Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

The Hong Kong Immigration Department Really Are Getting Tougher Across the Board Now…

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Special Programmes, Visitor Visas / 3 responses

It has taken me 21 years to make this claim…  I have been practicing in Hong Kong immigration advisory matters since 1993. All down those years, I have been asked countless times “is Immigration getting harder?’ and unflinchingly I have answered ‘no’. It has always been my experience that if you have an approvable case […]

Hong Kong Investment Visa Processing Times – Current Residents Much, Much (Much!) Faster Than Non Residents

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Musing / 3 responses

Something quite amazing happened earlier this week. Here follows the story… We submitted a change of category application for a current Hong Kong foreign national resident (sponsored employment to business investment) via the residents section on the 5th floor of Immigration Tower on February 6th. We did what we normally do, the client was well […]

What to Do if You Find Yourself in the Hong Kong Visa ‘Twilight Zone’

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas, Special Programmes / 4 responses

Sometimes, Hong Kong residents find themselves changing employers or swapping from a sponsored employment visa to a business investment visa, when their current limit of stay expires and they find themselves ‘without a visa’ whilst the Hong Kong ID are working on their applications. In this instance, so long as you have an ‘active application’ […]

If I Didn’t Graduate from University, Will it Stop Me From Getting a Hong Kong Employment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says… / 5 responses

No, you don’t always need a degree to get an employment visa for Hong Kong. Definitely not! But instead, you have to have a lot of experience in your particular line of work. The Hong Kong Immigration Department are looking for special skills, knowledge or experience of value to and not readily available in Hong […]

60 Pages or 7 Pages for Your Hong Kong Investment Visa Plan? It’s Your Choice…

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 3 responses

If someone has told you that you need a fully fledged business plan in support of your Hong Kong investment visa, don’t believe them because it’s not true. Most definitely have your plans, intentions and money flows written down and make sure your business is planned, but don’t be intimidated into drawing up a formally […]

What’s the Basic Income of a Typical Hong Kong Employment Visa Holder?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says… / 5 responses

Many employment visa applicants and the companies which want to hire them struggle with the question of what’s the minimum salary for visa approval? The answer is quite easy really: – The target should be two hundred thousand hong kong dollars each year – This is the total value of the employment not just the […]

Can I Apply for a Residence Visa for Hong Kong While I Am Visiting?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas, Special Programmes / 2 responses

In making your decision about making your Hong Kong residence visa application from inside or outside of Hong Kong you really need to consider: • That some types of visa applications such as Mainland Talents and Permanent Residency require you to be specifically inside or outside of Hong Kong when you apply but for most […]

Can I Apply for a Visa After I Have Moved to Hong Kong or Should I Apply Beforehand?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas / 2 responses

In some cases, you simply must be outside of Hong Kong to apply. In others, you definitely have to be in Hong Kong on the day your application is filed. It all depends. There are pros and cons and a lot depends on your nationality too! More Stuff to Help You Along I have been made […]

Shareholder in the Company Employing You? What the Hong Kong Immigration Department Think…

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, Employment Visas, Investment Visas / 4 responses

There really is no such thing as visa self-sponsorship if you are an entrepreneur seeking permissions to join in your own business in Hong Kong. You either work for an independent third party employer, or you are working for yourself (or possibly in partnership with one or 2 others). The Immigration Department will look through […]

Hong Kong Employment Visa Self-Sponsorship – the Reality for Entrepreneurs Dressed as Employees

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Hadley Says…, Investment Visas / 2 responses

If you are an entrepreneur seeking permissions to join in your own business in Hong Kong, you can’t fudge the issue of the ownership of your own business No matter how you dress it up, the Hong Kong Immigration Department will treat you as an entrepreneur-investor if your company is less than 2 years old […]