Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Can a Hong Kong Sole Proprietorship Form the Basis of a Self-Sponsored Change of Sponsorship Hong Kong Work Visa Approval?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

Can you get a self-sponsored change of sponsorship Hong Kong work visa? Fantastic question this which took me 10 minutes to think the answer through for! QUESTION As an expat, I currently work for a company that sponsored me in Hong Kong for my work visa.  I now no longer want to work exclusively for […]

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I Am a Multi-faceted Artist – What Type of Hong Kong Visa Suits Me Best?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Special Programmes, Your Question Answered / No responses

First Published November 23, 2017 What type of Hong Kong visa do you turn to when you have an eclectic mix of artistic talent and capabilities? QUESTION I am a Canadian Artist, Designer and Model at present I have been creating lots of project around Asia, and am looking at basing my self in Hong […]

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What Compliance Obligations Do I Have if I Hold a Hong Kong Employment Visa and Want to Start Freelancing After I Stop Working for My Employer-Sponsor?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 1 response

I hold a Hong Kong employment visa and want to start freelancing…   As a foreign national temporarily resident in Hong Kong on a sponsored employment visa, there are a number of different compliance issues that need to be addressed if you lose your job and you fancy embarking down the path of freelancing on […]

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Do You Really Need to Set Up Your Own Office if You Have a Hong Kong Investment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

Once you have persuaded the Hong Kong Immigration Department of your ability to make a substantial contribution to the economy of Hong Kong and have been granted an investment visa, can you then argue, after the fact, that actually, you have no practical need to establish office premises of your own after all? QUESTION I […]

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Does Choosing Not to Pay Yourself a Salary Mean It’s OK to Run a Business in Hong Kong Without Getting an Investment Visa First?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

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 […]

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As a Visitor Living in Hong Kong Do You Need to Get An Investment Visa if You Freelance Here But All Your Income is Sourced Overseas?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Visitor Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

First Published September 30, 2018 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 […]

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What Happens to My Girlfriend’s Hong Kong Employment Visa if She Quits Her Job and We Get Engaged – Can She Carry on Working on the Strength of Our Relationship?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Your Question Answered / No responses

Does being formally engaged to be married to a Hong Kong Permanent Resident materially impact the work permissions available to an employment visa holding fiance? QUESTION I am a permanent resident of Hong Kong working here and I met my girlfriend who is currently employed and on a working visa. However she no longer wants to […]

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Is There Such an Animal as a Hong Kong Employment Visa for an Independant Contractor?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 3 responses

Hong Kong Employment Visa for an Independant Contractor? The General Employment Policy anticipates that foreign national Professionals seeking to work in Hong Kong are subject to a formal employer-employee relationship. So what’s the situation if the employer wants to engage you as a contractor? Is it do-able? QUESTION Dear Stephen,  I got a working visa […]

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

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Musing / 6 responses

First Published May 1, 2012 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). Let’s […]

The Challenge of Visa Approvability for Freelance Writers & Reporters in Hong Kong

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 4 responses

Freelancers in Hong Kong are often faced with a round-pegs-in-square-holes visa situation that is not easily resolved. This post attempts to deal with the challenge of visa approvability for these people and shed some light on what is actually do-able from an immigration perspective. QUESTION I am currently a full-time reporter in Hong Kong, I […]

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