Browse Our Most Recent Content (& Beyond)

Understanding the Minimum Salary Requirements for a Hong Kong Employment Visa This is a vexed question for many visa applicants and their employers but there is a simple rule of thumb that needs to be adhered to. The Hong Kong Immigration Department expect that a foreigner seeking employment visa permissions to work in Hong Kong […] Keep Reading...>

November 20th, 2024

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 […] Keep Reading...>

November 19th, 2024

Losing your job in Hong Kong can affect your employment visa status in the HKSAR. This brief video outlines the legal implications if you find yourself in this situation. The Hong Kong Immigration Department are highly sympathetic to foreign nationals who find themselves with an employment visa sponsored by an employer that has had to […] Keep Reading...>

November 18th, 2024

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 Hong Kong visa Twilight Zone. The twilight zone is where you’re an existing resident, your current conditions of stay prevail, but because you’ve made an application to the Immigration Department to […] Keep Reading...>

November 15th, 2024

One of the really great things about the subject of Hong Kong visa and immigration is that there is never any shortage of things to blog about and share. Every day in our professional practice, we undertake cases which provide ongoing, often entirely new, insights into how the Hong Kong Immigration Department are implementing policy […] Keep Reading...>

November 14th, 2024

If you’re claiming skills, knowledge or experience on your CV as part of your argument for a Hong Kong Employment Visa Application – what’s the gig if you can’t fully  support your claims with references or testimonials? QUESTION Hi, I am 8 weeks into applying for an employment visa (I’m British). I have given the documents […] Keep Reading...>

November 13th, 2024

This article deals with the question of whether time spent in prison in Hong Kong will break the continuity of ordinary residence for the purposes of a Right of Abode application after 7 years. First Published on April 10, 2016 QUESTION I am interested to know if there is anything I could do to strengthen […] Keep Reading...>

November 12th, 2024

Can a Chinese spouse resident on the Mainland secure a dependant visa for Hong Kong? QUESTION My brother is married to a Chinese girl. He is Singaporean and coming to Hong Kong on a working visa. Can he get his wife a dependant visa for Hong Kong? They have proper legal marriage certificate from Singapore. […] Keep Reading...>

November 11th, 2024

Given that some countries, like Australia, organise their immigration policy to address skills gaps in their economies with specific temporary visa types, you might expect that Hong Kong would have a thriving job finding + visa service industry. We do, after all, issue more than 17,000 new employment visa approvals each year under the General […] Keep Reading...>

October 30th, 2024

It is NEVER a good idea to overstay your Hong Kong visa for the reasons set out below… QUESTION I previously overstayed my Visitor visa for a period of 13 months;  I reported to the Immigration Department, was charged and at Sha Tin court I was convicted and given a suspended sentence of 6 months. […] Keep Reading...>

October 24th, 2024

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 […] Keep Reading...>

October 22nd, 2024

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 […] Keep Reading...>

October 21st, 2024

What is the story if your Hong Kong entrepreneur visa extension application is refused by the Immigration Department? QUESTION  OF  THE  WEEK If my Hong Kong entrepreneur visa extension application is rejected, is there a grace period after the visa expiration? If there is a grace period and during which I secure an employee visa, […] Keep Reading...>

October 18th, 2024

This post deals with the importance of a degree in getting a Hong Kong work visa The short answer is no, not necessarily. Having said that, having a degree certainly helps on the road to visa approval, especially if you have post graduate qualifications as well. The Hong Kong employment visa approvability test calls for […] Keep Reading...>

October 17th, 2024

Extending your Hong Kong working visa? The beauty of the Hong Kong immigration services professio is that there is a ready pool of customers for both our professional services and also our free-of-all-cost information resources (on both this Blog and also our flagship D-I-Y  Guide Hong Kong Visa Handbook.) Some foreign nationals come, some go […] Keep Reading...>

October 14th, 2024

Is there any way to turbo-charge the Shenzhen Shuttle?   QUESTION Hey Visa Geeza, I am a citizen of  Russia and unfortunately have a very short visitor visa which is just 14 days, but I need to stay in Hong Kong for longer as I want to find a job here (I am a graphics […] Keep Reading...>

October 11th, 2024

So, how does your prior immigration record in Hong Kong impact on future visa applications? Do the Hong Kong Immigration Department cross-refer previous applications for a visa to current application for a visa? QUESTION Hello! I have a question regarding to my working visa. Previously I have been working in Hong Kong in the skin […] Keep Reading...>

October 9th, 2024

So, you’ve been hanging out in Hong Kong as a Visitor for quite a while and have now decided you wish to become formally resident…. will the extended time spent here previously impact your chances for an employment visa? QUESTION I’ve been staying in Hong Kong for nearly 2 years on a tourist visa, I’ve […] Keep Reading...>

October 8th, 2024

What issues arise in respect of those foreign nationals in Hong Kong who accompany their unmarried life partners (gay or heterosexual) here on prolonged visitor visas and who are planning to carry on their professions remotely for an overseas employer whilst permitted by the Hong Kong Immigration Department to be present in Hong Kong as […] Keep Reading...>

October 7th, 2024

Hong Kong Expats Get Hong Kong Passports Why Some Hong Kong Expats Relinquish Their Citizenship-of-Origin and Become Chinese Citizens Hong Kong Expats Get Hong Kong Passports – Why? In recent years, a growing number of expats in Hong Kong have made the decision to relinquish their citizenship-of-origin and become Chinese citizens. This trend is fueled […] Keep Reading...>

October 5th, 2024

If you find yourself often in Hong Kong as a frequent Visitor is it lawful and / or possible to rent an apartment in order to keep accommodation expenses down… QUESTION I’m an Expat based in Thailand & often come to Hong Kong for meetings or transit for business trips to China, Taiwan, Korea and […] Keep Reading...>

October 4th, 2024

Coming to Hong Kong to frequently visit family members resident here is not such a problem (usually)… QUESTION My daughter and family are moving to Hong Kong. I would like to spend as much time as possible with them. If I go to Hong Kong as a tourist from the US and return home after […] Keep Reading...>

October 3rd, 2024

I have been spending the last 4-5 months of my life fending off the reasonable concerns which clients have about how long it is taking Hong Kong Immigration Department to finalise most type of visa applications but mostly employment and business investment (entrepreneur) applications. Here’s an example of how it works (real life case example) […] Keep Reading...>

October 2nd, 2024

If you have left the employ of your current Hong Kong employment visa sponsor, or even just thinking of doing so, you need to undergo what is known as a change of sponsorship application before you start working for anyone else in Hong Kong, including yourself! FIRST PUBLISHED APRIL 19, 2013 – STILL OF INTEREST […] Keep Reading...>

October 1st, 2024

Hong Kong change of employer application – how can you readily manage the should-you-resign-before-your-change-of-work-visa-sponsorship-application-has-been-approved conundrum? QUESTION I have held a Hong Kong work visa for 2 .5 years now and I am currently in the process of finalizing an offer letter with a new employer here. I need your advice in relation to the timing […] Keep Reading...>

September 30th, 2024

Short period of time away from Hong Kong break my continuity of residence? Sometimes, continuity of ordinary residence can inadvertently be broken due to factors outside of your control… QUESTION I recently graduated from a Hong Kong university after 2 years of permanent study. Due to circumstances I had to return to my home country […] Keep Reading...>

September 26th, 2024

What can you do if your marriage has irretrievably broken down and your Dependant visa is about to expire? QUESTION I am separating from my wife and she is refusing to keep me on her Dependent visa. My visa expires in a month and my employers have always made it clear that they won’t sponsor […] Keep Reading...>

September 24th, 2024

Do the Hong Kong Immigration Department expect every foreign national employee of Hong Kong registered companies to have employment visas even if they have never worked (or never will work) in the HKSAR? QUESTION Is there any problem with a Hong Kong registered company employing someone currently resident in Malaysia for a role supporting one […] Keep Reading...>

September 20th, 2024

Freelance writers & reporters in Hong Kong are often faced with a round-pegs-in-square-holes visa situation that is not easily resolved. This post attempts to deal with the challenge of visa approvability for these people and shed some light on what is actually do-able from an immigration perspective. QUESTION I am currently a full-time reporter in […] Keep Reading...>

September 19th, 2024

Hong Kong Unconditional Stay Status? One of the more upsetting parts of being a Hong Kong immigration consultant is learning that one family member alone, due to an unfortunate combination of circumstances, finds herself the odd one out by not having been able to correctly manage her visa status here – and all, essentially, through […] Keep Reading...>

September 17th, 2024

The question of right of abode for Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong is a wound that continues to bleed… QUESTION If a Philippine domestic helper has been in Hong Kong continuously for 30 years can she obtain permanent residency after marrying a foreign (British) permanent resident? If not, can she remain in Hong Kong […] Keep Reading...>

September 16th, 2024

Living in Hong Kong ain’t cheap, that’s for sure… QUESTION I’m an Australian and British citizen currently living in Australia and I want to found a technology Startup company in Hong Kong because the government incentives seem very attractive to do so. The downside is that housing is ultra-expensive in Hong Kong and paying this […] Keep Reading...>

September 13th, 2024

This article deals with the option for an applicant to check online their visa application status. If you’ve made an application for a residence visa here, the Hong Kong Immigration Department provide you with a website URL and login credentials so that you can ‘track’ the progress of your case as it travels its way […] Keep Reading...>

September 12th, 2024

The Right of Abode in Hong Kong is not (solely) based on the length of employment with a single employer. This entitlement is primarily determined by factors such as continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong for a period of not less than 7 years and other specific eligibility criteria set by the Hong Kong Immigration […] Keep Reading...>

September 11th, 2024

Can you realistically expect to work for yourself if your employment permissions have been granted under the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates (IANG)? QUESTION Hi Stephen, thanks a lot for answering the questions on this website. I must say that all the information on visageeza.com is of immense value. I would like to pose a […] Keep Reading...>

September 9th, 2024

This question comes up quite often so I’m grateful to this questioner for asking it. The answer is straight forward enough, but in my PodCast below, I set out why the reason it is as it is – and why trying to start your Right of Abode application earlier is essentially an exercise in futulity! […] Keep Reading...>

September 6th, 2024

The question of foreign national, fresh graduates taking up employment in Hong Kong is a thorny one and much depends on the identity of the employer offering the role and the profile that employer has as an immigration sponsor in Hong Kong. QUESTION First of all, thanks a lot for your helpful tips on this […] Keep Reading...>

September 5th, 2024

Your company is brand new – will ImmD buy into your intentions to sponsor a foreign national to be the first employee?  QUESTION As a new company I want to hire a manager who has special talent from overseas? How can I prove our financial capability as a new company? ANSWER In a completely new […] Keep Reading...>

September 3rd, 2024

Is it ever legal to work in Hong Kong – especially on a short term basis – with a Visitor Status – without the permission of the Director of Immigration? QUESTION I am a UK based one person limited company and have been asked by a major financial services company with a business based in […] Keep Reading...>

August 30th, 2024

Short and sweet this one, just as I like ’em! QUESTION Can I look for a job in Hong Kong and attend interviews if I only hold a visitor visa? ANSWER Under Hong Kong immigration law, it is permitted activity to arrive as a visitor to look for and then interview for employment. It’s also […] Keep Reading...>

August 29th, 2024

  There are 2 pathways you can follow to apply for a business investment visa for Hong Kong. 1. You can be in Hong Kong as either as resident or a visitor seeking to adjust your immigration status to join in an existing, or establish a new, business; or 2. You can apply prospectively for […] Keep Reading...>

August 28th, 2024

Can you swap from a foreign domestic helper visa to a dependant visa whilst in Hong Kong? QUESTION My domestic helper, from the Philippines, is married to a Hong Kong Permanent Resident. Her contract with me expires in April and they want to apply for a dependent visa for her. Is this possible, what are […] Keep Reading...>

August 22nd, 2024

One of the more frustrating aspects of dealing with the Hong Kong Immigration Department is the almost total lack of visibility on why applications get refused. No more so when it relates to a ‘limited purpose’ application for a visa to visit Hong Kong. QUESTION Hi I applied for my customer a visitor visa who […] Keep Reading...>

August 21st, 2024

Could a prolonged visitor hope to get Permanent Residency in Hong Kong? Short and sweet question today, but an important answer so worthy of a PodCast answer (I get loads of questions each day and I answer all of those capable of an answer (many are not – eg “I want to work in HK […] Keep Reading...>

August 20th, 2024

Will what has been done before impact on a Hong Kong Prolonged Visitor Visa out of policy application now? QUESTION I have a general question regarding conditions of stay for a Hong Kong prolonged visitor visa. On the Hong Kong Immigration website it says: “Subject to the following conditions of stay: (a) he shall not take any […] Keep Reading...>

August 19th, 2024

Is it possible to stop working in Hong Kong under an employment visa, move to another country to work yet leave your family behind to continue their lives in here without you day to day? QUESTION Hi, I have got valid Hong Kong employment visa and i am living in Hong Kong since last 4 […] Keep Reading...>

August 16th, 2024

Sometimes, people find themselves in a state of ‘administrative flux’ as one employment visa ends and the circumstances for a new employment visa have not yet, for one reason or another, materialised. The question is, however, can you easily return to / be in Hong Kong as a visitor whilst these wrinkles get ironed out […] Keep Reading...>

August 12th, 2024

Is it possible to lose your job (your Hong Kong Employment Visa), cruise through 12 months without working here, spend three months away in China studying then make an application for the right of abode with no questions asked? First Published October 6, 2013 – still of interest today QUESTION Hello, I have lived and worked continuously  […] Keep Reading...>

August 9th, 2024

Documenting proof of the genuine nature of your relationship is a condition precedent to the grant of a dependant visa with the burden of proof decreasing the longer you have been married. Consequently, the newer your relationship / marriage the greater the onus is on you to satisfy ImmD that this relationship does not exist […] Keep Reading...>

August 8th, 2024

Thankfully, Hong Kong immigration is not overly bureaucratic or legalistic so what appears to be an intractable problem more often than not is not such a big deal after all… This post details the Dependant Visa Proof of Means First Published August 24, 2017 – Still of interest today QUESTION Hello, My wife and I […] Keep Reading...>

August 6th, 2024

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