Browse Our Most Recent Content (& Beyond)

Foreign national employment visa holders in Hong Kong are quite often interested in setting up a side business… QUESTION I am currently employed full-time by a company in Hong Kong. They successfully sponsored my Hong Kong employment visa and I just started my job 2 months ago. All is going very well. But I would like […] Keep Reading...>

January 20th, 2020

First Published December 3, 2014 Does time spent ‘between’ residence impact on your eligibility for the Right of Abode in Hong Kong after 7 years ? QUESTION I am a Canadian citizen living and working in Hong Kong for the last 4 years. My employment has ended and I have not yet been able to obtain […] Keep Reading...>

January 16th, 2020

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...>

January 13th, 2020

First Published May 9, 2014 British nationals got an early Christmas present with the Hong Kong Working Holiday Scheme in December 2013 QUESTION Hi Stephen, From  May through November 2013 I was employed in a well known and large company in Hong Kong under the training visa for a period of 6 months. During the […] Keep Reading...>

January 10th, 2020

First Published February 13, 2015 At least 2 years post-graduation working experience in a managerial or supervisory capacity is required to be deemed a Professional in order to qualify for a Hong Kong work visa under the General Employment Policy…. Dear Visa Geeza, Thank you for maintaining such an informative site! It has been a […] Keep Reading...>

January 7th, 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 and custody of our two […] Keep Reading...>

January 4th, 2020

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...>

January 2nd, 2020

First Published April 29, 2013 Hong Kong immigration & visa applications: both the Hong Kong Visa Handbook and the accompanying updates posted daily on the Hong Kong Visa Geeza Blog along with the DIY Visa Kits are all designed to help you make an application to the Immigration Department without any professional assistance and with […] Keep Reading...>

December 30th, 2019

First Published May 4, 2013 If you and your family are relocating to Hong Kong with your spouse’s job and he (or his employer) is responsible for organizing the visas for you and your children, what can you expect of the Hong Kong visa application process? Firstly, the dependant visas which you and the children […] Keep Reading...>

December 28th, 2019

First Published May 9, 2013 For many people, especially those with a natural ability to manage a process or work to a set of procedural guidelines, there may very well be no need to spend good money on securing the professional assistance of a Hong Kong immigration service provider. Of course, if you prefer to […] Keep Reading...>

December 26th, 2019

Well, it had been quite a while since I managed to get to speak to Phil Whelan over at RTHK Radio 3 and this time we did it, for the first time, from my home in Western Australia. We had lots to discuss and catch up on the given the shenanigans of this year and […] Keep Reading...>

December 24th, 2019

The Ongoing Indian QMAS Visa Agency scam, rip off, fraud has been going on for so long now that it’s time I produced an answer to this question finally.  I have literally received dozens of these types of questions in the last 2-3 years that I will deal with it definitively now. So here we […] Keep Reading...>

December 22nd, 2019

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 19th, 2019

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 17th, 2019

First Published April 10, 2014 Can you be both settled in Hong Kong, have taken the HKSAR as your only place of residence, yet go and work overseas all at the same time? QUESTION Thank you so much for your wonderfully informative website. I have a question about the timing of starting a new job […] Keep Reading...>

December 15th, 2019

Life can get a bit complicated if you work in 2 places at the same time… QUESTION I work for a Hong Kong company in Macau and my wife is my dependent in Hong Kong where we live. My colleague was the same but has now been employed by a Macau company. Does this change […] Keep Reading...>

December 13th, 2019

First Published May 21, 2014 It’s important to undertake one application at a time en route to your eventual right of abode in Hong Kong… QUESTION Hi. I need to extend my IANG visa by the end of July. As of the second week in September I will have been in Hong Kong for 7 […] Keep Reading...>

December 11th, 2019

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...>

December 9th, 2019

When would unconditional stay be an appropriate Hong Kong immigration status as opposed to the right of abode and, in any event, what’s the difference? QUESTION We’re considering to apply for a business investment visa, but we don’t really intend to live in Hong Kong in the near future. If our application gets approved, we’ll […] Keep Reading...>

December 6th, 2019

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...>

December 3rd, 2019

First Published March 13, 2013 It happens a lot more often that you might imagine. You’d think that the many early years in Hong Kong ought to count towards your right of abode but all too often disappointment is in the offing… QUESTION Thank you very much for this informative website! I hope you’ll be […] Keep Reading...>

December 1st, 2019

First Published November 20 2013 Is the Right of Abode in Hong Kong passed along to the spouse of a permanent resident such that is claimable after the death of your PR holding husband..? QUESTION This query is for  my cousin who is an adult. She was born in Pakistan and got married to a Hong […] Keep Reading...>

November 27th, 2019

First Published August 20, 2013 The Hong Kong Immigration Department offer ‘liberalised’ immigration arrangements for foreign nationals and mainland students who graduate from Hong Kong tertiary education institutes (“IANG”). If you have a job in Hong Kong one year after graduation, then the extension process is all but a rubber stamping exercise. But what if […] Keep Reading...>

November 24th, 2019

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...>

November 20th, 2019

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 17th, 2019

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...>

November 14th, 2019

First Published October 8, 2013 Hong Kong visas for aged parents – the options for long stay visas for elderly parents of non-permanent residents here are quite limited… QUESTION Hi, I’m married (Singaporean) and working for a major financial institution here in Hong Kong right now. I have a working visa. My mother 60 yrs old […] Keep Reading...>

November 12th, 2019

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 11th, 2019

First Published October 6, 2013 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? QUESTION Hello, I have lived and worked continuously  in Hong Kong for the […] Keep Reading...>

November 9th, 2019

The test for the right of abode for foreign national children resident in Hong Kong for 7 years is the same as for adults but the manifestation of that PR takes a slightly different form… QUESTION I’ve heard that our children can independently hold permanent residency once they turn 7.  Is this correct and if […] Keep Reading...>

November 5th, 2019

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...>

November 3rd, 2019

First Published On December 9, 2013 It happens a lot more often that you might imagine – inadvertent loss of ‘ordinary residence‘ setting back your application for permanent residence here in Hong Kong. QUESTION My wife and I came to Hong Kong to work in 2006. However she went to business school in Europe in […] Keep Reading...>

October 29th, 2019

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...>

October 27th, 2019

It’s inevitable really. Photo Credit: RTHK By any view of social media over these last 12 weeks it is clear that unlawful acts by certain parties in favour of the aims of ‘the movement’ has commanded broad and general support from within a certain demographic of the population (both local Chinese and foreign national alike.) […] Keep Reading...>

October 24th, 2019

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...>

October 21st, 2019

Whilst the Immigration Arrangements for Non-local Graduates afford a clean pathway to working permission for foreign nationals freshly graduating from Hong Kong universities, the situation is very different if your degree is from overseas and you’re seeking to work in the HKSAR straight after university. QUESTION Hi Stephen, I would like to ask, I’m a […] Keep Reading...>

October 18th, 2019

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...>

October 16th, 2019

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...>

October 14th, 2019

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...>

October 12th, 2019

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...>

October 9th, 2019

First Published September 3, 2013 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 […] Keep Reading...>

October 6th, 2019

What is the law about visitors working in Hong Kong as freelancers but not engaging in the local economy? QUESTION Hi Stephen, I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 2 years and now I’m freelancing and getting all of my income from overseas. I wish to stay in HK, so am I required to get a […] Keep Reading...>

October 2nd, 2019

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...>

September 30th, 2019

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...>

September 27th, 2019

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...>

September 25th, 2019

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...>

September 22nd, 2019

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 20th, 2019

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...>

September 16th, 2019

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...>

September 13th, 2019

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...>

September 11th, 2019

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