Browse Our Most Recent Content (& Beyond)

How can one go about swapping from a Hong Kong Working Holiday Visa to a complete Hong Kong work visa? QUESTION I am a British citizen with a 1st class degree, 2 years work experience and unique language abilities. I am currently in Hong Kong on a working holiday visa and was employed at a […] Keep Reading...>

March 30th, 2020

Any chance of an employment visa to teach English in Hong Kong if you don’t have a degree? QUESTION I’m hoping to move to Hong Kong to teach English and find employment with an employer who will grant me a work visa. I’m a British, recently turned 30. I have studied 2 years Higher Education […] Keep Reading...>

March 28th, 2020

What are ImmD looking for to ensure that you are settled in Hong Kong at the time they consider your Hong Kong Permanent Residency application? QUESTION Firstly, thank you for the great service you provide. I just had two questions for you that are related. I currently have a work visa for 3 years (2-2-3). […] Keep Reading...>

March 24th, 2020

The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced the provision of limited public services from March 23 until April 1, as follows: Immigration Department Reduced Service Schedule Until April 1, 2020 Keep Reading...>

March 23rd, 2020

First Published December 21, 2015 What happens to your  Hong Kong work visa when you have been made redundant but you still have time left on your current limit of stay? QUESTION Hi there, I am residing here on a Hong Kong work visa, employed as a professional in the financial services industry. My role […] Keep Reading...>

March 19th, 2020

This is quite an unusual set of facts and provides a great opportunity to clear up one small, yet key, part of the Hong Kong employment visa applications process. QUESTION “We are from Canada. Recently my boyfriend and I were offered a job teaching English with a company in Hong Kong. We gave them the […] Keep Reading...>

March 16th, 2020

First Published August 17, 2014 What’s the story where a new employer has not yet set up shop in the HKSAR? QUESTION Hello Visa Geeza, Thanks in advance! Your website has brought clarity on a number of questions I had on the visa process. I do however have a few more. I’m currently employed by […] Keep Reading...>

March 13th, 2020

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...>

March 11th, 2020

First Published August 13, 2014 Extend a Hong Kong business investment visa?  Not so long ago the Hong Kong Immigration Department made life quite easy for certain entrepreneurs when it came time to extend a business investment visa… QUESTION  OF  THE  WEEK For extending my Hong Kong investment visa for the first renewal, do you recommend […] Keep Reading...>

March 9th, 2020

Hate your job and seeking a change? How is your Hong Kong work visa affected if it will be expiring soon? QUESTION I am working for a company and I really have had enough and want to change jobs. The reasoning being is the work I signed up for is not the job I am […] Keep Reading...>

March 6th, 2020

How do you handle the conundrum of keeping your old job whilst seeking permission of ImmD in regard to  your Hong Kong work visa change of sponsorship? QUESTION I hope you’re doing well. Do I have to terminate my current job if my future employer is applying for my Hong Kong work visa change of […] Keep Reading...>

March 3rd, 2020

So, you sense there’s an opportunity to augment your salary with some freelance work so how do you go about making an application to join in a side business in Hong Kong? QUESTION Dear Visa Geeza, I have listened to your podcasts regarding sole proprietorship and followed the information given. Background information – I am currently […] Keep Reading...>

March 1st, 2020

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...>

February 26th, 2020

First Published On July 17, 2013 Children born in Hong Kong to a Hong Kong permanent resident have their eligibility for permanent identity cards established at birth. But what if the child is born to a Hong Kong permanent resident not married to its mother and where the child was born outside of Hong Kong? […] Keep Reading...>

February 21st, 2020

Toilet Paper Shortage In Hong Kong: I was ambling along Bowen Road a couple of days ago on my daily walk when I met this very interesting lady who was lamenting the state of toilet paper supply in Hong Kong at the moment. She says it all really! More Stuff You Will Surely Find Useful! […] Keep Reading...>

February 18th, 2020

First Published On May 7, 2015 Kids grow up quickly so what happens to a Hong Kong dependant visa holder when she reaches the age of 18? QUESTION Hi, There are two parts to my question: I’m here on a Hong Kong work visa and have been here for 15 months now. My daughter will be turning […] Keep Reading...>

February 17th, 2020

Interesting scenario this one… QUESTION I have been continuously employed here for almost 7 years and will be eligible to apply for PR in Hong Kong this Sept. If I leave my current job and start working for a different company outside of Hong Kong, is there any way I can still be eligible for […] Keep Reading...>

February 15th, 2020

How is an application for Hong Kong PR (permanent residency or the right of abode) impacted as a result of non-criminal litigation and Court sanctions? QUESTION My partner and I run a company (LTD) in Hong Kong. We’ve been a bit behind on our bills and most likely the company will be taken to court […] Keep Reading...>

February 12th, 2020

How is the Shenzhen Shuttle impacted where there is a history of long stay visits in Hong Kong combined with multiple employment visa refusals? QUESTION Hi, I have been in Hong Kong for 2 years as a Visitor and my work visa application was denied for the second time a couple of weeks ago. My […] Keep Reading...>

February 8th, 2020

First Published November 17, 2014 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 December 2010, all sponsored by the same company. This has been an Australian company with a representative office in […] Keep Reading...>

February 4th, 2020

Simple enough of a question – will your Hong Kong work visa be compromised if you are forced into bankruptcy while temporarily resident in the HKSAR? QUESTION If I am currently a working visa holder in Hong Kong, how will my visa be affected if I go bankrupt? Will the Immigration Department tell me to […] Keep Reading...>

February 1st, 2020

First Published March 27, 2014 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 […] Keep Reading...>

January 26th, 2020

First Published February 2, 2015 So, if you plan to leave your job a few weeks before your 7 year anniversary how will this impact on your application for the right of abode in Hong Kong? QUESTION I‘m Australian, and have an employment visa in Hong Kong currently, but I wish to resign from my […] Keep Reading...>

January 23rd, 2020

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

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