Browse Our Most Recent Content (& Beyond)

How to skin the cat of the ‘missing tenancy agreement’ is an oft-faced challenge in the game of the Hong Kong Right of Abode Application after 7 years continuous ordinary residence by a foreign national intending permanent resident.  QUESTION What happens if I am unable to provide copies of my tenancy agreements in support of […] Keep Reading...>

October 12th, 2021

First Published October 29, 2014 Does being married to a Hong Kong permanent resident whilst living in China impact on continuity of ordinary residence for the purposes of a right of abode application subsequently? QUESTION Hi, Your website is incredibly helpful! However, my situation doesn’t seem to have an answer yet, so here goes! I’m […] Keep Reading...>

October 7th, 2021

First Published July 7, 2019 Can I Come & Install Equipment in Hong Kong Without an Employment Visa.? Permitted activity under the Visitor visa category seems to be something of a grey area and in the final analysis it all boils down to the attitude of the Immigration Department for a breach of conditions of […] Keep Reading...>

October 3rd, 2021

Black boxes and taxes – an unheady mix! QUESTION Hi Stephen, A friend of mine is looking into the idea of residing in Hong Kong. He’s a soon to be traditionally published book author in the United States, and he’s based in another country. Well, assuming his work becomes a financial hit and reasonably well […] Keep Reading...>

October 1st, 2021

Any possibility for love to continue in the wake of a terminated FDH contract? QUESTION My girl friend is a Filipino domestic helper who has just left her employment with a Chinese family – however, she wants to stay in Hong Kong with me. Can you advise me on how this might be achieved? ANSWER […] Keep Reading...>

September 29th, 2021

Are tenancy agreement copies absolutely vital for a successful Hong Kong right of abode application? QUESTION For my Hong Kong PR application, what happens if I am unable to provide copies of my tenancy agreements?  I never thought I would still be here for 7 years so I every 2 years I get rid of […] Keep Reading...>

September 27th, 2021

To live in Hong Kong requires a place to lay your head here each night. What happens to your application for dependant visas for your family if you don’t have anywhere for them to live? QUESTION I have held a Hong Kong employment visa for the last 3 years.  But most of the time I […] Keep Reading...>

September 25th, 2021

First Published February 7, 2019 Accidentally overstay your Hong Kong employment visa?- What happens to you when  seek to change your employment visa sponsor but realise you have accidentally let your current visa expire without seeking an extension of stay? QUESTION Hi Stephen, I ended my employment in Hong Kong at the beginning of January. […] Keep Reading...>

September 23rd, 2021

The question of criminal records and how they impact on Hong Kong visa applications keeps cropping up… QUESTION Hi, I have previously lived in Hong Kong, once as a student so obviously held a student visa and then a couple of years later working there so had an employment visa. I’m a Canadian citizen and […] Keep Reading...>

September 21st, 2021

We have been contacted a lot recently by applicants who’s cases have been refused  – so this question is both timely and, for all those affected, of great significance. QUESTION “I would like to know if, once  I have received the first rejection letter from an Officer of the HKID for my employment visa application, I […] Keep Reading...>

September 19th, 2021

This is the question most often asked of my profession really… QUESTION Hello, I was a sponsored by my uncle’s company for 2 years then we had an argument and I left. Now I’m holding a visitor visa. For 6 months I’ve sent my resume to more employers than I can count but when it […] Keep Reading...>

September 17th, 2021

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...>

September 15th, 2021

First Published February 27, 2013 It’s a situation that seems to happen all too frequently these days, especially in the banking sector. Can a married couple, both working, effectively swap their Hong Kong employment and spouse visas around? QUESTION Thank you for all your insight to the working of the Hong Kong Immigration Department that I […] Keep Reading...>

September 13th, 2021

First Published June 10, 2013 Once you have achieved 7 years continuous ordinary residence in Hong Kong, your long stay immigration options open up considerably… QUESTION My current working visa is due to expire at the end of  September, (previously I was given an extension of 3 years in 2010), this I assume was so that […] Keep Reading...>

September 11th, 2021

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 […] Keep Reading...>

September 9th, 2021

This question gets to the heart of permitted activity as a Visitor and the ability to remain here on an indefinite basis on that status. QUESTION Hi, I am a New Zealander currently staying in Hong Kong with my partner who is a permanent HKID card holder. I do not have a HKID card, just […] Keep Reading...>

September 7th, 2021

First Published December 4, 2013 What do the Hong Kong Immigration Department make of lengthy, albeit temporary, secondments away from the HKSAR in pursuit of your employer’s business interests overseas? QUESTION Thank you for the Hong Kong Visa Handbook, which advises applicants for Right of Abode to be mindful of a 6 months plus absence […] Keep Reading...>

September 4th, 2021

Is it ever OK to work in Hong Kong on a visitor visa? You would assume, quite reasonably, that if the Hong Kong Immigration Department advised you that is was OK to come to Hong Kong as a visitor and work, then that would be kosher, right? Wrong! In this question, it is more than apparent […] Keep Reading...>

September 2nd, 2021

” I Want to Bring My Girlfriend to Hong Kong”. This is a common challenge for people in serious, yet relatively new  relationships. The Hong Kong visa options are few and far between. You absolutely have to make sure that you stay on the right side of the law on this one. It’s all too […] Keep Reading...>

August 31st, 2021

A foreign national seeking to come to Hong Kong to work, paid or unpaid, for a long or short duration, requires the permission of the Hong Kong Director of Immigration. QUESTION Dear Stephen Your on-line book is very clear and helpful. I just need to clarify my position – and you must get lots of […] Keep Reading...>

August 29th, 2021

First Published July 27, 2012 – Advice Still Highly Relevant Today This question comes in 2 parts. The first relates to positive planning in respect of an eventual Hong Kong right of abode application. The second touches on the mechanics of an aligned change of sponsorship application to the Immigration Department in the run in to […] Keep Reading...>

August 25th, 2021

First Published January 17, 2013 If you are a foreign national permanent resident of Hong Kong you will hold a permanent identity card and, as a result, will possess the Rolls Royce immigration status of what is called the right of abode. The right of abode provides you with, effectively,  defacto citizenship of the HKSAR, […] Keep Reading...>

August 23rd, 2021

This question seeks to understand what you should make of repeat requests for information from the Hong Kong Immigration Department (HKID) during the course of your visa application. QUESTION “Good day. In the course of what would appear to be a straightforward application, two sets of requests for further information have been sent by the […] Keep Reading...>

August 19th, 2021

The Hong Kong Immigration Department are still allowing visitors to Hong Kong again (mostly). After a tumultuous 48 hours of  COVID19 boffin flip-flopping and the HKSAR Government now sending everyone to a minimum of 14 days virus jail to enter our hallowed shores here are the new arrangements for folks, residents and not residents alike, […] Keep Reading...>

August 18th, 2021

ImmD expect to be able to take a view of a proposed new from 39,000 feet and for this a good set of financial projections are expected to form part of a business investment visa application. QUESTION Does the Immigration Department look for forecasts for profitability and actually estimates of employee hiring? I have written […] Keep Reading...>

August 17th, 2021

Entrepreneurship is a fluid beast! QUESTION Hello, I was on an investment visa for a year when I started my own business and then took on a full time role with another company.  I was transferred to an employment visa.  I am now considering leaving this role and going back to actively work in my […] Keep Reading...>

August 15th, 2021

Is it always absolutely necessary to call upon a university degree qualification in order to get a Hong Kong work visa application approved? QUESTION I have found a job here and am now in the process of applying for a Hong Kong work visa. It is a Quality Assurance position in the garment business. My […] Keep Reading...>

August 13th, 2021

Can you realistically expect to work for yourself if your employment permissions have been granted under 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 question regarding the Immigration Arrangement for […] Keep Reading...>

August 11th, 2021

This question comes up all the time (and is actually answered on the home page of our Blog) but I am grateful for the opportunity to revisit it again now… QUESTION Hi, I’m currently working in Hong Kong with a valid working visa but have been offered a job with another company in Hong Kong. […] Keep Reading...>

August 9th, 2021

Should you be worried that your employment visa status in Hong Kong might be undermined if you choose to leave the employ of an unsavoury employer? QUESTION Hello, my current employer and visa sponsor is a small business, and my working conditions are intolerable – twice the amount of hours than stated on the contract, […] Keep Reading...>

August 7th, 2021

First Published February 4, 2019 Permitted activity under the Visitor visa category seems to be something of a grey area and in the final analysis it all boils down to the attitude of the Immigration Department for a breach of conditions of stay. However, some activities are self-evidently ‘employment‘ in nature and the answer to […] Keep Reading...>

August 5th, 2021

Excellent question earlier this week. Great opportunity to slay a few sacred cows. QUESTION Hi, one of the requirements for the work visa application is a proof of genuine vacancy. What if a sponsoring company doesn’t do job ads? What can he present? He does recruit locally via his network since he is just a […] Keep Reading...>

August 2nd, 2021

Hong Kong immigration is rife with visa gossip and rumours so I am pleased this question has been raised as it allows me to slay an old dragon once and for all!   QUESTION Hi Stephen, Thanks ever so much for your amazing website. I have never seen anything like this before – and I can’t […] Keep Reading...>

July 30th, 2021

First Published November 29, 2012 An excellent question on the Right of Abode came in just now. Raises a really interesting point of professional practice the likes of which very rarely present themselves these days. QUESTION I have recently been declined Permanent Residency status from HK Immigration, but believe I have grounds to appeal, and […] Keep Reading...>

July 28th, 2021

What a great question – never been asked this before! QUESTION I have been resident in Hong Kong for 5 and a half years on a working visa. I lost my job over 6 months ago and thought that I had no option but to leave. I obtained the MPF refund in May and signed […] Keep Reading...>

July 26th, 2021

Not every stint for work or business means full time residency in Hong Kong so what to do about ‘half-timers’? QUESTION I am pursuing options to take up employment in Hong Kong and would like to know if there is any residence requirement for retention of a work visa. For example, how long can one […] Keep Reading...>

July 24th, 2021

First Published June 20, 2013 This question raises its head in many different guises but this is the first time that anyone has asked it in such a pointed way in the context of training visas – so I’m pleased to be able to shed some light! QUESTION Hi, Great that you provide this service! […] Keep Reading...>

July 22nd, 2021

I just love the easy Hong Kong immigration questions – gives me a break from thinking too hard! QUESTION Hi there! I’m Australian and I have an approved Working Holiday Visa, but am wondering if I can work full-time (albeit for a max of 3 months per employer), or whether only part-time hours are allowed? […] Keep Reading...>

July 20th, 2021

How long should a Hong Kong Employment Visa Application take to finalize – especially in light of the 4 weeks cited on the Hong Kong Immigration Department website? QUESTION My working visa application is now almost into its 7th week (49 days and counting). There were documents that immigration requested from my sponsor which may have delayed […] Keep Reading...>

July 18th, 2021

First Published June 4, 2103 Do you need to be employed on the date that your 7 year anniversary of your residence in Hong Kong comes up which then allows you apply for the right of abode with the wrinkle that your current employment visa expires on exactly the same date? QUESTION I started working […] Keep Reading...>

July 16th, 2021

Excellent question earlier this week. Great opportunity to slay a few sacred cows. QUESTION Hi, one of the requirements for the work visa application is a proof of genuine vacancy. What if a sponsoring company doesn’t do job ads? What can he present? He does recruit locally via his network since he is just a […] Keep Reading...>

July 14th, 2021

This question really is all about the Catch 22 which I have posted on quite a few times previously. However, there is an interesting twist in that the questioner has entered Hong Kong on an APEC Business Travel Card and none of his clients are actually based in Hong Kong. So I am grateful for […] Keep Reading...>

July 12th, 2021

Hong Kong being a small, dynamic city which punches above its weight in the region, this situation happens all the time. So what IS the impact on your subsequent eligibility for the Right of Abode if your employer wants to shift you off-shore temporarily to manage a project? QUESTION I have been working in Hong Kong […] Keep Reading...>

July 10th, 2021

First Published July 29, 2013 The Immigration Department need documentation to understand when to demarcate new from old sponsorship arrangements when changing employers and the million dollar question is……. what will suffice? QUESTION I have a sponsored visa from my current employer until November 2014. I am now wanting to leave this company and start […] Keep Reading...>

July 8th, 2021

First Published On April 11, 2013 What’s the deal if you’re in Hong Kong with a dependant visa and your spouse wants to leave but you want to stay? QUESTION Hello, I am here on a dependent visa with my husband. He is planning to leave his employment in Hong Kong and return to his […] Keep Reading...>

July 6th, 2021

QUESTION I currently hold a Hong Kong employment visa with a company where I am receiving a monthly salary of HK$50,000 (fixed salary, no bonuses), and have been working with this company for the past 4 years. My contract, and visa, are due to expire soon so I am in the process of looking for a […] Keep Reading...>

July 3rd, 2021

What a great question – never been asked this before! QUESTION I have been resident in Hong Kong for 5 and a half years on a working visa. I lost my job over 6 months ago and thought that I had no option but to leave. I obtained the MPF refund in May and signed […] Keep Reading...>

July 1st, 2021

First Published August 2, 2012 Thinking about joining in a side business in Hong Kong? Certain foreign national professionals who teach in Hong Kong, especially those at university, often find themselves wishing to participate in their profession whilst educating others. The question is begged as to how they can, from a visa and immigration perspective, […] Keep Reading...>

June 21st, 2021

First Published June 20, 2012 Down the years a great many foreign nationals arrive in Hong Kong as visitors ‘on spec’ and are able to successfully change their immigration status in order for them to take up employment when a job offer manifests itself here. This question discusses this very issue and provides the answer […] Keep Reading...>

June 19th, 2021

It happens a lot. You stay and work in Hong Kong for 3, 4, 5 years and get over the hump en route to the magic 7 years needed for a Permanent Identity Card. Then you find yourself having to spend time away from Hong Kong to further your career, education or due to special […] Keep Reading...>

June 17th, 2021

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