hong Kong. So can I get my visa now?
The Visa Geeza
You can only try …
Anonymous
I had removal order in 2006 for overstaying 14 days entry permit. I hadn’t been sentenced in Hong Kong. I travelled back to my home country voluntarily. Now it is 2022 (it is already 16 years) and now I am a Govt official authorised to travel abroad. Is it possible to get official visa if necessary?
The Visa Geeza
You can only try. If the removal order was for PERMANENT removal, then you’re likely out of luck I’m afraid. You’re probably going to need to have to engage GVT-GVT level to overcome this if it’s a problem.
pemba sherpa
hello sir im from nepal my name is pemba sherpa and im from 8 holder in hk my wife also from nepal and we apply for dependent visa but i have life deportation from hk so how to do now how to apply for dependent visa now
The Visa Geeza
Unfortunately you can’t.
Ali
I am Ali from Pakistan. I was caught illegally working in hk 2014. I have 13 months sentence. after finsh my sentence I had married a Chinese woman. I have a deportation notic and also have a removel order. now I am back my home country Pakistan. can I get my dependent Visa my wife have applied for me . can it possible or not , if possible how long I can, when i have leaved hk immigration didn’t inform me about my deportation .
The Visa Geeza
Sorry to say your prior record will mean they will almost certainly never grant you a DV.
Malou
What is the chance of getting a dependent visa, I have been sentence 3 months and suspended for 3 years for having discrepancy on my birth certificate , non custodial sentence.
The Visa Geeza
Unlikely. Once you have an offence on your record it becomes very problematic.
Reshma Tamang
I get removal order from Hong Kong and my officer said I can come back to Hongkong on domestic visa .. my question is can I apply for domestic visa again .. I work in Hongkong 7 yrs as a domestic .. Thankyou you
The Visa Geeza
Not likely. ImmD tell all removees this to ease their departure from HK.
Reshma
It means I can apply domestic visa or not
The Visa Geeza
No