Browse Our Most Recent Content (& Beyond)

ImmD publish a useful series of video on their YouTube channel. The 2 videos which follow teach you how to go about applying for a Hong Kong Identity card. These links have now been updated as of March 2023. The post today is topical as the Territory-Wide Smart ID Card Replacement Exercise came to an […] Keep Reading...>

March 27th, 2023

Updated March 23, 2023  Get the 100% Free Application Roadmap Here Today – Still Highly Relevant & Useful! On January 17, 2013 I gave a talk at Centre O in Wanchai on how to go about applying for a Hong Kong business investment visa without the need to pay for any professional help. 10 years have gone by and […] Keep Reading...>

March 23rd, 2023

All About Hong Kong Employment Visa Sponsorship There is a great deal of confusion about Hong Kong employment visa sponsorship and this short video cuts through all the noise and sets it out definitively. It also speaks to changing your visa category to business investment as an entrepreneur in the event you wish to start […] Keep Reading...>

March 18th, 2023

I am in the process of revisiting a lot of my older video content to ensure its continuing relevance and validity. I will also be conducting a whole new series of updated talks around town in the coming few weeks and the videos of those will, as always, be posted here. Whilst this talk harks […] Keep Reading...>

March 13th, 2023

First Published November 17, 2014 – Advice Still Valid Today You’ve lost your job and your limit of stay is coming up for expiry. Any chance the Immigration Department will grant you an interim Hong Kong employment visa extension in these circumstances? QUESTION I am an Australian  national living in Hong Kong under an employment visa since […] Keep Reading...>

March 9th, 2023

First Published October 2, 2019 – Advice Still Valid Today What is the law about visitors working in Hong Kong as freelancers but not engaging in the local economy? Whilst this question was first asked 4 years ago, I have received three very similar quiestions in the last week so nows the time to republish […] Keep Reading...>

March 7th, 2023

It probably won’t come as a surprise to you but we’re actively and quickly moving ahead with the introduction of Ai to our immigration practice, the Hong Kong Visa Centre. Ai Is Coming To The Hong Kong Visa Geeza Website Very Soon Last year I established a group on LinkedIn called – Innovation In Immigration. […] Keep Reading...>

March 3rd, 2023

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...>

March 1st, 2023

Hong Kong Work Visas – Criminal Record Declaration Now Needed On Sunday, the government declared that various immigration programmes in Hong Kong would be modified, requiring applicants to declare their criminal record before obtaining an entry visa. The Immigration Department confirmed that changes would be made to talent admission schemes and under the General Employment […] Keep Reading...>

February 27th, 2023

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...>

February 27th, 2023

Re-Published 25 February, 2023 – Still Valid Advice QUESTION I’m a Chinese National and now working in HK on IANG Visa.  I have been living in Hong Kong continuously for 6 years (I came here in August 2013, then 1 year study and 5 year work).  My current IANG visa is valid until July 2022 […] Keep Reading...>

February 25th, 2023

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...>

February 23rd, 2023

Simple question this one with an easy answer and indicative of the fact that, even though quite a straight forward issue, the information is not otherwise readily available anywhere else on the web. QUESTION I am a Canadian citizen, working in Hong Kong holding an employment visa for 7 weeks. I want to stay after […] Keep Reading...>

February 20th, 2023

First Published July 29, 2013 – Still Relevant 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 […] Keep Reading...>

February 15th, 2023

Updated Pilot Scheme For Visitors To Hong Kong Who Can Work (February 2023) Hong Kong Government Expands the Pilot Scheme on Immigration Facilitation for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors  After the Enhancement Measures implemented by the Hong Kong Government (GovHK) starting with December 2022, GovHK) has recently announced the Expansion of Pilot […] Keep Reading...>

February 12th, 2023

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...>

February 7th, 2023

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...>

February 5th, 2023

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...>

January 31st, 2023

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...>

January 30th, 2023

Update February 27, 2023 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 […] Keep Reading...>

January 28th, 2023

First Published October 29, 2014 – Still Relevant 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 […] Keep Reading...>

January 26th, 2023

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...>

January 24th, 2023

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...>

January 22nd, 2023

First Published On April 11, 2013 – Still Relevant 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 […] Keep Reading...>

January 20th, 2023

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...>

January 14th, 2023

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...>

January 12th, 2023

” 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...>

January 10th, 2023

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...>

January 7th, 2023

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...>

January 3rd, 2023

Hong Kong Government Continuing Immigration Policy Enhancements – December 2022 After recent updates provided by the Hong Kong Immigration Department (ImmD) at the end of October, the Government of Hong Kong (GovHK) has announced additional measures to further streamline the Hong Kong immigration process for foreign national visa applicants. Top this end, visa applicants can […] Keep Reading...>

December 30th, 2022

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...>

December 30th, 2022

Hong Kong Top Talent Pass Scheme Details Released ImmD finally released information about the Top Talent Pass Scheme (“TTPS”) yesterday. It’s proving to be quite a hit already! We have 2 applications ongoing at this time. I will release video shortly but in the meantime details can be had from the Hong Kong Immigration Department […] Keep Reading...>

December 29th, 2022

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...>

December 28th, 2022

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...>

December 26th, 2022

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...>

December 23rd, 2022

First Published October 4, 2014 Got 2 very similar questions in yesterday so I’m taking the opportunity to kill 2 birds with one stone… QUESTIONS I have a residency visa and this is my 6th year in Hong Kong. I need to go back to my country due to some medical urgency. What amount of […] Keep Reading...>

December 21st, 2022

Why should age get in the way of family reunion? QUESTION My 91 year old father needs to come to live with me in Hong Kong because he has no one to look after him in the UK where he lives. He has UK and Australian passports. I have a flat I own in Hong […] Keep Reading...>

December 18th, 2022

When a baby is born here to a temporary (i.e. non permanent) resident how do you go about finalising the immigration formalities associated with the birth in the HKSAR? This is a straightforward process not otherwise detailed in the dependant visa section of the Hong Kong Visa Handbook – so here you go: Firstly, make […] Keep Reading...>

December 14th, 2022

INITIALLY PUBLISHED JANUARY 2, 2021 – UPDATED DECEMBER 10, 2022 The Immigration Department Accepts Applications for Extension of Stay from Hong Kong Non-permanent Residents Outside Hong Kong (Extended Until June 30 2023) https://www.immd.gov.hk/eng/ext/npr.html (Temporary Measures Update) https://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2022/12/20221209/20221209_191044_925.html The Immigration Department has extended the facilitation measure that allows eligible non-permanent residents who are outside Hong Kong to apply […] Keep Reading...>

December 11th, 2022

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...>

December 10th, 2022

First Published January 4, 2020 Employment visa grant? What do the Hong Kong Immigration Department take into account exactly when considering an application for an employment visa where the applicant has recently divorced from a Hong Kong resident? QUESTION I have been in Hong Kong for two years and have recently divorced.  I have care […] Keep Reading...>

December 8th, 2022

The answer to this question is multi-part and ultimately driven by the challenges associated with a New Business Situation… QUESTION I am based in Hong Kong and would like your advice on visa applications for a friend.   A friend of mine, who is based in the US and I have been discussing a business opportunity for Hong Kong and […] Keep Reading...>

December 6th, 2022

Can I ‘Touch And Go’ At Hong Kong Airport To Keep My 3 Year PR Active During Covid19? I’ve answered this question several times via email by now so it’s time to explain it here … https://www.bio-hk.com/quarantine-procedures-for-entry-via-airport/ QUESTION Hi Stephen It will be 3 years this festive season since I was last in Hong Kong. […] Keep Reading...>

December 4th, 2022

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...>

December 2nd, 2022

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...>

November 30th, 2022

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...>

November 24th, 2022

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...>

November 22nd, 2022

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...>

November 20th, 2022

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...>

November 18th, 2022

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...>

November 16th, 2022

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