Browse Our Most Recent Content (& Beyond)

Hong Kong is such a draw but sometimes it’s just not going to be… QUESTION Hi Stephen, I am 25 Years old Indian National. I don’t have any kind of degree. I own a business from past seven years in India. I am applying for jobs from past 4 months but in most of the […] Keep Reading...>

October 26th, 2020

There appears to be a misconception among foreign nationals that you can be living here and it be OK to run a business in Hong Kong without getting an investment visa just so long as you don’t pay yourself a salary… QUESTION I currently hold a working visa which is still valid for almost 2 more […] Keep Reading...>

October 23rd, 2020

This is joining in a side business albeit in another name… QUESTION Info -NZ Passport holder -Working in Hong Kong for three years with an employer. Hello I would like to know how I would go about starting a business in Hong Kong. I would like to start a freelance business. I am worried about my visa […] Keep Reading...>

October 21st, 2020

First Published September 22, 2017 Is it possible to hold an employment visa, not work for your sponsoring employer and travel, live and possibly even work outside of Hong Kong through to the 7 years qualification mark and still qualify for the right of abode? QUESTION Hi Stephen, I have a question regarding Hong Kong […] Keep Reading...>

October 19th, 2020

IMPORTANT: Please note that we have no competency in Foreign Domestic Helper visas. Any such questions are best directed at an FDH agency who have significant experience in those types of visas. I receive 70-100 questions a week on this Blog and most of these are very succinct, allowing me to quickly drill down on […] Keep Reading...>

October 17th, 2020

First Published August 24, 2017 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… QUESTION Hello, My wife and I were married earlier this year. I am a US citizen, but she is an […] Keep Reading...>

October 15th, 2020

The Hong Kong training visa is designed to allow foreign nationals to come to Hong Kong for a limited time to undergo or deliver training. Will ImmD entertain an application from a training visa holder to take up employment with another business while that training is ongoing? QUESTION Dear Visa Geeza, Thanks in advance for […] Keep Reading...>

October 11th, 2020

Hong Kong investment visa extension after being granted only an initial 6 month limit of stay? QUESTION Dear Visa Geeza, I’d like to thank you for building such useful resources online. I followed your advice when preparing my business investment visa. My visa got approved and with a six month review condition. I have already […] Keep Reading...>

October 9th, 2020

First Published September 14, 2017 Tough question this – so what’s the answer…? QUESTION Hello Hong Kong Visa Geeza, This website is simply wonderful and resourceful!! Thanks. I had a question and was wondering if you can please help. I finish 7 years in Hong Kong in November and my current employment visa expires on […] Keep Reading...>

October 7th, 2020

The issue of fiances prior to marriage and how the Hong Kong Immigration Department treat them is often confused so I was happy to receive this question recently. So, how are fiance’s prior to marriage treated by the Hong Kong Immigration Department? QUESTION My fiancé is a Philippine resident working in Hong Kong for the […] Keep Reading...>

October 5th, 2020

First Published October 4, 2017 What do ImmD make of foreign nationals who hold an employment visa for a period of time, then remain here as Visitors again for a protracted time, then apply once again for an employment visa? QUESTION I was previously employed in Hong for a number of years, but have been […] Keep Reading...>

October 4th, 2020

The indiscretions of youth can come back and haunt you in later years and in this question, a conviction for shoplifting quite some time ago is on the mind of an intending foreign national resident of Hong Kong… QUESTION I am very keen in settling down in Hong Kong in the long-term future. And I […] Keep Reading...>

October 3rd, 2020

What will the Hong Kong Immigration Department make of a very early application for an extension to a business investment visa? QUESTION I am 6 months into my first 12 month stint of an investment employment visa.  I am looking to move into a new apartment and the landlord is requesting a minimum of 12 […] Keep Reading...>

October 1st, 2020

Hong Kong is a small place with borders on our doorstep so how much time do you need to be physically in Hong Kong to retain your Hong Kong investment visa? QUESTION I would like to know, if I am able to hold a visa in Hong Kong, then what is the minimum time per […] Keep Reading...>

September 29th, 2020

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 27th, 2020

Can I work in Shenzhen on my Hong Kong employment visa? So, just what is the deal with being employed ex Hong Kong but actually working in China? QUESTION I just graduated with a Master’s degree from a Hong Kong university. I am still a Hong Kong resident with student status. My university allows me […] Keep Reading...>

September 25th, 2020

There’s a lot of confusion about the Hong Kong Identity Card so today I’d like to clear it up a bit… QUESTION Hello, (1) Which visa categories require a Hong Kong Identity Card, and (2) If they require a Hong Kong Identity Card then will it allow for access to the public health care system, […] Keep Reading...>

September 23rd, 2020

Being a Chinese national resident on the Mainland makes it difficult to relocate to Hong Kong… QUESTION I’m a British and Australian citizen (dual nationality) living in Australia and I have a mainland Chinese girlfriend, presently living in China. We wish to move to Hong Kong to live together and I want to start a […] Keep Reading...>

September 21st, 2020

Does the fact that a piece of work to be undertaken in Hong Kong by a foreign national is project-specific and only going to last a few short days somehow obviate the requirement for an employment visa ? QUESTION We have acquired a contract with a company in Hong Kong. We have one person that […] Keep Reading...>

September 21st, 2020

What is the deal if you help out a charity on a volunteer basis whilst holding a visitor visa in Hong Kong? Volunteer work for a charity based overseas but also operating in HK? QUESTION Hi Visa Geeza, I am  Canadian and I first came to Hong Kong on April under a 3 month training […] Keep Reading...>

September 17th, 2020

The Hong Kong Immigration Department are not especially receptive to what can appear to be family reunion via the back door… Can you use the Foreign Domestic Helper visa to employ your mother in Hong Kong? QUESTION Hello, My wife and I are on work visas in Hong Kong and are expecting a baby in […] Keep Reading...>

September 15th, 2020

In the final analysis, this question is really about employment law which I am not qualified to answer (I’m an immigration guy). However, it does afford an opportunity for a discussion about extending an employment visa when there’s only the notice period remaining on a subsisting employment contract. QUESTION I am an Australian expat, currently […] Keep Reading...>

September 13th, 2020

First Published January 10, 2017 What Hong Kong visa category should I use to expand my SME business operations from my base in Gibraltar? Down the years literally dozens of such entrepreneurs have passed through my office and I am proud to have been associated with this flow of foreign national talent. It came as […] Keep Reading...>

September 11th, 2020

Long-term visa options for out-of-work Foreign Domestic Helpers in Hong Kong? This scenario play itself out frequently enough here in Hong Kong that it is worthy of an answer and I am grateful to the reader for raising the question – so here we go… QUESTION My girl friend is an Indonesian domestic helper who […] Keep Reading...>

September 9th, 2020

The Immigration Department (ImmD) announced an update on service arrangements as follows: All Services Back To Normal In Wanchai Except For ID Card Replacement Initiative Keep Reading...>

September 7th, 2020

The question of right of abode for FDH’s 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 under any […] Keep Reading...>

September 5th, 2020

Juggling commitments to your employer and your employment visa status can be challenging when you plan to quit and start your own business… QUESTION I have been sponsored over the past 5 years by my current employer and I have now decided to set up my own business. The limited company is being created whilst […] Keep Reading...>

September 2nd, 2020

Objection to an application for a Hong Kong investment visa? Revenge is a dish best eaten cold, as they say. So, can an application for a Hong Kong investment visa be negatively impacted by the fact of a debt outstanding to a disgruntled creditor – or can it at least be used as a point […] Keep Reading...>

August 28th, 2020

Circumstances sometimes conspire against foreign national residents here who find themselves in a quandary as to whether or not their continuous ordinary residence here has been broken due to decisions made (voluntary or otherwise) earlier on in their lives in Hong Kong. In this situation, will an application for the Right of Abode fail? QUESTION […] Keep Reading...>

August 26th, 2020

So, what are the immigration implications of getting married and then having children in Hong Kong if you are a temporary resident presently holding an employment visa? QUESTION Hi, Can you please help with a few questions? 1. I am getting married next month and would like to cancel my employment visa through my employer, […] Keep Reading...>

August 22nd, 2020

First Published: December 8, 2013 This case study details a Hong Kong Right of Abode application where our client had, due to ill health, unexpectedly spent more than two years away from Hong Kong during the 7 years of continuous ordinary residence needed to lawfully establish permanent residency in the HKSAR. More Stuff You May […] Keep Reading...>

August 19th, 2020

The answer is no – you should never get married just for Hong Kong visa purposes! But if you are in a genuine, long-standing, loving committed relationship and potentially forced apart due to an unexpected, or involuntary relocation to Hong Kong for work purposes and marriage was an inevitability anyway, then… QUESTION I am a […] Keep Reading...>

August 17th, 2020

What will the Hong Kong Immigration Department make of an application for a second partner to join in an existing business and secure a business investment visa (or) Hong Kong investment visa for an unprofitable company – easy or hard? QUESTION My business partner is moving to Hong Kong soon. Until this point, we had […] Keep Reading...>

August 15th, 2020

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...>

August 11th, 2020

No one has asked me this type of question about compensation for employees for about 17 years now so I’m grateful to the questioner for raising it as she did. QUESTION I have successfully registered a business and been awarded an investment visa in Hong Kong. The company is a start up with limited capital […] Keep Reading...>

August 7th, 2020

This situation occurs quite a lot especially for those employees who were originally summer hires and are on back to back employment contracts matching the validity of their limits of stay. QUESTION I am a Canadian currently employed in Hong Kong and have a work visa. If I plan to be absent on leave in […] Keep Reading...>

August 5th, 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...>

July 29th, 2020

How a Hong Kong employment visa application can go completely wrong! Last week, a very good client of ours asked if I would be prepared to take a look at the file of an applicant who had been denied an employment visa a few weeks previously.   First Published on  October 3, 2012 This applicant […] Keep Reading...>

July 27th, 2020

I get 30-40 questions each week and not all of them merit a podcast answer. Some are answered quickly via email and for the next few days I’ll post some of these anonymised replies here. Our Dependant Visas Will Expire Soon – We Can’t Get Back To Hong Kong In Time Due To COVID19 – […] Keep Reading...>

July 20th, 2020

First Published June 4, 2012 No matter what type of Hong Kong visa you have secured, residency in Hong Kong offers fantastic tax benefits! More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting Is 50 days a particularly long time to process a Hong Kong employment visa application? INTERVIEW: What was it like being an immigration […] Keep Reading...>

July 15th, 2020

I get 30-40 questions each week and not all of them merit a podcast answer. Some are answered quickly via email and for the next few days I’ll post some of these anonymised replies here. Can I Extend My Hong Kong Visitor Visa If I Am Stuck Here Due to COVID19? QUESTION Hi I’m here […] Keep Reading...>

July 11th, 2020

I get 30-40 questions each week and not all of them merit a podcast answer. Some are answered quickly via email and for the next few days I’ll post some of these anonymised replies here. A Depedant Visa For An Elderly Parent If I Have a Permanent HK ID Card? QUESTION My brother is an […] Keep Reading...>

July 9th, 2020

Hong Kong visa expertise for free? Source: hongkongvisageeza.com via Stephen on Pinterest   As I am a member of quite a few Hong Kong related groups on Facebook, LinkedIn and Google+, the content of this Blog is distributed quite widely and commands a healthy following. Not that everyone is waiting eagerly for the latest Hong […] Keep Reading...>

July 5th, 2020

This infographic sets out how the path to securing a Hong Kong employment visa is traveled, from the decision to look for work through to granting of the all-important visa in your passport. More Stuff to Help You Along The perils of contriving a job offer in order to make an employment visa application in […] Keep Reading...>

July 3rd, 2020

First Published September 9, 2016 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). More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting What does it mean… Twilight Zone? What does […] Keep Reading...>

July 2nd, 2020

First Published July 11, 2015 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 One Year Rule as it applies to PRC nationals applicants  for resident visa status in Hong Kong. More Stuff You May Find Useful or Interesting […] Keep Reading...>

June 29th, 2020

First Published July 27, 2015 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 how the Hong Kong Immigration Department assess the bona fides of a sponsor seeking Hong Kong dependant visa permissions for his/her family to join him/her […] Keep Reading...>

June 26th, 2020

First Published July 20, 2015 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 how the Hong Kong Immigration Department assess the bona fides of a Hong Kong company seeking to sponsor the employment visa permissions of a foreign […] Keep Reading...>

June 24th, 2020

First Published August 24, 2015 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  how the Hong Kong Immigration Department position their internal test for visa application approval via, what I have couched, as their Approvability Test. More Stuff […] Keep Reading...>

June 22nd, 2020

I have been asked twice recently about adding the Hong Kong employment visa to the “10 Must Have …” collection of resources on the Visa Geeza Blog so here you have it. In addition to the resources detailed below, you can also find how to extend your Hong Kong employment visa here and in case your proposed employer […] Keep Reading...>

June 19th, 2020

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