Hong Kong Visa & Immigration Topics

Considerably Heightened Diligence by ImmD on All Types of Hong Kong Visa Applications

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Refusals & Appeals, Sherpa, Visitor Visas / 2 responses

Hong Kong Visa Applications Face Increasingly Rigorous Immigration Scrutiny Updated November 8, 2026. Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of changes to ImmD practice since it was first published. Historically, Hong Kong visa applications, as examined by the Hong Kong Visa Geeza in Considerably Heightened Diligence by ImmD on All […]

General Employment Policy vs Admission Scheme For Mainland Talents & Professionals (GEP vs ASMTP)

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Musing, Special Programmes / 12 responses

How Does The Admission Scheme For Mainland Talents and Professionals (ASMTP) Differ From GEP? Over 13 years ago, on June 6th, 2013 I was interviewed by five law students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong about my experiences practicing immigration here over the last 20 years. More than 13 years on, in 2026 as I […]

New Graduate Management Trainee Visa? – Can You Get A Hong Kong Employment Visa?

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

Graduate Management Trainee Visa? Graduate Management Trainee Visa – and the question of a foreign national fresh graduate 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. Practice […]

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Share Equity Compensation Suffice Instead of Cash Salary For A Hong Kong Employment Visa?

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Investment Visas, Your Question Answered / 2 responses

Share Equity Compensation Suffice Instead of Cash Salary? Will equity compensation suffice instead of cash? To what extent can salary be replaced with performance-based equity compensation in case of a Hong Kong employment visa? No one has asked me this type of question about compensation for employees for about 17 years now so I’m grateful […]

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How & Why Hong Kong Seeks To Attract Foreign National Talent

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Employment Visas, Family Visas, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR, Musing, Special Programmes, VG Front Page / 6 responses

How & Why Hong Kong Seeks To Attract Foreign National Talent The Hong Kong Talent Imperative: Strategic Evolution, Institutional Architecture & Practical Realities   The architecture of Hong Kong’s immigration system has long reflected its structural position as a global entrepôt, financial intermediary, and service-driven economy. Lacking domestic natural resources, the territory’s economic viability depends […]

Will My Hong Kong Employment Visa be Compromised If I Leave My Job Due to Intolerable Working Conditions?

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

Hong Kong Employment Visa Lost If You Have A Terrible Boss & Want To Leave? What’s The Risk To Your Hong Kong Employment Visa? 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? Practice Update 2026 – This […]

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Hong Kong Immigration – The Long Stay Visitor’s Awkward Predicament

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in 60 Second Snapshot, VG Front Page, Visitor Visas / 27 responses

Long Stay Visitor? Been In Hong Kong More Than 180 Days In A One Year Given Period …     Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of changes to ImmD practice since it was first published Under Hong Kong immigration control, foreign nationals who repeatedly enter the territory to maintain […]

Do I Really Need An Employment Visa If I Get 6 Months’ Visitor Status Upon Arrival Intend To Work In Hong Kong For A Maximum Of 2 Weeks?

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

Visitor Status Upon Arrival Intend To Work In Hong Kong? Is it ever legal to work in Hong Kong – especially on a short term basis – with  Visitor status – without the permission of the Director of Immigration? Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of changes to ImmD practice […]

Can I Lawfully Rent An Apartment In Hong Kong As A Frequent Visitor – What Would The Immigration Department Make Of That?

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

Rent an Apartment in Hong Kong as a Frequent Visitor? If you find yourself often in Hong Kong as a frequent Visitor is it lawful and / or possible to rent an apartment in order to keep accommodation expenses down …     Practice Update 2026 – This content must be read in light of […]

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The Twists And Turns Of An Unusual Hong Kong Permanent Residency Application

Posted by The Visa Geeza / in Case Study, Investment Visas, Long Stay & PR / 10 responses

Although this case study is based on a situation I was asked to provide guidance to many years ago, its content is still relevant today.   Our client was a French national with a wife and 5 year old daughter – all of them, French citizens. He had first arrived in Hong Kong in 2004 […]